Na alle lovende recensies over deze gite, viel de accommodatie ons wel wat tegen. Het huisje was niet erg schoon, het afwerkingsniveau liet te wensen (waterkraan verkeerd om gemonteerd, scheuren in tegelvloer badkamer, handvatten zaten los etc.) en we hadden geen prettige (lig)stoelen op het terras dus die hebben we bij het zwembad weggehaald.
De eigenaar is alleraardigst maar we hebben hem maar 2x kort gesproken. Hij kwam niet even uit zichzelf informeren hoe het met ons was. Zijn honden daarentegen kwamen heel veel in en bij ons huis, wat we niet altijd even prettig vonden.
De locatie van het complex is prachtig en we hebben leuke uitstapjes gemaakt naar o.a. Mirepoix (markt), Carcassonne en de grotten (de la Bouiche).
We absolutely love Polfages and everything that this wonderful place brings. Our third family visit in three consecutive years and we will book again very soon for next year. Thank you Jo and Andrew and Jasmine and all the animals for another perfect holiday. This gorgeous place has so much to offer with its countryside location, great weather, 360 degree views, easy access to the sea and mountains, brilliant amenities and amazing hosts to name but a few things.
We visited Ax-Les-Thermes which we would recommend as the drive itself is beautiful to the Pyrenees, and the thermal baths are well worth a visit. Our two sons (8 years old) enjoyed the hot baths, even though they couldn't dive bomb in them! We made another trip to Lac de Montbel which being only about 40 minutes away is a lovely lake to spend time on the beach and in the water. It is easier to drive to the North part than the South.
Another day trip was to a lake just south west of La Cite in Carcassonne which is amazing for children with lots of inflatables, slides, zip wires and so much more. Definitely recommend going and will be returning next year for a full day and take a picnic.
Belpeche is a lovely village nearby with a fab bakers and butchers and I am told you can canoe on the river from there. Mirepoix market is definitely worth a visit on a Monday as they sell absolutely everything!
This is a quiet, rural location and you definitely need a car to explore, but as a family we cycled, walked and ran around the local area and this is probably our favourite area of France having visited quite a few over the years. There are lots of day trips to do in the area, of if you like sunbathing then the garden and pool are perfect and have the most amazing views.
Thanks again to the Frith family and we miss Carmen, Rufus and Dipstick and the boys want to Facetime the dogs and cats!!! See you in 2018!
One of the prettiest locations we have found in our years visiting France, perched on a hilltop, surrounded by rolling countryside and mountain views to the North and South. We loved Polfages so much last year, that we immediately re-booked for summer 2016 upon returning to England, and will be booking flights and organising diaries for summer 2017 before someone else gets in there first.
We absolutely love staying at Mazamet, and once again the place was beautifully clean, well decorated and stocked ready for our visit. The gite is so relaxing and calm, and we love the views from the bedrooms particularly waking up to sunshine coming through the shutters. It is very useful having three bathrooms, and all the rooms are a very good size with very comfy beds and lots of towels and everything required for a comfy stay.
The kitchen has everything you need to cook every day, the children enjoyed the pizzas made by Andrew and Jo and especially the baking and puddings on offer. The weather was glorious we spent most of the week by the pool and in the garden, but we enjoyed our daily drive to Mirepoix for provisions, and we did drive to Lac Montbel one day to swim in the lake and sit on the beach, so well worth a visit and probably only 40 minutesâ drive from the house.
Castelnaudaray is well worth a visit and the drive there is very pretty. My husband spent all week cycling and hired his bike from a local company which for the second year has been excellent with the bike being dropped off and picked up from the house. Andrew was very kind again to take delivery of this for us on the day before we arrived. We didnât do as many day trips this year, but Carcassonne is lovely, as well as Narbonne and a trip to the Plage. We watched the Medieval procession in Mirepoix which was very authentic, and some amazing costumes, music and street acts.
The boys loved meeting Dip Stick and talked about nothing else for the last year but Carmen and Rufus and Sebastian (please get another guinea pig before next summer?!), as well as wanting to see Andrew and Jo again and take advantage of their wonderful hospitality. Andrew and Jo are so welcoming and helpful and nothing is too much for them, to ensure you enjoy your stay in their beautiful home. We canât wait until 2017 when we can return again.