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<p>El Pinyol d'Oliva<br>
10 Petite Place de l'Huile<br>
Ille-sur-Têt</p>
<hr>
<p>El Pinyol d’Oliva is a medieval <em>maison de maitre</em> situated in
the walled heart of a small town in the <a href="http://www.pyreneesorientalestourisme.com/public/pages/gb/accueil/index.php" target="_blank">Pyrénées-Orientales</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ille-sur-tet.com/" target="_blank">Ille-sur-Têt</a>,
the peach capital of France, lies at the foot of the <a href="http://www.cg66.fr/decouverte/nature/canigou/" target="_blank">Canigou</a>,
with the Mediterranean and the Spanish border half an hour away. It enjoys
over 300 days of sunshine a year. The Cathar castles, high Pyrenees and ski
slopes are only an hour’s drive. </p>
<p>For those wishing to venture further afield, <a href="http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/" target="_blank">Barcelona</a>, <a href="http://www.carcassonne-tourisme.com/Carcassonne2.nsf/pgeAgcAccueil2?OpenPage" target="_blank">Carcassonne</a> and <a href="http://www.ot-montpellier.fr/index_en.php" target="_blank">Montpellier</a> are
within easy reach.</p>
<hr>
<p>ACCOMMODATION</p>
<p>This sensitively restored holiday home dates back to the medieval period,
but still provides a luxurious degree of modern comfort – full central
heating, for example, as well as a broadband internet connection. </p>
<p>High ceilings with exposed wooden beams give a feeling of airiness and luminosity.
The large roof terrace affords views down narrow winding streets and over rooftops
to the church and <a href="http://www.ille-sur-tet.com/le_tourisme/orgues2.htm" target="_blank">Orgues</a> in
one direction, and to the <a href="http://www.cg66.fr/decouverte/nature/canigou/" target="_blank">Canigou</a>,
sacred mountain of the Catalans, in the other.</p>
<p>Four large and highly individual bedrooms each have en suite bath or shower-room
facilities. One doubles as a self-contained studio and may particularly suit
early risers: there is a kitchenette for an early brew of coffee, and a side
door to slip out and buy the morning’s croissants from one of the five
boulangeries nearby.</p>
<p>Light floods into the lofty kitchen / dining room and reflects off a 4m high
ceiling <em>a la française</em>. The kitchen, equipped with granite
worktops and all mod cons, is the perfect place to cook up fresh produce from
the nearby shops and colourful local market. The market is held three times
a week and is two minutes walk away. The winding wooden staircase leads to
a spacious sitting room and large roof terrace. Here you can sit and sip your
ice-cold local Muscat while your fresh sardines sizzle on the barbecue... </p>
<hr>
<p align="left">RATES & AVAILABILITY</p>
<p align="left">Your hostess at El Pinyol d’Oliva is Anne Guthrie. She
has worked for a number of years as a professional guide and is also a cordon-bleu
cook. Her cuisine uses fresh local ingredients and is inspired by travels all
over the world.</p>
<p align="left">Individual rooms are available on a bed-and-breakfast basis,
from €75 a night. Evening meals can be provided on request.</p>
<p align="left">Rates shown in the table are for rental of the whole house, sleeping
8 to 10 people, as self-catering accommodation. Heating and electricity are
included. Colour bands indicate seasonal price variations.</p>
<p align="left">The house can also be hired partly or fully catered, and the
studio may occasionally be available separately – please apply for details.</p>
<hr>
<p align="left">CONTACT & BOOKING</p>
<p align="left">For bookings, or any other enquiries please contact :</p>
<h3 align="left">Anne Guthrie<br>
6 Petite Place de l’Huile<br>
66130 Ille-sur-Têt<br>
France</h3>
<h3 align="left"><br>
tel/fax : +33 (0)4 68 84 04 17</h3>
<h3 align="left"><br>
e-mail: <a href="mailto:web-enquiry@elpinyoldoliva.com">web-enquiry@elpinyoldoliva.com</a></h3>
<p align="left">website design by Electric Cottage / email: <a href="mailto:pinyol@electriccottage.co.uk">pinyol@electriccottage.co.uk</a></p>
<hr>
<p>DIRECTIONS</p>
<h3>BY AIR :</h3>
<blockquote>
<h3>Perpignan PGF (15 minutes away), flights from </h3>
<blockquote>
<h3>Birmingham BHX and Southampton SOU (<a href="http://www.flybe.com/default.htm" target="_blank">flybe</a>)<br>
London Stansted STN (<a href="http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/" target="_blank">Ryanair</a>)<br>
Paris Orly ORY (<a href="http://www.airfrance.com/uk" target="_blank">Air
France</a>)<br>
Manchester MAN (<a href="http://www.bmibaby.com" target="_blank">bmibaby</a>) </h3>
</blockquote>
<h3>Carcassone CCF (1 hour away), flights from</h3>
<blockquote>
<h3>London Stansted STN and Brussels Charleroi CRL (<a href="http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/" target="_blank">Ryanair</a>) </h3>
</blockquote>
<h3>Girona GRO (1 hour away), flights from</h3>
<blockquote>
<h3>many European airports with <a href="http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/" target="_blank">Ryanair</a> (Girona
is their southern Europe hub)<br>
Brussels International BRU (<a href="http://www.jetonly.com/en/" target="_blank">Jet
Only</a>)<br>
Rotterdam RTM (<a href="http://transavia.com/en" target="_blank">transavia</a>) </h3>
</blockquote>
<h3>Barcelona (2.5 hours away), flights from</h3>
<blockquote>
<h3>airports worldwide</h3>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<h3><br>
BY TRAIN :</h3>
<blockquote>
<h3><a href="http://www.tgv.com/EN/" target="_blank">TGV</a> to Perpignan;
Ille has a small station within walking distance of the house</h3>
</blockquote>
<h3><br>
BY CAR : </h3>
<blockquote>
<h3>A9 to Perpignan, then 15-minute drive on the N116, direction Andorra – <a href="http://uk8.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=42.6721&lon=2.6198&scale=500000&icon=x" target="_blank">interactive
map</a></h3>
</blockquote>
<blockquote> </blockquote>
<hr>
<p align="left">THINGS TO DO</p>
<p align="left">El Pinyol d’Oliva is in the <a href="http://www.sunfrance.com/index.php3?langue=en" target="_blank">Roussillon</a> where
the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean. This little piece of paradise is blessed
with spectacular scenery and a very favourable micro-climate. This makes it
an ideal year-round holiday destination.</p>
<p align="left">The variety of landscapes is mirrored by the range of activities
that are available here. Snowy mountains in winter offer skiing, snow shoeing
and hill walking. The snow melts to reveal carpets of wild flowers, and lower
down the scented maquis. There are thermal baths to pamper aching muscles,
streams to canyon down and pools in which to swim among the trout. They flow
down through vineyards producing fine wines and branch out into an intricate
lacework of irrigation canals which give life to the orchards, olive groves
and vegetables grown here. These form the basis of a delicious cuisine. A sweep
of coast, from the Cathar castle-studded <a href="http://www.corbieresweb.com/english/tourism.htm?dd" target="_blank">Corbieres</a>,
past the etangs filled with oysters and flamingos, sandy beaches and the rocky
end of the <a href="http://www.pyreneesguide.com/cats.asp?cID=19" target="_blank">Pyrenees</a>,
takes you down into Spain.</p>
<p align="left">Picturesque villages with beautiful architecture dot the landscape.
Romanesque churches are frequently used for concerts, including the famous <a href="http://www.prades-festival-casals.com/pab-1000.php" target="_blank">Pablo
Casals Festival</a>. The area has drawn other musicians and painters to it:
fortunately the <a href="http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/fauvism.html" target="_blank">Fauvists</a> left
a few paintings in the <a href="http://www.musee-ceret.com/gb/presen2.html" target="_blank">Museum
of Modern art in Ceret</a> as well as signing the tablecloths in<a href="http://www.hotel-templiers.com/gb/sommaire.htm" target="_blank"> Les
Templiers</a> in <a href="http://www.collioure.com/anglais/co-001.html" target="_blank">Collioure</a>. <a href="http://www.salvador-dali.org/" target="_blank">Dali</a>,
who’s museum is a hop across the border into Spain, thought that <a href="http://www.perpignantourisme.com/en/index.php" target="_blank">Perpignan</a> was
the centre of the world. Order a pastis at a platane covered café there
and come to your own conclusion…</p>
<p align="left">MORE INTERESTING PLACES TO VISIT</p>
<p align="left"><a href="http://elbulli.com/main.php?url=/centros/" target="_blank">elBulli
restaurant</a> / Roses, Girona</p>
<p align="left"><a href="http://www.toiles-du-soleil.com/english/index.html" target="_blank">Les
Toiles du Soleil fabrics</a> / Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans</p>
<p align="left"><a href="http://www.vinobourg.ch/seductions/masamiel.htm" target="_blank">Mas
Amiel vineyard</a> / Quéribus</p>
<p align="center"></p>
<p align="left"><a href="http://www.publintur.es/Guiacata/CBrava/Girona/Girona.htm" target="_blank">Girona</a></p>
<p align="left"><a href="http://prades-tourisme.com/english/index.htm" target="_blank">Prades</a></p>
<hr>
<p align="left">THEMED HOLIDAYS</p>
<p align="left">El Pinyol d’Oliva is used as a base for a number of tailor-made
tours of the area each year. These cater to different interests such as walking,
wine, cooking, painting, and creative writing. </p>
<p align="left">Some take in local festivals such as the <a href="http://www.prades-festival-casals.com/pab-1000.php" target="_blank">Pablo
Casals Music Festival</a> (26 July – 13 August, 2006) <br>
and <a href="http://www.visapourlimage.com/anglais/" target="_blank">Visa Pour
l’Image</a> (2 – 17 September, 2006).</p>
<p align="left">The house is also a venue for gatherings of friends and families,
where, if they wish, guests can relax completely by having their holiday fully
catered and activities organized for them.</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">Dates
and details are available on request.</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="french%20vsn/fr-index.htm">FRENCH VERSION</a></p>
<p align="left"> </p>
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