Yep, as I write this on a quiet, beautiful Sunday morning, the temperature outside sits at -20 celsius dipping to -33 with the wind chill factor ! Ooooh yes, welcome to Canada. But I love it. The sky is a sparkly blue, the air is crisp, snow everywhere and there is a stillness that I find soothing. Mind you, you must be dressed for it and even then one needs to be careful. It can be dangerous at these temperatures.
But enough of winter, let's get onto dreams and fantasy holidays. Last year I stumbled upon a gorgeous website
www.absolute-escape.com. I think I came upon it through the British newspaper The Telegraph.
Anyway, in the Property section there was an article about an interior designer who was selling
Mas St Esteve, his home in the south of France with all of its' furnishings as part of the deal. Gosh, I wish I could recall the fellow's name but I can't. Sorry.
I don't know if he ever sold it or decided to hang on and rent it out but it's definitely for rent. For the modest sum of $10,000 per week (well it does accomodate 12 people - so that's not too bad) you can
enjoy this handsomely restored farmhouse located near the village of Isle sur la Sorgue also known as the "Venice of Provence". Have a drool, umm, I mean look ....
What a pretty sitting room. Imagine having a lovely cup of tea with a great book in hand. I love the sofa and the rustic jar filled with garden roses.
Champagne lunch anyone ? I think a semi formal setting like this is so chic for a casual but elegant lunch. Oh, did I mention that it can be arranged for a Michelin star chef to be on staff should you not care for the "self catering" approach ?
Errr, can't quite read the label. Something about a ......... -du-Pape. Must be a local wine of some sort. The cheeses look scrumptious and the beautifully monogrammed napkins -- classic.
The kitchen has a lovely open, contemporary feel. It think it's quite big.
Nicely styled.
Nearby vineyard
Quintessential Provence view
The farmhouse at night. The Plane trees are magnificent. Have a look at the first photo for a better view.
Very old world. The curtains look very sumptuous.
A favourite shot - a pretty, summery bouquet of chamomile flowers in a classic Provencal jug.
And of course we can't leave out the swimmimg pool. A much needed refreshing dip to keep the heat at bay.
Unfortunately I couldn't nab photos of the bedrooms, so if you want to check out the accomodation you'll need to go online.
Oh, and just in case Mas Ste Esteve doesn't suit, Absolute Escape also has two properties in Verbier, Switzerland for all you ski types and one property in Marrakech, Morrocco for a hit of exotica.
