Lou Recantou & L 'Ancien Pressoir
Lou Recantou: the cottage
guestbook comments
L'Ancien Pressoir: the apartment
guestbook comments
Availability & rates
Booking conditions
Booking information
The area
Places to visit
Outdoor activities
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Weather & seasons
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August 2010 newsletter
The owners
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- Where is Oupia?
- How big is the pool? Is it shared?
- Do you accept pets?
- Is there wheelchair access?
- Is smoking allowed on the Pressoir balcony or the Lou Recantou terrace?
- What sort of equipment can I expect to find in Lou Recantou?
- What sort of equipment can I expect to find in L'Ancien Pressoir?
- Do I have to bring salt, pepper, laundry detergent, etc?
- Is the water safe to drink?
- Is there a discount for a long-term stay?
- What can I expect in the way of weather?
- Is Oupia convenient to shops, banks, etc.?
- Should I bring traveller's cheques or a credit card?
- Can I use my credit card to pay for gas/petrol at service stations?
- What is the best way of getting there?
- Is it possible to get to Oupia by train from Paris?
- How long does it take to drive from
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- What is the booking (reservation) procedure?
- How should I pay?
- How do I get the booking/reservation form?
- What is there to see and do in your area?
- What is there in the way of outdoor activities?
- How is the cycling?
- What sort of bicycles do you have?
- Do you provide bicycle helmets?
- Is there anywhere nearby to rent bicycles?
- How is the walking?
- What is it like to drive in France?
- Do you recommend any car rental agencies?
- Is it possible to rent a car near the train station in Narbonne?
- Would public transportation make it possible not to rent a car?
- From Oupia, is it feasible to visit
- Can you recommend a hotel in
- Can you recommend any other gîtes in
- How do I plan a good cycling route in France?
- Can you give me information on buying a house in France?
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ANSWERS
Where is Oupia?
See The area
How big is the pool? Is it shared?
It's about 3 m. by 6 m. and 1.2 m. deep and is for the sole use of guests in Lou Recantou
Do you accept pets?
Regrettably, no.
Is there wheelchair access?
Lou Recantou: the driveway is gravel, there is a step from the entry walkway to the terrace, a metal rail at the entry and the doors to the bathroom are too narrow.
L'Ancien Pressoir is on the upper floor.
Is smoking allowed on the Pressoir balcony or the Lou Recantou terrace?
No, we ask that no one smoke anywhere on the property.
What sort of equipment can I expect to find in Lou Recantou?
See The house
What sort of equipment can I expect to find in L'Ancien Pressoir?
See L'Ancien Pressoir
Do I have to bring salt, pepper, laundry detergent, etc?
We provide enough salt, pepper, sugar, flour, olive oil, wine vinegar, spices, garlic, tea and coffee to last a few days, as well as bath and hand soap, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, dishwasher tablets and products, equipment and rags for cleaning.
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Is the water safe to drink?
The water in Oupia is excellent. It comes from a constantly monitored spring in the Montagne Noire and is so good that people not living in the villages supplied by the spring come to this area to fill up their containers.
Is there a discount for a long-term stay?
Yes. Please discuss this with us.
What can I expect in the way of weather?
See Weather and seasons
Is Oupia convenient to shops, banks, etc.?
There is a very well-supplied little shop in Oupia, with fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, staples, etc. There is also a post office in the village, an excellent winery and a restaurant.
There are four larger shops in Olonzac, 3km/2 mi. from Oupia, as well as a bank with an ATM, a larger post office, two pharmacies, three boulangeries, a news agent, a book store, three garages (Peugeot, Citroën and Renault), several restaurants and cafés and a large weekly market.
Should I bring traveller's cheques or a credit card?
See When in France (banks)
Can I use my credit card to pay for gas/petrol at service stations?
See When in France (banks)
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What is the best way of getting there?
See Getting here
Is it possible to get to Oupia by train from Paris?
Not all the way. See Getting here (by train) and France Train Travel
How far is it from _____ to _____?
See Road distances in France
How long does it take to drive from Paris?
8 to 10 hours
How long does it take to drive from Montpellier?
About 1½ hours
How long does it take to drive from Toulouse?
1½ to 2 hours
How long does it take to drive from Carcassonne?
About 45 minutes
How long does it take to drive from Barcelona?
About 3 hours
How long does it take to drive from Nice?
About 5 hours
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What is the booking (reservation) procedure?
See booking information
How should I pay?
Canadians can deposit the equivalent amount of the payment in Canadian dollars to our account at any branch of TD Canada Trust. Ask us for details.
We can accept cheques in almost any currency, though we will pass on the 17 euros charged by our French bank for handling fees.
A third option, if your bank will do it, is to transfer the funds either to our bank in Canada (in CAD) or to our bank in France (euros). Ask us for details.
How do I get the booking/reservation form?
For Lou Recantou, it's at: Booking form
For L'Ancien Pressoir, it's at: Booking form
If you can't open up the pdf, try downloading Adobe Acrobat 8. If this doesn't work, we can send it to you.
What is there to see and do in your area?
See Places to visit and Photographs of the region.
What is there in the way of outdoor activities?
See Outdoor activities.
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How is the cycling?
See Outdoor activities (cycling) and When in France (cycling).
What sort of bicycles do you have?
There are four good off-road bicycles with front suspension, two older road bikes, one child's bicycle and one "lady's" (step-through) bicycle. However, we lend them out on the condition that bicycle helmets be worn.
Do you provide bicycle helmets?
Yes, we have several, in different sizes, if you don't want to bring your own.
Is there anywhere nearby to rent bicycles?
There is a new bicycle rental shop, run by Phil Donnison, in Paraza, on the Canal du Midi. Phil delivers the bikes and provides maps, routes and helmets. His website is at:
Mellow Velos.
How is the walking?
See Outdoor activities (walking) and Books and related links, walking.
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What is it like to drive in France?
See When in France (driving).
Do you recommend any car rental agencies?
See Getting here (Renting or leasing a car)
Is it possible to rent a car near the train station in Narbonne?
See Getting here (Renting or leasing a car)
Would public transportation make it possible not to rent a car?
Not really, unless you were willing to take a taxi from the train station at Narbonne (about 25 km/15 miles away) and use the bicycles for touring while here. However, it would be very difficult to visit many sites, such as Carcassonne, the Cathar castles and the Mediterranean.
From Oupia, is it feasible to visit Barcelona?
Yes, though you wouldn't have much time there on a day trip, with 3 hours driving each way - and it's very difficult to find a parking spot. In any case, Barcelona is a beautiful city and merits more than a quick, half-day visit.
If you DO go, be aware that there are lots of very skilful pickpockets as well as thugs who have a little trick they pull on tourists, which involves puncturing one of the tires, then appearing just as the traveller has returned to the car and opened the door, to offer 'help'. As one or two of them engage the victim in conversation, a third quickly removes anything that appears valuable from the interior of the car.
We know three couples who have been caught this way, as well as several people who have been pickpocketed. That said, if you're aware of the situation, you can usually avoid difficulties by not being too obvious. Two of the couples who had the flat tire scam pulled on them had British license plates; most rental cars have no distinguishing marks.
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From Oupia, is it feasible to visit Andorra?
It would be a very long day trip. We were there several years ago and wouldn't consider going back. The view of the mountains around the main (and only real) town in Andorra is stunning, but the town itself (Andorra-la-Vella) is mostly just one long street of duty-free shops selling electronic items, as well as cheap booze, sugar, perfume, etc. It's a very long, steep climb up into Andorra and then a harrowing descent into the town, which is usually full of buses bringing people from both France and Spain to shop.
The drive there would be beautiful, but the scenery is at least as good almost anywhere in the Pyrenées. That said, if this hasn't satisfied your curiosity and you'd like to see it for yourself, then you should go - and if your experience is more pleasant than ours, we would be delighted to hear about it!
There is a quirky little spot more or less in that direction (a shorter drive from here, actually), called Llivia; it's an enclave in the Pyrenées within France, but is Spanish territory (the reason for which I've entirely forgotten). If you're looking for it on the map, find Font-Romeu (almost directly east of Andorra) and go about 5 km. southwest.
From Oupia, is it feasible to visit Provence?
Yes but, as a day trip, it would mean a lot of driving (the closest part of Provence is about a 3 hour drive). There's lots to see on easy day trips from Oupia; if you're interested in visiting Provence, you would be better off renting a place there.
From Oupia, is it feasible to visit the Côte d'Azur (the Riviera)?
The Côte d'Azur is even further away than Provence; the drive to get there would be at least 4 hours.
From Oupia, is it feasible to visit the Dordogne?
The closest part of Dordogne (called the Périgord in French) is also about a 4-hour drive.
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Can you recommend a hotel in Paris?
Here are three hotels in Paris we know or have heard are good and/or interesting in Paris and should be reasonably priced:
Tim and I stayed at the Hôtel Castex several years ago and liked it. So have friends who've stayed there since. It's in the Marais district, in the 4th arrondissement.
We stayed at the Hôtel Esmeralda a few years ago - it's next to Notre Dame and the bookstore Shakespeare and Company, FULL of character, but not for the faint-hearted. There were exposed wires and a very athletic resident mouse intent on making our lunch his. I loved it, Tim was less enthusiastic.
Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais.
Can you recommend a hotel in Toulouse?
The Hôtel Saint-Sernin is an inexpensive hotel by the Cathedral of Saint-Sernin.
The Hôtel Phoenicia is a more expensive and more comfortable hotel across from the train station.
For more listings, see the Toulouse tourist information office:
http://www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com/accueil/index_en.php.
Can you recommend a hotel in Montpellier?
See Places to visit (Montpellier)
Can you recommend hotels anywhere else in France?
Not really, but Federal Hotel is one of the many websites listing hotels throughout the country. An internet search would turn up many more.
Can you recommend any other gîtes in your area?
See Books and related links, Accommodation
Can you recommend any other gîtes anywhere else in France?
See Books and related links, Accommodation
How do I plan a good cycling route in France?
See When in France, cycling and Books and related links, cycling
Can you give me information on buying a house in France?
It's been too many years since we bought ours for me to give valid answers. However, a web search will turn up many sites that are helpful and, on websites such as Amazon.ca, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, you should find several books on the subject. Laws change, so look for recently published editions.
We subscribe to an informative monthly magazine about living in France and buying property, etc; see The Connexion There's a similar publication called The News, but we wouldn't recommend it; articles are often shallow and not well researched.
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