The Rental Story So Far…
Many people ask us the story behind Mas de Mahystre. Why do we rent it? How did we find it? Why the hell are we not still living in the South of France? The truth is, we fell in love with the place but at different stages of our lives, we need different things… We…
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Christmas 2018
Ten full days at Mas de Mahystre is a real treat for us. Winter brings different colours and experiences in St Come, with plenty of time for cooking, eating, chatting, backgammon, walking and reflecting. Especially at Christmas… Highlights are always: Nimes Les Halles food market on Christmas Eve, carefully choosing the chapon, oysters, cheese and…
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Spices in St.Côme
Spice rack – étagère à épices (I think – at least that’s what Google says). From my experience, hot spices are not something that the French really like. I think a good French friend of mine thought I was trying to poison him and his family when I served up spicy Thai fish soup, and…
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Christmas 2017
We have just returned from nine days in St Come for some restful family time and of course to celebrate Christmas! As the rascals grow up, the festive period still retains the magic and excitement but there seems an increasing importance to appreciate valuable family moments before they grow up completely! This year we had…
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Wisteria Love
This Easter we arrived in St Come, our corner of the south of France, just in time to see our terrace wisteria in full, glorious bloom. Never will I tire of their pungent, purple plumes, growing in confidence year on year. Within a few days, the petals were dancing in the breeze and by day…
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A Week In the Sun For Charity
Back in 2005, when we caught our first glimpse of Mas de Mahystre, never did we imagine it would become a second home, a home we would rent to guests. After nearly a year of hunting for homes within one hours drive of Montpellier, we arrived in St Come, a village in the Languedoc, on…
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Fantastic Summer Season
As Autumn creeps in and the heat of the summer sun fades into memory, our 2016 season in the south of france draws to a close. Many happy guests enjoyed hours relaxing by the pool and whiled away many more in the shade of the terrace, so conducive to long, rosé fuelled lunches and cooler,…
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South of France 2016
Welcome to our Summer Season 2016… The season has kicked off to a wonderful start and with the sunshine just around the corner, it can only be the south of France. Welcome to our lovely guests and we hope you all have a memorable holiday.
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Christmas in the South of France
Only a couple of weeks before we head off for Christmas in the south of France and excitement is mounting fast. By the time we arrive, Christmas Eve will be almost tangible, so first on the list will be finding a tree and enjoying the sweet scent of a Norwegian forest. Unravelling our treasured Christmas…
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The Quest For A Perfect Baguette
As a child on holiday in France, I could never understand the French families who nibbled greedily on warm baguettes straight from the boulangerie. Not to wait for some salty butter and sweet, apricot jam seemed ridiculous. They must have been ravenous or simply ignorant. A pain au chocolate, or a pain au raisin could…
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Easter Wisteria in the South of France
We were incredibly fortunate to spend two weeks in France over Easter. Thanks to Philip Pullman’s brilliant audiobook ‘The Subtle Knife’, the drive from London was completely gripping for all the family. Despite the rather soggy Spring before our arrival, the sun broke through and warmed our bodies and souls for the whole holiday -…
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Under a wisteria sky
We descended on our hideaway in France for the Easter holidays, filled with the joyful anticipation of ten days of freedom. Our welcoming and bountiful terrace greeted us with the best wisteria display yet. It is undeniably relaxing to gaze at a southern french blue sky, through the wisps of deliciously scented, tumbling wisteria, buzzing…
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Lavender and Butterflies in the south of France
Even in London this summer, I have spotted many butterflies since we arrived here at the end of June. My Dad was an enthusiastic butterfly collector as a boy and still loves butterflies today, so maybe his passion is contagious. For me, butterflies are entrancing works of art; fragile and free, they add dazzling delight…
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A new pool terrace
We snatched a week for ourselves at our hideaway in France a few weeks ago. Oh a week is not enough! We are thrilled with the new terrace around the pool and we love the difference a salt water pool makes. And the new sun loungers are very comfy and go flat for those who…
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Raining in the south of France? Five top tips to beat the grey sky blues.
I have finally realized that certain things in life cannot be changed. My legs will never be long and beautiful and much to my chagrin, they will always be a touch more footballer than model but life goes on regardless. The weather equally escapes our control. Most of the time we grimace and bear it…
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Mediterranean beaches – a favourite place nearly on our doorstep
Blustery winter walks on a damp shore wake up the soul for certain but it’s the sultry, summer sand which is the most seductive. Thirty minutes by car from our house and you can feel the warm sea kissing your toes. Nearly on our doorstep, there really is a beach to suit everyone. If you…
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Feria de Nimes – colourful culture in the Languedoc, south of France.
In the Languedoc, nearly every village has a summer fete or Fete Votive as they are called, where the beautiful white Camargue horses play a starring role and small, angry bulls charge through the streets, lined with testosterone fuelled young lads, desperate to prove their machismo. Mad music pumps up frantic four day parties and…
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Wild Boar – it’s a wild life in the Languedoc part 1
Sanglier or Wild Boar. Marcassin is the specific name for the boar piglet. These fascinating and secretive animals are the subject of myth, legend, stories and several recipes. The hunting of wild boar, once the preserve of warrior chieftains and kings, is widely practised in France but carefully regulated to allow the population of boars…
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A treehouse in the south of France
Much to our delight and good fortune, in the middle of April 2010, my Partner in Crime was put on ‘Gardening Leave’ for two and a half months. A more perfect time of year for a couple of months off in the south of France, one could not have wished for…. April, May and June…
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Nimes…….a favourite place nearly on our doorstep.
Why Nimes? A charming Roman city oozing sophistication, beauty and culture. I love the tiny, twirling, twisting pedestrian streets filled with boutiques eager to be discovered; I love the cafés piled onto pavements; the shady squares pulsing with restaurants hidden around each corner. I adore the dramatic fountains which dispel the summer heat. Remarkably preserved…
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Make a Wish
Like most people in this world, we need to find the money to pay the boring bills and especially with an 18th Century house, there is always something desperate for a cash injection. As soon as we decided to return to the UK, we realised that if we wanted to keep our hideaway in the south…
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Be a cicada – metamorphose in the South of France
To hibernate in winter is natural, in fact many people do stay underground during the winter months. Numerous places in North America have fabulous underground cities to cower from the cold. Eagerly embrace it is my feeling but I can understand that winter is a tricky season, especially once the hopeful Christmas lights are pulled…
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Just Imagine
Living in Montreal is exciting, invigorating and refreshing as most adventures are. Since moving here in February 2012 I think we have adapted brilliantly but we do miss our hideaway in France. One of the biggest changes for us was moving from a house in the country into an urban apartment with no garden. The…
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Olive picking in the South of France
As we run through Autumn, maneuvering through months, heads down and hoods up against bitter winds, it is easy to be oblivious to the little treats that nature has to offer, even in Autumn. A couple of years ago we purchased the field next to our house, for even though it is agricultural land, we…
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Transforming a home into a holiday house in France
It was this time last year that we began contemplating a move to Canada. My Partner In Crime had been offered a job in Montreal and his company needed a decision fast. Were we willing to move our whole family from the gorgeous Languedoc area in the south of France to the much more challenging,…
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