This was a visit of two parts, 1) of high intellectual endeavours
2) Total relaxation with a little eating and drinking.
Unlike the "Curates Egg” both parts were very different but very enjoyable!
The part 1) was an” intensive French langue course” lasting 5 days for my wife , which you may read all about by going to the website of the course.
Tripadviser does not allow me to give the link!!
The part 2) On the other hand was a do nothing holiday for me, which achieved all of the goals which were set.
We rented the flat from Sunday to Saturday.
Upon arrival, one was a little apprehensive in that the property was in a very narrow street (all the streets are narrow in the village) and was of course of an age!
On been shown to the 2nd floor flat, all apprehensions vanished.
The flat had been total renovated and updated to a very high standard.
It had all one could want by way of fixtures, fittings and equipment.
Including air-condition in the bedroom, yes it was used, the weather was fantastic.
Also Included was a very nice and unusual touch, a number of essentials, such as tea, coffee, milk, butter and a loaf of local baked bread. Well done!
One small exception being, no TV ( some say good) there is a good broadband Wi-Fi at a typical 2MB French connection.
More than fast enough for my morning fix of Radio 4 on BBC “radio iplayer”
We were given welcome drinks of the local aperitif with an explanation of their content. ( thank you much enjoyed)
The village has 3 fairly good restaurants, one excellent, the Auberge du Vigneron, a note of caution do not be in a rush, service is slow but the food is well worth the wait.
Both the terrace and interior are very attractive.
If you are not in the mood to make your own lunch a very reasonable “snack bar” is just across the road from the” Marie” opens about 11.00 to 17.00.
The small local shop has a very limited range of Veg/ drinks, note no fresh milk.
(if you want fresh milk plan a drive of 20 minutes)
Do visit the local wine makers, what they produce is of a very good quality at a very reasonable price, a good idea is to order only very local wines, if you visit any of the restaurants , typically restaurant prices are 19/23€ for a good bottle.
We had a very pleasant week in Cucugnan, mine from a relaxed point of view and achieving my goal of good food and wine and my wife’s goal of advancement in French.
Yes, the flat and the facilities are to recommended , good value for both course and accommodation.
My husband and I stayed with Claire for one week, with 5 days of intensive French lessons.
The prospect of 5 hours of French each day was daunting, but Claire soon put us at our ease and the hours flew by.
Claire is a very experienced teacher and we liked the different teaching methods that she used to help with our vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. She even helped us brush up on our English grammar too!
The self contained flat in her home was ideal for us and Claire is a very hospitable landlady.
Thank you Claire for a very enjoyable, informative and interesting week.
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Claire managed our different learning styles, levels of knowledge and abilities and gave us a great basis to continue to progress in French The accommodation was comfortable and in pretty village set in dramatic Cathar countryside. The ambiance was definitely conducive to learning and making progress in French. A very worthwhile stay.
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The owner, Claire, was most welcoming, friendly, supportive, enthusiastic and nothing too much trouble for her. In all the time I have visited Claire, I have known this to be true in every case. She is an amazing teacher of both French and English and to this day I strongly feel that she has been the best teacher I have had and cannot recommend her highly enough in all aspects. The apartment is clean, situated in a wonderful region of France where the surrounding areas are stunning. I suggest that if anyone is thinking of wanting to learn a new language or even have a holiday, to reserve this apartment immediately. I can guarantee that you will have a wonderful experience.
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My wife and I stayed with Claire for 4 days as she patiently taught us French as a beginner me, and a little bit more advanced being my wife.
Claire's technique and tricks in making her teaching stick we found to be excellent and would recommend her very much to anyone wanting to learn the basics or advance what they already know.
The apartment at the top of Claires house was extremely comfortable and cool given the 30+ degree temperatures at the time..
The village of Cucugnan has 3 excellent resteraunts and bakery with it's own windmill. The history of the Cathares and the Chateaus in this region are well worth a visit especially Queribus Chateau just outside of Cucugnan
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Great place to stay, plenty to see and do in the area. Great advice from Claire. Everything you could need in the apartment. Didn't feel a visitor felt part of the village. Will definitely return!
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