Les Lavandes, one of two rental gites at Le Mas des Cyprès near Cahors, Saint Cirq Lapopie and Rocamadour. Each is a separate building set around a central U-shaped courtyard with its own private terrace set away from the other. In the quiet of the hills yet less than 15 mins drive from Cahors with its market, shops and restaurants. Star-lovers will love the 'black' sky - we'e never seen so many stars! Les Lavandes is a two bedroom detached, stone cottage sleeping up to 4. Ground-floor: entrance into sunroom with foc wifi separate fitted kitchen fully tiled shower room double-aspect living/dining room with fireplace and wood-burner corner staircase to first floor mezzanine double bedroom which leads to a smaller twin room. In the entrance sunroom you enjoy the morning sun; here there is foc wifi, a sofa, comfortable chairs, a small dining table for breakfast in the morning sun. Next is the well-equipped kitchen with an oven, hob, extractor fan, microwave, fridge with freezer compartment, washing machine, kettle, toaster, coffee percolator, Nespresso Dolce Gusto capsule machine, blender and all the glasses, crockery and cutlery you will need. There is also a broom, dustpan and brush, hoover, iron and ironing board. The shower room is fully tiled with a walk-in shower, washbasin, cupboard, toilet, radiator and hairdryer. In the living/dining room you have a dining table , comfortable seating and a footstool housing the terrace chair cushions, a new flat screen TV with English Freeview and French channels, a DVD player and a selection of board games. There is also a fireplace with wood-burner for those chilly evenings. Upstairs there is a double mezzanine bedroom with wardrobe, chest of drawers, bedside tables with lamps and a tower fan. This leads to a smaller twin with storage and a fan. Outside you have exclusive use of a south-facing terrace with Weber BBQ, pergola and a wooden table and chairs. You also have use of two wooden picnic tables set in the garden taking advantage of the views. Set away from the gite is the fenced pool area protected with auto-closing gates and magnetic latches. This 11 x 5m pool has steps at one end where you can relax and enjoy the views. It is surrounded by a paved terrace with sun loungers, parasols, side tables, a solar shower and table tennis table. This area is shared with the second gite and the owners who use the pool on hot evenings. It is a popular place for all to meet and chat and children to make new friends. There is a shaded, childrens play area with trampoline, chalet, swings and slides. We are about 10 mins from the local A20 motorway and 8-10 mins from Cahors with its famous market, medieval old town and good choice of restaurants. About 1hr 20 mins north of Toulouse with its airport served by low-cost airlines, 2hrs from Bergerac and Rodez airports, 2 hours from Carcassonne, 5 hours by car or train from Paris and 8 hours from Calais. We are ideally situated between the Lot and Dordogne valleys, with their many historical sites such as two of France's prettiest villages St Cirq Lapopie and Rocamadour; medieval Carcassonne, the pink city Toulouse and the beaches on the Med and Atlantic all offer a lovely day out. The Med beaches are one of our favourite summer holiday days out. Spend an afternoon strolling round beautiful old Cahors with its winding streets, famous market, restaurants and boutiques. You are spoilt for choice with things to do from vineyard visits and wine-tasting to bastide villages sets in the cliff, road trains (to save little legs!), boat trips down the river or why not rent a boat for the day, waterparks, circuits in the trees, canoeing, or enjoying one of the many walks or cycle trails. The list of endless. We are: - 5 mins from nearest bakery, general store and pizza restaurant at Lamagdelaine - 10 mins from Cahors with its famous market. Just voted the prettiest market in the Midi-Pyrenees 2018 - 20 from Saint Gery with its Sunday morning local producers market, bakery and general store - 25-30 mins from St Cirq Lapopie - 45 mins from Rocamadour - 1.5 hours from Toulouse - 2 hours from medieval Carcassonne - 2.5 hours from the mediterranean beaches Activities are numerous: - wine-tasting, local restaurants, historic towns and villages - world-famous Blues Festival in July - a night market in Cahors the first Mondays in July & August - local producers village evenings on Thursdays throughout the summer - a favourite of ours - canoeing, tree-climbing, rock climbing, horse-riding, boat trips, road trains to save the legs!, the famous steam train along the cliffs at Martel, caves such as Peche Merle with its pre-historic drawings - there are numerous walks and cycling routes in the lovely countryside *Dogs welcome excl category 1 and 2 *Bedding included *Shower towels included *Pool towels - please bring your own. *Heating is extra - 10€ per night