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PORTE ROUGE IN SOUTH AVEYRON |
Combret
is a very small village in the department of Aveyron, the kitchen of France,
midway between Montpellier and Toulouse and dates back to the 11th century.
The village is perched on a spur in a bend of the meandering river Rance
which is a tributary to the river Tarn. The countryside around Combret
is completely unspoilt, hilly and partly wooded. To the south, the National
Park of Haute Languedoc is more mountainous with fine lakes and the superb
fortified town of Carcasonne.
To the north there is the beautiful Tarn valley with it's dramatic 80
km long gorge to the east of the city of Millau. The medieval riverside
city of Albi is to the west. The Mediterranean at Bezieres is about two
hours away. 40 minutes' drive away to the south near Lacaune are some
beautiful lakes where a variety of water sports are available.
The villagers are very friendly and welcomed us when we bought Porte
Rouge in 1989. There are about 80 houses in Combret but in the winter
there are only about 42 people living in the village. In summer the younger
members of the families return with their children from nearby towns for
their holidays. Most of the locals are farmers and hunters. Flocks of
sheep roam the hilly countryside with their shepherds and are milked twice
a day for production of the world famous Roquefort cheese. The caves at
Roquefort where the cheese is matured are interesting to see.
At the Auberge, which is a short stroll from our house one may eat
and drink either on the terrace on the square, surrounded by the beautiful
countryside, or in the restaurant or bar which are comfortable and friendly. You
will need to book on telephone number 00 33 (0)5 65 97 60 10. Mention
our names.
At regular intervals through summer there are open-air feasts in the two
village squares with eating, drinking and dancing until the sun comes
up. The cost of attending one of these feasts is about £10 per person
for a four-course meal and as much wine as you can handle!
Porte
Rouge is a stone built 14th century farmhouse in the upper part of the
village just below the Roman church. There are five bedrooms, one with
a double bed and four 3 ft. singles which can lock together to form 6ft
doubles but can be split if preferred. Three have en-suite shower and
toilets and no rooms are through rooms. There is a Victorian cot, which
does not comply with regulations, but Stella, her sisters and parents
survived it very well. There are four bath/shower rooms with toilets and
two kitchens. The lounge is large with a big open fireplace and comfortable
seating for eight with easy chairs in other parts of the house. There
is hi-fi, video, Satellite television (U.K. free to view channels) and
telephone/fax for which we ask you to pay if you make calls.
The large well equipped farmhouse kitchen has a long dining table seating
ten easily, (normally set for six but there are spare dining chairs all
over the house and we have entertained 14 before now!).
There is a gas hob, electric oven, fridge/freezer, washing machine, microwave,
food processors, ancient stone sink, cutlery, crockery, glasses, pots
and pans etc.,
Outside
there is a large secluded walled courtyard. The swimming pool, cut into
the rock, is of irregular shape and measures about 16 ft X 12 ft and is
5 ft-6" at the deepest point. It nestles romantically against tall
medieval walls, is not heated, but has underwater lighting and filtration.
As the pool is half in and half out of the rock there are steps up and
over the 2 ft-6 inch stone wall.
The steps to the pool are easily removed to keep young children out. There
is a stone barbeque with equipment and tables and chairs for up to 14.
The open countryside is about 30 paces from the red gates through the
only remaining stone archway in the village wall. You can also sunbathe
in seclusion on the large flat roof of the tower at the west end of Porte
Rouge. Access is by way of the trap hatch at the top of the stone spiral
staircase. As there are vertical drops from the roof IT IS NOT SUITABLE
FOR CHILDREN but we are planning a fence, planters and a shower up there.
Combret has a visiting butcher, baker, charcuterie and greengrocer.
The
River Rance has plenty of coarse fishing and permits can be bought from
the tobacconist near the Post Office in St. Sernin. At Combret there are
deep pools for swimming and the water is very clean. The area is perfect
for walking and traffic is minimal.
The little village of Combret offers perfect peace and tranquility of
another age but is still alive by the younger people from surrounding
farms and villages. We hope that you will be visiting our home and relaxing
in it as you would in your own.
John and Stella
<stellainamberley@yahoo.co.uk>