Les Figuiers: 4 star country loft nr Cordes & Albi

Deep in the rural area known as the Ségala, a spacious apartment (73 sq.m.) in the eaves of an old farmstead (watch out for low beams!). Large bedroom with a double bed and two singles; big living room with three further sofa beds, kitchen area; and shower room with toilet and handbasin. View onto the courtyard garden, table on the balcony also overlooking the garden and a further table for your exclusive use in the garden itself. Near Cordes-sur-Ciel, Monestiés, Najac, Cap'Découvert and Albi. Four fig trees ("figuiers" in French) surround the apartment, hence the name. It's a loft within a former barn, and it combines luxury and tradition amid charming countryside and historic villages. The bedroom: a double bed and two single beds. Wardrobe. Living room: a double sofa-bed and two single sofa-beds. TV with DVD player and cable TV channels. Kitchen area: oven, microwave oven and induction hobs. Small refrigerator; a bigger one with freezer and also a washing machine are available in the laundry room just next door. Shower room with handbasin and toilet. Free parking and wifi. You will have the exclusive use of the apartment itself, the table on the balcony just outside it and the round white table in the courtyard garden. Please note that guests staying in the main gîte have exclusive use of the swimming pool, outside children's play area and most of the courtyard garden. To reach the apartment you will need to use a corner of the courtyard garden, an outside staircase and a balcony, all three of which are shared with our family. Please park opposite the big brown main gates, on the opposite side of the road. Several wonderful villages are within easy reach of le Claouset: Monestiés, Salles, Cordes-sur-Ciel, Penne, Bruniquel, Najac, Puycelsi, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val and a host of others you will love discovering! About 40 minutes away is the city of Albi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don't miss its fine cathedral and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, perched on the bluffs overlooking the River Tarn. The Gaillac vineyards start only 10 kms away. Toulouse, France's fourth largest city, with its museums, its fine town centre and its major international airport, is only about 80 minutes' drive away. The amazing Cap'Découverte leisure complex, with great facilities for all ages including a sandy beach, is about 25 minutes away. Lots of it is free! Check it out on the Internet. There are beautiful country walks which literally start on the doorstep: a mile's stroll down through the woods takes you to the banks of the River Cérou where you can pick up the long distance footpath linking Monestiés and Cordes. Slightly further away the Rivers Aveyron and Tarn have magnificent gorges -- hire a canoe for an unforgettable day out on the water. Or just pick a "green" route on the map and lose yourself in the woods, valleys and villages which give this part of rural France its special charm. On a practical note, please bear in mind that if you use more than 30 kWh of electricity per day you will need to pay for the excess consumption at the market rate. If you have an *electric vehicle* please let us know and we can show you how and where to recharge it .