Your dream holiday villa in Provence is situated on the hill overlooking the medieval village of Fayence, close to the beaches of Cannes and Frejus, less than 30 minutes drive along Autoroute A8. Being a thousand feet above sea level the climate is near perfect all the year round: not too hot in summer and mild in winter.
"Villa la Moncalaise" rises above the village bell tower and the remains of the square ramparts of a medieval chateau. The Chemin de la Liberation rises to Quartier la Roque, the highest point of the village of Fayence.
It takes just two minutes in the morning to walk down the cobblestone steps to the boulangerie for fresh croissants for your breakfast on the terrace. Later in the day you may enjoy an aperitif by the fountain at the Place de la Republique and then stroll down to browse the mouth-watering food stalls displayed ar the popular village market in the Place de l'Eglise in front of the 18th century church, the biggest in the Canton de Fayence.
From the gazebo on the extensive grounds of your villa in Provence you will be enchanted by the panoramic views of the Maures and the Esterel range of hills which separate the Canton from the sea. The hills are dotted with ancient villages perched high up on the hillsides in the far distance.
These hills rise on either side of the D562. This is the old road to Draguignan. It traverses the Canton below ""les villages perches"" of Seillans Fayence Tourettes Callian and Montauroux to Peymenade and Grasse the perfume capital of France. From Montauroux the D37 follows the shores of Lac St. Cassien to Exit 39 gateway to the A8. Cannes is only 15 minutes away along the autoroute. Nice Airport is just another 20 minutes further along.
In Fayence gliders from the airfield below rising on thermal currents warmed by the morning sun perform their silent graceful ballets in slow-motion as they skim and hug the contours of the hills above Villa la Moncalaise. The micro-climate makes Fayence, encircled by steep hills, the foremost gliding aerodrome in Europe by the number of hours flown.
Entrance to the villa is from a large hall with a guest cloakroom. The wide corridor leads through double glass doors to a spacious sitting room with a modern fireplace. The dining room adjoins a fully-equipped separate kitchen. The sitting room is bathed in sunlight all day as it opens through French double doors on to a large south-facing terrace which is also accessed from the kitchen and the master bedroom. The dining room has its own separate entrance with French double doors leading to another terrace in front of a yellow rose garden.
The villa is tiled with rich, semi-glazed Provencal floor tiles and is carpeted throughout with Agra rugs. Original oil paintings adorn the walls and lined silk curtains frame all French doors and windows. The villa has been furnished by Roche Bobois in classic French provincial style.
The garden has been developed on two banks and is planted with fruit trees table grapes and ancient olive trees some reputed to be over a thousand years old.
The large kidney-shaped pool 10m x 6.5m shaded by a giant parasol pine is solar-heated and floodlit at night - so is the gazebo - a great place for summer dining and entertaining as the summer kitchen is conveniently close by under a willow tree. There is reclining furniture and a drinks trolley for use around the pool. There are armchairs and a dining suite with seating for eight on the terrace outside the sitting room. All garden furniture is teak.
In the extensive basement leading off from the garage there is a laundry room (which is accessible from the hall) with an additional refrigerator (used mainly for wines...) a wine cellar and a well equipped gym.
Villa la Moncalaise is a private home, very much loved and enjoyed by its owners. It is as fully equipped and cared for as any expensive private residence on the French Riviera. There is a dish washer, a washing machine, a dryer, a wide screen Sony TV with Sky satellite, a DVD/VCR, a Bang & Olufsen entertainment centre, Wi-Fi ADSL (2048 Kb) and kitchen equipment of every conceivable kind. You will enjoy living in a luxury villa in the most desirable part of the French Riviera and Provence...
Finally, your villa in the south of France is completely fenced, electronically secured and protected with a 24-hour automatic telephone alarm to a private security service.
There is much to do in Fayence... Swimming, fishing, camping and boating on Lac de St. Cassien and its shores, trail riding, windsurfing and gliding are all within easy reach, as is magnificent walking country. For the really energetic, a Grande Randonnee along the base of the Gorge du Verdon (Europe's largest) or, for those not so energetic, a drive along its picturesque rim is highly spectacular. St. Tropez and the Mediterranean, as well as local golf courses including excellent championship courses at Tourrettes (Terre Blanche) and La Motte (Saint Andreol) are all within less then one hours drive. In winter, skiing is great in the Southern Alps, (Foux d'Allos, Greolieres and Isola 2000 a two-hour drive away).
For music lovers, there are plenty of summer concerts with jazz in the open air in Bargemon and in nearby villages of Seillans and Montferrat; chamber music and recitals in nearby churches: Mass with Gregorian plainsong on Sunday mornings at the Abbey de Thoronet; opera at Aix-en Provence, Orange and Nice.
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