Sous Les Étoiles

• • Great selection of family activities in 2 acres
  • A wing of the Owner's stone farmhouse, sleeps 6 + baby in 3 bedrooms (double + 2 twin rooms)
  • Private countryside location: 6km Montcuq
  • Office facility available on request
  • Fenced exclusive 11 x 7m pool
  • Excellent selection of games and activities including archery and astronomy
  • Available all year round - Air conditioning, central heating and woodburner

• 

  Along a winding narrow road through a wood the sleepy village of Rouillac will be found, and just beyond that in a private situation is Sous Les Étoiles.

  This is a place for a family with active children to enjoy an holiday to remember with 1 ha (2 acres) of organically managed garden to enjoy along with a good selection of games for all ages to enjoy besides the 11 x 7m pool.
  
  In addition there is also an observatory to see the stars on dark nights, and archery tuition is available at cost, or for experienced archers seeking practice targets can be set to Olympic distance. 
  
  Guest review frim July 2023: 
  "Thank you so much for such a warm welcome and an incredibly relaxing stay at your wonderful gite - a little bit of paradise, but so close to so many wonderful things to do. The kayaking from Douelle to Caix is a must-do as are the various marchés and night markets. Montcuq is just such a beautiful town and so interesting to visit
  We particularly appreciated the thought and care that has gone into ensuring that the gite, pool and gardens met our every need and expectation. We will definitely be back! "
  Simon, Claire, Darcey and Stuart. Belfast
  
  

Sous les Étoiles sits on the edge of the tiny village of Rouillac, about 5km from Montcuq and 12km from Lauzerte. 

There is ample parking by the gite for vehicles of all sizes. 

Accommodation is all on one level with minimal steps and no stairs, so is suitable for those with mobility issues.  With air conditioning,  central heating and a woodburner the property is available all the year round. (nb electricity is charged by meter) 

Entering the gite you will be in the spacious open plan living area with comfortable sofas, TV, music centre beside the dining table seating 6. 
The well equipped kitchen adjoins, featuring gas hob with electric over, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge/freezer, microwave and a good selection of other utensils. 

  

The three bedrooms are: 

 - Master Double with ensuite shower room 
 - Twin bedroom with full size single beds
 - Twin bedroom with full size single beds

All bed linen is supplied, and for stays of over a week a linen change is offered. 
Bathroom towels are supplied as are towels for use at the poolside 

A Welcome Pack will be found on arrival: This includes milk, bread, jam, cheese, coffee, tea, wine, beers and fruit - and on request the Owners will purchase items for your first evening meal and breakfast, meaning there is no hurry to shop en route. 
There will also be a basic stock of essential cleaning and household management items including condiments, clingfilm and foil. 

As the name implies, Sous Les Étoiles is an outdoor place, and an active family will always find plenty to do! 

Approx 1ha (2 acres) of organically managed garden provides a wealth of nature with flowers insect and birdlife to be found in profusion. 

Set against this glorious backdrop is the 11 x 7m solar heated pool with integral steps for easy access. Depths are from 1.2 to 1.6m. The pool is protected by a fence and alarm, and is serviced daily by the Owners. 

  

Plenty of poolside furniture including sun loungers and parasols are supplied. There is a good Weber charcoal barbecue for al fresco cooking. 

There are also gazebos around the garden to make the most of the glorious setting. 

A good selection of games equipment including table tennis, football, croquet, badminton and frizbee are supplied for guests to use.  For the younger members of the family there are swings and a slide, and a trampoline with guard net is also available 
  

With no street lighting Sous Les Étoiles lives up to its name at night with starscapes to be envied, and by arrangement with the Owners, Guests can access the on site observatory to see the skyscape in close up. 

Also by arrangement with the Owners an Archery range can be set up in the meadow, and supervision and instruction will be provided (at cost). For more experienced archers seeking practice, targets can be set at Olympic distance (70 metres)  

For those who enjoy exploring on foot, the world famous St Jacques de Compostela Pilgrim footpath passes within a short distance of the entrance, and Montcuq is a 6km walk and Lauzerte 11km along well signed and kept footpaths. Bicycles can also be hired locally to explore more of this beautiful countryside. 

The area around Sous Les Étoiles is very rural and quiet - narrow winding roads lead either to Montcuq or Lauzerte, both medieval fortified towns.  The countryside is a veritable cornucopia of food production with soft fruit orchard, nut trees and groves, vegetables, melons all being grown beside the general arable crops and livestock. 

Lauzerte sits high on a hill, and is well known for its square with the turned up paving stone sculpture in the corner.  Montcuq has a strong English expatriate population, and the Sunday market is a great gathering place to shop and have coffee after. However the French flavour of Montcuq is well preserved with locals meeting to play boules, cards and more in the shade of the avenue of trees along the main boulevard. 

  

Those who enjoy walking can walk to either town along the world famous GR65 St Jacques de Compostela pilgrim route which passes within a few metres of Sous Les Étoiles - it is about 6km (4 miles) to Montcuq and 11km (8 miles) to Lauzerte along well marked and signed paths. 

Weekly  markets are held in most villages and towns in the area, and you are able to go shopping there for the freshest and best produce direct from the producers on any day of the week. See Markets for details of where and when the markets are. 

For a larger town head north about half an hour to Cahors. This ancient town sits on the River Lot, with the famous Pont Valente across the river a must see attraction.  To the south Montauban sits at the meeting of the Tarn and Garonne rivers, and the rose brick builldings give the town a charming character.  A little nearer Sous Les Étoiles is Moissac, a historic town and home to the Abbé and Cloisters which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a must see if you are at all interested in history. 

The area is gently undulating, and good for exploring on foot, two wheels or four wheels: Bikes can be hired locally - see the Links page for details.