The Lake Cottage in Gascony France

The perfect place to spend time with family and friends! Get away from it all-enjoy nature, the forest and lake, take a bike ride/hike around our friendly villages, eat great food, in your equipped kitchen or go out and discover our local restaurants The Lake Cottage - The Lake Cottage is situated on five hectares (10 acres) of gardens, forest, with rolling hills and vineyards..all this is steps away from the beautiful lake which is a nature reserve. The "traditional old barn" was renovated to a more modern and open style with focus on the wonderful views and surrounding nature, yet still keeping its rustic character. 3 bedrooms with cozy beds and crisp linens, french armoires and treasures from antique shops make it hard to get out of bed if it weren't for the rooster crowing or the church bells across the lake ringing...time to have some croissants and cafe au lait on the terrace and ponder what the day will bring..A 3 bedroom family home for 6-7 guests with large covered terrace and BBQ and unforgettable views of the lake and surrounding forest. *Fully equipped kitchen with XL gas stove/oven, and views of east lawn. *Dining room with farmers table for 8 with french doors opening to willow lawn. *Living room with large cozy couch, flat screen HD-TV, DVD with USB, HiFi with iPod dock, movie and music library, and loads of books and games. *3 nice sized bedrooms. 2 with double beds, 1 with 3 single beds, and 1 pullout. *Wood burning stove for chilly off season stays-we provide the wood from our forest! *Outdoor fire pit, bicycles provided to enjoy the local countryside and green trails. ping pong table, fuze-ball table, darts.... There is so much here to see - Fources, the only round bastide village and its shops, Vic Fezensac's spanish festivals, Marciac Jazz festival... and do - biking, boating and swimming at Barbotan-Les-Thermes, hiking, horseback riding, canal cruising in Nerac.. but that can wait. Today there is a sunny terrace to sit on, fresh produce from the farmers market to enjoy, foie gras to eat, wine and armagnac to drink.. Further on: The beachs (Biarritz, St Girons) The Basque Coast with lovely boutiques, cafe's and restaurants along little fishing ports, The Pyrenees Mountains for hiking or skiing for the day! Adventure parks, treetop park, Bordeaux for chateaux and wine tastings, Toulouse, the ville en rose-marvelous! So much to do! ...or maybe a walk around the lake first, a nice long lunch, and then we can decide. Your hosts, Jim and Jodi, are at the main house of the property, and are there for anything you may need, we've gotten to know the area, and the friendly people around here, and are happy to inform you of the local interests. You are welcome to enjoy the LaTour property lawns, forest, lakeshore and surrounding nature trails. Be sure to visit Jodi's "potager" and also say hello to the chickens! The main house is also on the property, and Jodi, your host is always around (usually in the potager!) to help out with any information you may need to make your stay the best it can be! My neighborhood: Our closest neighbors are passing deers, the neighbor farmers cows when they are at a closer pasture, and our chickens! Down the country road, we have 2 farmers homes, and further on are the beautiful horses and training facilities, its always fun to watch them run! Our little local village is a bike ride away, and worth it for the delicious croissants found at the boulangerie/grocery store. There is also a local restaurant, that is nice for a lunch stop. **This is the perfect area if you are sporty and looking for adventure! We offer bikes which you can use on the several green routes nearby that take you through forests, past castles, and through medieval villages! There is also canoeing, riverboat rides, hiking (in the Pyrenees mountains!) acrobranch park, paintball, and here at LaTour we offer a gym as well! For a more relaxed pace, you can discover medieval villages, fresh farmers markets, castles and fun walking trails, we can arrange wine and armagnac tours for you also. But it seems our guests spend most of their time enjoying meals on the BBQ terrace and having a fun time sitting by the fire-pit cooking marshmallows and telling stories! ; ) Either way, we hope it will be a time to remember! A car is advised, although there are bus lines going to the larger villages, and a train station in Mont-de-Marsan (45 minutes away).