VILLA AGATHE
St. Saturnin d’Apt
Sleeps 6
Villa Agathe
is a lovely, freestanding 30 year old villa situated in a 2000m2 Provencal ga
rden.
The house is down a quiet village road and surrounded by a cherry orchard,
municipal gardens and olive trees. Yet is it only 300 meters to the village
center, where you can find just about all your needs—fresh bread and
croissants, a coffee at one of the several cafes, the services of a post office:
even some cute local restaurants happy to provide you with lunch or dinner,
should you be feeling a bit lazy. Views up to the village include the windmill
and the castle ruins. To the south east the garden faces views of the ochre
cliffs of Roussillon and the setting sun.
Villa Agathe is all on one level
and has a few steps up to the entrance and stairs to the rear door. The house is
not supplied for wheelchair bound folks but definitely is useful for the frail
or very young guest. There are three bedrooms
,
two and a half bathrooms (one separate WC), a kitchen, large open plan
dining/sitting room, a big glassed in sunroom perfect for winter days, an
entrance hall, a garage and good private (gated) parking. The entire property is
fenced and therefore safe for children. Small pets are accepted on approval of
the owner. The best part of this villa might just be the central heating, which
makes it the ideal candidate for a family on sabbatical leave. Rates are
extremely low in the winter months, so this is especially an advantage.
Although the owner expects to put in a pool soon, the house is within easy walking distance to St. Saturnin’s own public pool, a place where your children can try out their French with the local kids.
The house is entered into a foyer. The kitchen develops on the right side and is decorated Provencal yellow and blue. It is a cuisine americaine meaning that there are built in cupboards and plentiful countertops. There is a large fridge with freezer, an oven, a four burner gas stove top, and a dishwasher. You will find a mixer, toaster, automatic coffee maker and tea kettle for your use. All the necessary crockery and cooking utensils provide a nice environment for a happy Provencal feast in the garden.
To the left
of the entry is a huge dining/living room with an open fireplace. A stereo s
ystem
handles CDs and cassettes and has a radio. The satellite TV gets French programs
as well as the European version of CNN. There is a VCR. The house has two
telephone lines. Behind the living room, on the “view” side of the house, a
wonderful glassed in sun room especially attractive with vibrant pink, white and
green check and floral fabrics. It has a round metal table that seats six, and
an antique wrought iron bed. The sliding glass windows give the illusion of
dining in the treetops: uninterrupted views to the south and to the west provide
further peace and tranquility. From this room one descends to an outdoor eating
area set under a shady tree. There is a large white table with chairs, a drinks
trolley, and a large market parasol. There are sun lounges with co-ordinated
navy and lavender cushions.
A hallway
behind the kitchen leads to the bedroom/bath section of Villa Agathe. The main
bedroom is 16m2 and has two supersized twin beds, a chest of frawers, bedside
tables and lamps. There is air conditioning in this bedroom to provide a good
sleep on hot 
summer
nights. The floor has a cream carpet matching the pale cream walls with a
wisteria frieze. There are double white and blue curtains. The second bedroom is
12m2 and has a queen sized bed, built in cupboards, chest of drawers, bedside
tables and lamps. The walls and carpet are cream, similar to the twin bedroom.
The third bedroom has a full sized bed, built in cupboards, chest of drawers,
bedside table and lamps. It has double curtains, pale green walls and a cream
carpet. All three bedrooms have screens and uninterrupted views of the garden
and are light and airy. The garden is fully programmed for fuss-free watering
and has a large lawn, manicured flowerbeds, Provencal herbs and lavender offset
by an abundance of olive, cherry and fig trees.
The first bathroom has art-deco, sparkling pink tiles with a full sized bathtub with hand held shower and a sink. This pristine bathroom will bring back fond memories of your Barbie-doll playhouse. The washing machine and dryer are in the corner cupboard of this bathroom. There is a large vanity unit and floor to ceiling tile rack. A double window opens to hillside views.
The second bathroom has beige tone tiles with a shower, hand basin and WC. There is a small Provencal vanity and a small window. The second and separate WC is set between the full and queen bedrooms. It has pale green tones offset by stone walls and pink accessories.
A big bonus at Villa Agathe is the English speaking owner who is experienced in vacation villa rental and who has a deep concern for providing quality surroundings and friendly service to her clients. She installs fluffy towels and immaculate linens, soft bathrobes and even a hair dryer for her guest’s use.
St. Saturnin d’Apt lies in the northern Luberon Hills in a section called the Monts de Vaucluse. It enjoys the same pretty views as it’s neighbors to the west, Gordes and Roussillon, yet it definitely has its own real and amusing village life, devoid of the tourist hordes to the west. The touristic villages with their ancient ruins and classic market days are just a short drive away-from ten minutes to a half hour. The regional market in Apt fills the streets on Saturday morning—this a ten minute drive from Villa Agathe. Further touring to Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Orange, Avignon and the Pont du Gard is possible in a gentle day trip. Med beaches are an hour’s drive but usually don’t attract guests who enjoy the peace and tranquility of the Luberon Valley. Avignon TGV with its fast train service from Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport is less than an hour away, while Marseille Airport is about one hour. Nice and its international airport is a three hour drive. Convenience, location and good value mark this comfortable holiday home.
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