The House

Les Glycines is a stone farm house on 3500m2 in the L-shaped architectural style prevalent in this region. It was a working farm until about 10 years ago. It has been renovated and contains all the modern amenities.

The house has a gated courtyard bounded by the house/barn on two sides, a small dependence (storage) opposite and the connecting walls. The living quarters, about 140 m2 are on the ground floor and are accessed by an entrance in the middle. To one side are the sitting/dining room and the kitchen. On the other side are two bedrooms. In the middle, is the entrance hall and, behind it, the bathroom with bath/shower/washing machine and the separate WC.

The kitchen is equipped with all the necessities: dishes, cutlery, cookware, toaster, coffee maker, tea kettle, microwave oven, gas cooker, dishwasher and linens. The living room has a working fireplace and wood is provided should you wish to make a fire. The house has central oil heating in the unlikely case that you get cool in the fall. Daytime temperatures at the end of October are typically still in the low 20'sC and overnight it may get down to 15C. Satellite TV/digital radio keeps you informed and entertained (BBC1, -2, -3, -4, -News 24, ITV3, various cable channels and French network TV). There is a DVD/MP3/CD player with a collection of music CDs and some DVD movies. Movies may be rented at the Canal Video store in nearby Lannemezan. Free wireless Internet service is available in the house (requires a laptop with standard WIFI access).

There is lawn furniture for sitting out in the courtyard or relaxing on the lawn and a barbeque for outdoor cooking.

We have a collection of brochures and literature of the area to help you plan your vacation. Our "Welcome" booklet suggests local attractions.

The location is well suited to making interesting excursions. We are an hour and a half from Biarritz on the Atlantic French-Spanish border; it's an hour and a half to the center of Toulouse,and it's 45 minutes to St Lary-Soulan, one of the largest ski resorts in the Pyrenees with lifts that operate in the summer. You can hike directly from the house or take advantage of one of the many opportunities in the area including in the beautiful Pyrenees National Park. An English guide lives nearby and organizes walking tours. There are also opportunities for fishing, tennis, golf and bicycle touring over the same course taken by the Tour de France. Several of the surrounding towns have weekly markets that make for interesting sightseeing and are great sources for fresh food. In addition to the town markets, many area farms sell their products directly including foie gras, conserves, honey and cheese. Food, of course, is one of the reasons to come to France in the first place. The only 'commerces' in the village are a cafe and the farm where the local baker has his operation. It's a 15-minute walk or a 3-minute drive from the house (either well worth it to get a loaf of freshly baked bread, some croissants or pastries).

The Area

The Pyrenees stretch 450km from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean coasts and form the border between France and Spain. The department of the Hautes Pyrenees sits about halfway across the chain with peaks in excess of 3000m. The region is relatively unspoiled by industry and is just being discovered as a tourist destination. Most of the attractions in the region can be accessed relatively easily.

The historic cities of Pau and Lourdes are about an hour's drive. The Boulevard des Pyrenees provides a superb window on the mountains. If you manage to be at Lourdes during one of the pilgrimages, the experience can be moving. The region has limestone plateaus where caves developed. Many of these caves provided shelter for the prehistoric inhabitants of the area. The caves at Gargas with many wall-paintings is one of a number of interesting such sites in the immediate area that are open for visits. The many castles, abbeys and monasteries include the nearby church and former monastery of St Bernard de Comminges which has been beautifully restored. The town is listed as one of the prettiest in France. For breathtaking views of the entire Pyrenees chain , take the cable car to the summit of the Pic Du Midi (2877m). We suggest a number of drives with optional hikes through the beautiful mountains where you will find hidden lakes, wildlife and glorious scenery. There will inevitably be festivals in various area towns in the summer that are interesting and fun.

The Tour de France bicycle race passes in the Pyrenees include: Col du Tourmalet, Col d?Aspin, Col de Peyresourde, Col d?Aubisque, Col du Soulor are a short drive away. The Tour stops overnight in the area in the middle of July. Burg hosts it's annual "Fete du Battage", a reenactment of the harvest in times before the development of modern agricultural machinery, normally the weekend after the Tour de France. Besides trying to maintain a link with the past, it's also an excuse to eat. Everything in France seems to eventually refocus on food.