Description
The villa is very comfortable and traditionally built surrounded by an established garden and patio with a large 8m x 4m pool. There are 4 bedrooms: a double and 2 twins upstairs, and a downstairs room with full size bunk beds. With WIFI, a library, assorted games, satellite TV (UK Freeview) and DVD player there's something for all the family.
The dining-living room has french windows to the patio and features a sunken log burning fireplace with armchairs, copious beams, and open plan stairs leading to a mezzanine gallery from where there are; 2 twins and 1 double bedroom, with mountain views, one bathroom with shower and a separate toilet with basin and large shower cubicle.
French windows lead from the kitchen and lounge onto the dining patio with its substantial built in BBQ, and beyond onto the paved pool areas. Outside there are dining tables and chairs, sunshades, an awning, pool side chairs and loungers. Providing various areas for both sun and shade throughout the day and a relaxed dining area for evening.
The kitchen is well equipped with oven, drinks fridge, dishwasher, microwave, hob and a large fridge freezer. A fully automatic washing machine is located in the utility room. Off the hallway is a downstairs twin room with bunk beds, shower and basin, french windows lead onto a rear patio, with a separate toilet and wash hand basin.
LOCAL AREA
CHARMING FRENCH TOWN
ST. GENIS is surrounded by vineyards, peach and apricot orchards overlooked by the mountains yet within 6 miles of the bustling resort of ARGELES with its night life and miles of sands, stretching to ST.CYPRIEN (Blue Flag clean beach award)
Towards the Spanish border lies the delightful town of COLLIOURE, loved by the Fauvist art movement, with its excellent restaurants around the harbour beneath the castle. There is a colourful market on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Another pretty town nearby is BANYULS with its famous sweet local wines and off shore marine reserve.
Up in the hills CERET is a must for modern art enthusiasts and in PRADES music lovers will enjoy the summer festivals, not forgetting the lovely old city of PERPIGNAN. Just a taste of the interesting places to visit close by.
FOR THE ENERGETIC
St. Genis has excellent tennis courts and horse riding locally, boat trips and fishing trips from Argeles Port, diving from several locations south of Argeles Port, canyoning and plenty of walking in the mountains.
RESTAURANTS
Often do not open on Mondays – check! At all restaurants you can buy a “pichet” of wine inexpensively and it tastes just fine! Also get a “carafe d’eau” – ordinary tap water – quite safe as it comes from the same company which supplies us in Weybridge.
L'AUBERGE DE ALBERES
78 Avenue Marechal Joffre 66740 St genis-de-fontaine Tel:00 33 (0)4 68898838
Very good food and wines.
LA TRAMONTANE – local sports bar
62 Avenue Marechal Joffre 66740 St genis-de-fontaines Tel:00 33 (0)4 68553564
Cheerful and can be lots of fun. Walk through the bar to the restaurant behind or further down into the covered garden. Food is good and plentiful and you may get the lady chef coming out to tell you that she is the best cook in France (leave it to you to decide).
RINALDO PIZZERIA
40 Avenue Maréchal Joffre
Tel:00 33 (0)4 68897192
Take away pizza. Excellent thin crust pizza cooked in a wood oven. Worth telephoning your order through.
WINE TASTING VILLAGE
A visit to the offices of the Domaine de Biscointe winery is well worth while.
They open normal shop hours and stock a limited but excellent range of wine which is sold either by the bottle, or if you take along a container then directly from the barrel (very cheap). Found near the village centre on the road out of the town opposite Carrefour heading towards the main road.
SHOPS
There are two bakeries in the village one of which will be open every morning: two decent restaurants: a pizzeria: a butchers shop a couple of small supermarkets: a bank with a cash machine and a pharmacy. Plus a number of other shops. The main supermarket is on the edge of the village.
There are other supermarkets at Le Boulou where there is an out of town shopping area with 2 supermarkets; Intermarche and Leclerc. There is also a large Carrefour outside Argeles.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
Proud of its history, Saint-Genis is a truly French working village, surrounded by vineyards it is famous for its 10th century church and cloisters:
1922-1924: These years are marked by the sale of many of the columns of the cloisters to a Parisian antique dealer.
From 1970 to 1985, Saint-Genis-des-Fontaines undertook the reconstruction of its cultural heritage. Through combined efforts and perseverance, the stones were restored to their original location (in situ).
From 1987, major restoration works have been made and helped rebuild the roof, ceilings and ridges of lower angle déabulatoire.
The year 2002 saw the restoration of the higher walkway, now turned into a "cultural gallery', which now welcomes renowned artists.