Gites and Agriturismo - Roaming Through Europe

French Gites

In France we will be staying in holiday homes known as 'gites'. France has a network of gites, and reserving this type of accommodation is relatively easy. Gite descriptions include details about distances to shops, beaches, golf courses, train stations, etc. They are rated according to 'ears of corn'; we tend to choose 3 ears of corn, mainly for the facilities offered, or for the proximity to villages or towns. Gites are usually rented by the week, from Saturday to Saturday. We always rent a car because we like the freedom of travel and being able to visit villages for which there is little public transport. We find that renting a holiday home for a base gives us the opportunity to experience local life differently than by staying in a hotel. In the past, we have been welcomed to a gite with gifts of local produce, wine and even home baked treats!
Gites de France website

Italian Agriturismos

In Italy we will be staying in an Agriturismo. The word is an amalgam of "agriculture" and tourism. Local farmers rent out part of their property to tourists, and may sell products from the farm, such as olive oil, fruit, wine and perhaps all three. We are not as familiar with this system as we are with the gites in France, but we shall discover it this trip!
Agriturismo website

Vaison La Romaine, France

There were a number of gites to rent in this area of Provence, but Vivienne was seduced by the thought of overlooking the local vineyard. We have briefly visited Vaison previously, and one of Vivienne's Open University (UK) friends lives in the area, in a village called Mollans sur Ouveze. One finds roman ruins in Vaison La Romaine, and the town is not far from Mont Ventoux, one of the routes taken by the cyclists of the Tour de France. Vaison is also near to some villages we love in the Luberon area of Provence, such as Isle sur la Sorgue and Gordes. Note; When selecting the link to this gite, it may take a second or so for the site to open.
Vaison La Romaine Gite

Gagnac sur Cere, France

Chance lead us to this gite in an area of France know as 'Lot', situated in the midi-Pyrenees. This happened because Vivienne re-connected, through facebook, with a cousin whom she has not seen in many years. Vivienne's cousin Lynne and her husband Lou moved from England to France about 4 years ago. We are both looking forward to spending time with them and to exploring this region of France with which we are not familiar. Information about the gite and the surrounding area is found by clicking on the link below.
Gagnac sur Cere Gite

Ceyreste, France

While searching for a gite near Cassis we came across a small gite in Ceyreste, 5 km from La Ciotat and the sea. We loved Cassis when we first discovered it in 2007, but the gites in immediate vicinity cost more than our estimated budget amount. Ceyreste is located not far from Cassis, which we can reach by driving along the cliff overlooking the water. Choose gite number G355 from the web link below. (there are two - select the Ceyreste option.)
Ceyreste Gite

Malcontenta, Italy

During the mid 1980's Alan had visited Venice several times as a side trip while working in the area; Vivienne had been there only once, in 2007, and was particularly keen to return. Although there are apartments to rent in Venice itself, we decided to opt for an agriturismo in the area instead. Via the internet, Vivienne found this delightful agriturismo, located outside Venice, in the Brenta River area, where wealthy Italians built villas in the past. The family at the agriturismo offer activities such as archery, aquascooter rental (to "cruise" the river), bike rentals, and of course, have farm products to purchase. We are looking forward to exploring not only Venice, but the countryside around this area.
Malcontenta Agriturismo