3 Rooms -
Sleep 5 Guests -
1.5 Bathrooms
Description: La Clède is unmistakably Provençal - blue shutters, terra cotta tile roof and the deep green of vines contrasting against the rose-beige stucco walls.
The ground floor is comprised of a living and dining room area, foyer and kitchen. The floors are large squares of terra cotta tile, the walls an alabaster white and the high ceiling crossed by rough-hewn beams. Altogether the house comprises about 160m2 (1,070 sq. ft.) of living space.
The living room is furnished with a black leather sofa and loveseat, armchairs, an upright piano and several antiques. The television has satellite reception with CNN and BBC.
In the dining area is a marble-top table for eight. Altogether La Clède's tasteful furnishings and décor create a pleasant country ambiance that has a noticeable Tyrolean influence, reflecting the family's connection to that region of Italy. One piece is a beautiful and intricately carved Tyrolean armoire that is traditionally part of a wedding trousseau.
French doors open from the living room onto a large terrace, where there is an oval dining table under a vine-covered trellis. A little fountain gives off the sound of constantly running water. Beyond the terrace lie the garden and pool, and the vast vista of the Vaucluse Plateau, with the village of Rasteau in the distance.
The kitchen, decorated with dried flowers and wheat sheaves to lend a rustic ambiance, is well equipped and has a small breakfast table for four. The counters are a rust-colored marble, and the backsplashes are tiled in light gray. Appliances include a four-burner gas stove and medium-sized refrigerator, and in the pantry, a dishwasher, electric oven and washing machine.
A curving staircase with railing leads to the upper level, where there are three medium-sized bedrooms that open off the landing. One bedroom has a queen-sized bed, another twin beds in wrought-iron frames, and the third a single bed. The bedrooms are uncluttered, simply decorated but comfortable. The first bedroom has an armoire for storage, and there is additional closet space on the landing.
The three bedrooms share a bath with a stall shower (no bathtub) and WC. There is also a guest lavatory with WC on the off the foyer on the lower level.
The pool, fenced and about 20 meters (a meter is about a yard) from the house, is surrounded by beds of lavender beds and brightly colored flowers. Roman steps lead into the pool, which is 1.1m (3.6') at the shallow end and 2m (6.5') at the deep end. The garden, a delight to wander through, is in the traditional country French style where fruit trees, olive trees, grass and flowering shrubs mingle together in one seemingly haphazard but actually coherent artistic statement. And everywhere, there is the sound of birds, and sometimes the momentary flash of a rabbit darting among the fruit trees.
Bedding Info: Queen-size bed, 2 twin beds, single bed