Le Mas de Ravanassier
La Colle du Turc. 83310 Grimaud, Var
Sleeps 10
Location
"Le Mas de Ravanassier" stands on the summit of the Colle du Turc. It is on a private estate, and overlooks the castle and medieval village of Grimaud which lie about 2.5 kms to the east. It is about ¾ of an hour's drive south of Le Luc on the A8 autoroute, 1½ hours south west of Nice airport, and about the same distance north east of Toulon (Hyères) airport. The super-fast train, the TGV, stops both at Fréjus and at Cannes, with local trains to and from St Raphael and Les Arcs. St Tropez, Port Grimaud, Ste Maxime, Monte Carlo and the many other attractions of the Côte d'Azur are also within comparatively easy reach.
The Setting
This substantial Provençal villa is set in four hectares (nearly 10 acres) of garden, olive groves and woods, and is well secluded from its neighbours. There are magnificent views in several directions, including Port Grimaud and the Bay and harbour of St Tropez which are 7 kms and 14 kms to the east respectively. The latter's famous beaches are 2 or 3 kms further away.
The villa's dominant position allows for maximum hours of sunshine, and provides spectacular sunrises over the Mediterranean and sunsets over the Maure hills.
There is a full-size, heated, filtered swimming pool, a tennis court, and a boules area.
Looking from the Main Terrace towards St Tropez. Château de Grimaud in the distance
The caretaker and his wife, Michel and Liliane Miclo, live in an adjoining, self-contained flat. Michel looks after the garden, the grounds and the swimming pool, and is paid by the owners. Liliane (or her deputy) is the cleaner - see Other Facilities And Information below.
The Accommodation
Ground Floor
- Entrance Lobby (15 sq m) with a comfortable sofa, satellite television, a video machine and a selection of videos. cloakroom with WC.
Access from the Entrance Lobby to: - Sitting Room (48 sq m) with sofas and armchairs, a large wood-burning fireplace, a stereo CD/radio system and a selection of CDs. Three pairs of French windows open onto the east-facing main terrace with wonderful views to the Bay of St Tropez and beyond.
The Sitting Room
- Bedroom 1 (16 sq m) with a double bed and fitted cupboards. French windows lead to the main terrace, whilst a window on a second side overlooks the olive grove to the south. En suite bathroom with bath, bidet and WC.
- Bedroom 2 (13 sq m) with a double bed, fitted cupboards, and views over the olive grove. En suite SHOWER ROOM and WC.
- Bedroom 3 (12 sq m) with fitted cupboards. There is a double bed, a single bed, and a third bed which pulls out from below the single bed. This Bedroom is ideal for children, and has French windows leading onto the terrace. En suite bathroom, with bath, bidet and WC.
An attractive, stone-built staircase ascends from the Sitting Room to: - Bedroom 4 (The Tower Bedroom - 13 sq m) with a double bed which can be split into two singles. This Bedroom has windows on three sides, and enjoys panoramic views to the north, east and south. En suite Shower Room and WC.
Bedroom 5
- Dining Room (20 sq m) giving access via French windows to the main terrace, and to the shaded lunching/dining area on the terrace itself. A second table on this terrace (with bench seating) is ideal for children.
A door from the Dining Room leads to: - Bedroom 5 (The Master Bedroom - 24 sq m) with a king-size bed, fitted cupboards, and two pairs of French windows opening onto the main terrace. En suite bathroom with bath, walk-in shower, 2 wash basins, bidet and WC.
Bedroom 5's en suite Bathroom
- Kitchen. Well-equipped with 2 electric ovens, separate gas hob, micro-wave, large fridge-freezer/ice-maker, dishwasher, cafetière, toaster etc. The washing machine and spin-dryer are located in the laundry room beyond the kitchen which in turn gives access to the caretakers' ground floor flat.
Bedroom 4 (The Tower Bedroom)
The Kitchen
The Grounds
Stone steps lead from the main terrace to the heated, filtered swimming pool. (Both the steps and the pool are spot-lit). The pool is 10 metres in length and 4.75m in width, with a depth of 2.3m at the deep end and 1.3m at the shallow end (which is accessed via wide, tiled steps). It has an electrically operated, child-proof cover which meets the latest French safety regulations, and which should be closed by tenants at night (and on any particular day should tenants so wish) in order to retain the heat and to prevent possible accidents. There is an excellent range of pool furniture.
NB Please close all sun umbrellas and sun blinds/awnings (wherever they are sited) at night and on windy days. Strong winds may otherwise cause considerable damage to them. Please also switch off all outside lights before retiring at night.
Adjacent is the pool house which has a shaded summer lunching/dining area with a fixed barbecue. There is also a WC and a pool-side shower plus a portable barbecue which can be moved to any (safe) outdoor location.
Please be very careful as fire risks are high in the warmer months.
The Main Terrace
The villa is surrounded by a landscaped garden with cypresses, cork oaks, palms, mimosas and eucalyptus, as well as having its own olive grove. Terraces descend from the pool to the tennis court which has been resurfaced to the highest standard. There is a practice wall at one end of the court.
Near the pool is a boules court. The balls are usually kept in the villa.
Services
Telephone/fax, mains electricity and water supply.
NB Water can be a scarce commodity in the South of France, particularly in dry summers, and tenants are therefore requested to use it with care.
Looking south
Other Facilities And Information
- There should not be more than 10 people including children and babies staying in the villa at any one time, of which a maximum of 8 should be adults.
- Bed linen, bath and pool towels are provided free of charge, and will be changed by Liliane (or a deputy), on a weekly basis. She or her deputy will also act as the daily for 6 hours per week, their wage to be paid by the owners. Any additional hours of work should be arranged directly with Liliane, and should be paid by tenants on a weekly basis at the rate of 15 Euros per hour.
- As long as sufficient notice is given, a part-time cook can probably also be provided. His/her wage will be the tenants' responsibility, and will be ascertained prior to the commencement of the tenancy.
- The villa has a telephone/fax system, as well as Broadband/Wireless internet access.
- There are two cots, a high chair, a car seat and 2 booster car seats. Also a steriliser and plastic plates and bowls for babies.
- There are electric radiators in all the principal rooms.
- There is ample parking space in front of the villa.
- Tenants should advise both Liliane Miclo and Anglo French Properties Ltd at the end of each rental of any losses, breakages or damages. This is in lieu of an inventory.
- The owners' insurance policy requires that all shutters are closed and that all outside doors are locked whenever tenants are away from the property.
- There is a table tennis table in the Pool House.
- A chest of drawers in the Sitting Room contains numerous board games. There is a bridge table, and a selection of English language books.
- The villa has a most useful folder listing local doctors, dentists, plumbers, electricians, shops (pottery is a local speciality), markets (the best is in St Tropez), restaurants etc, plus hints and instructions regarding the villa and its grounds. There are also lots of ideas and suggestions on what to do and where to go in the area, as well as a selection of maps and brochures.
- There are many pretty villages which are well worth a visit - Grimaud itself and Port Grimaud, Plan-de-la-Tour, Gassin, Ramatuelle, Bormes-les-Mimosas and Collobrières, to name but some.
- A number of local vineyards encourage visits as well as tastings and purchases. There is also an excellently priced wine co-operative on the road between Grimaud and Ste Maxime.
The Large Dining Table on the Main Terrace
- There is a tennis club (offering coaching) in Grimaud. It is run by Christophe Cochet, the son of Henri Cochet who was one of the "Four Musketeers", the legendary French quartet who dominated the game during much of the period between World Wars I and II.
- There are several good 18-hole golf courses in the vicinity, the majority of which are listed in this folder. The nearest are Beauvallon and Ste Maxime, whilst outstanding are St. Endréol and Barbaroux.
- The best beaches are probably Pampelonne, Gigaro and Cavalaire (all south of St. Tropez), and boats can be hired at Ste Maxime to take passengers direct to these beaches. In addition, there is a regular ferry service between Ste Maxime and the town of St Tropez. Crossings take 10-15 minutes.
- A nearby livery stable offers lessons as well as riding in the surrounding hills.
- There are some marvellous walks and mountain-bike trails in the vicinity. (Bicycles can be hired in Cogolin). Details of these - and of many other activities - are given in the folder.
- Port Grimaud offers children-friendly sailing, water-skiing and wind-surfing lessons.
- There is a dog, Risa, which lives with the caretakers. She is very friendly, but is not allowed in the villa, and should not be fed by tenants.
- Small children will enjoy the "little train" which runs between Grimaud and Port Grimaud.
The Garden below the Swimming Pool
The Rents In 2008
| Month | Price |
|---|---|
| 6th January - 3rd May Except for 15th March - 29th March (Easter weeks) |
£2,500 per week £3000 per week |
| 3rd - 24th May | £2,750 per week |
| 24th - 31st May (Half Term) |
£3,500 |
| 31st May - 28th June | £3,250 per week |
| 28th June - 6th September | £4,750 per week |
| 6th September - 18th October | £3,500 per week |
| 18th October - 2nd November | £3,000 per week |
| 2nd November - 21st December | £2,500 per week |
| 21st - 28th December
(Christmas week) |
£3,000 |
N.B. All the above dates are a Saturday.
A 30% discount is available for parties of 4 people or fewer in total (ie including adults, children and babies) in all months other than June to September inclusive, and also excluding Easter and Christmas weeks.
Unless otherwise agreed, all lets will be for a minimum of 1 week, and will begin and end on a Saturday. Tenants should arrive between 4 pm and 6 pm on the commencement day, and should leave before 10 am on the agreed day of departure. They will be met on arrival at the villa by the caretakers.
The Deposit
A deposit of 25% of the rent will be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing the Rental Agreement, with the balance to be paid 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the tenancy.
The Tennis Court with a Practice Wall at its far end
The Booking And Security Desposit
A Booking and Security Deposit of £500 will also be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing this Rental Agreement. This will secure the booking and will cover (a) the cost of telephone and fax calls made during the tenancy, (b) electricity consumed by tenants, (c) the cost of replacing/making good any losses, breakages and/or damages incurred during the rental, and (d) any exceptional cleaning work which may be required at the end of the tenancy. It will be refunded (less any deductions as outlined above) within 8 weeks of the conclusion of the tenancy.
