About the house
Started in the 1800s the farmhouse was at the centre of a 20 acre vinyard. Traditional thick walls and high ceilings keep the house airy and cool in summer. The spacious ground floor salon has original beams and a fireplace. An arch leads into the large family kitchen which comfortably seats 10. See top photo. It is equipped with dishwasher, fridge, a microwave, a Lacanche gas stove and abundant crockery, saucepans etc. Both rooms lead directly onto the South-facing terrace. The laundry room has a washing machine, second fridge, freezer and shower, for pool users. A smaller, separate salon has bookshelves and the CD/tape player.
The terrace has a table seating 10, see Welcome photo, and there is plenty of garden furniture. The pool, 12 by 6 meters is set in the garden, 50 meters from the house. Views from its wooden deck look out over the vines. The landscaped garden to the south gives shade, privacy and pleasure. North of the house the garden frames the view of the Luberon Mountain and provides shaded space to watch boules or volleyball played on our own court. To the west, the gravel terrace is a pleasant place to take a glass of wine as you watch the sun set over the vineyard. the West terrace had a table for 10l, see lower photo to the right, A gas BBQ, on wheels, is provided for cooking in the garden.
We provide, single duvets, linen, tea towels and bath towels, but please bring swimming towels. Rates include garden and pool maintenance, gas, electricity and central heating. The house is cleaned before each visit. The house has high performance fibre wi-fi. No charge is made for the telephone which will receive incoming calls and allow you to make local calls. Long distance phone calls are barred but easy on wi-fi. We would be grateful if guests did not smoke in the house. No pets please.
Please have a look at the photo gallery for all the views and facilities.
Sophie Dodet, a dear friend, will meet you, provide information about the house and give you the keys. She will check you in and out and handle emergencies.
The bedrooms and floor plan
The house has 4 big double bedrooms. The Red and Blue bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms. The Yellow and Rose rooms share a family bathroom and separate toilet between them. Each bathroom has a large comfortable modern shower. The Red bathroom has, in addition, a real bath which is ideal for bathing young children. The Red and the Yellow rooms have a double bed, the Blue and the Pink rooms have two single beds side by side.
On the ground floor the study has a convertible double sofa bed. There is a separate toilet and, in the utility room, there is a shower which could easily be used by someone with access difficulties.
The whole house floor plan is shown on the right.
Red bedroom above
Pink below left, Yellow below centre, Blue below right
Pool and Garden
The garden is mature and there are plenty of places in sun or shade to slope off to read a book or snooze. The pool, 12m by 6m, is a step away from the house and is surrounded by a wide wooden deck. One side is in shade, the other in full sun. Loungers are provided. There is a boule court to the north of the house, which can double as a volley-ball court and there is a table tennis table on the west terrace. You can walk from the house through the vines and into woods.
Looking over Sautaire to Mont Sainte Victoire
LOCAL APPROACHES TO LE SAUTAIRE
Pertuis to Le Sautaire
Arriving in Pertuis, follow the signs for Forcalquier and La Tour d'Aigues to the D956.
Go through La Tour d'Aigues. Just before leaving the village (200 meters after a sharp right turn) you will see on your right a large car park and market place with plane trees and the ruin of a château. On your left there is the Café du Chateau; as you pass this, set your mileometer/kilometer to zero, and then continue on the D956, now signposted Grambois and Forcalquier.
After 2.25 miles (4 km), immediately after a sharp S-bend, take the turning on your left marked Chemin du Sautaire. Follow this for 100 meters until you reach a fork around a field of vines. Take the RH fork and follow the field for 300 meters. You pass between two gardens and as the road turns sharply to the right, turn left. You will see the gates to Le Sautaire, and the farmhouse beyond.
If you miss the first turning off the D956 there is a second about 300 meters further on, opposite a house with green shutters right on the edge of the road. Turn left immediately opposite this house again onto
Chemin du Sautaire. Follow the winding road for 200 meters and you arrive at a group of houses. When the road turns sharply to the left, you will see the gates to Le Sautaire ahead of you.
From Lourmarin
From the D943 take the D27, the right hand fork signposted Cucuron, (not the left hand D56).
Follow the D27 for 12 km past the villages of Cucuron, Sannes, La Motte d’Aigues and St Martin de la Brasque. About 2 km past St Martin de la Brasque, you reach a T junction with the D956.
Turn right. In 200 meters turn right again directly opposite a house with green shutters right on the edge of the road. . Follow the winding road for 200 meters and you arrive at a group of houses. When the road turns sharply to the left, you will see the gates to Le Sautaire ahead of you.
This is Gramois, our village perche!
Our locality to Shop and Eat
Grambois, our local village, is one of a line of villages which run along the south side of the Luberon. Most of the villages have a market day, you can find one every day of the week. One of the best is on Sunday morning in our neighbouring village St Martin de la Brasque. It is probably the most authentic with local farmers selling their produce. It stretches out along the village boules court under the plane trees.
La Tour d’Aigues, the next village south of Grambois has a Tuesday market day with stalls set out in the square in front of the ruined chateau and through the old streets. The restaurant Brasserie du Chateau is well worth a visit to enjoy its excellent chef.
Within an hour's drive North, South ,East or West, as well as Aix-en-Provence, you can visit towns such as Avignon and Forcalquier and a fascinating sculpture park set around a vineyard, Chateau Lacoste, just south of the Durance. There are some lovely walks on the Luberon, including rock climbing, and the "activities section" has addresses where you can hire bikes, canoes and horses.
Grambois is set on a hill, a village perche, and there is a good walk up to it mostly on minor roads and tracks which takes about 25 minutes up and 20 down. You will find a pizzeria and a bar tabac there. At the bottom of the hill, the hamlet of Moulin du Pas - 10 minutes’ walk away - on the flat, has a boulangerie, a wonderful vegetable/grocery shop and a pharmacy. For major shopping, Pertuis is a small town about 20 minutes’ drive to the south. If you fly into Marseilles airport, you will pass through it to reach Le Sautaire. It has two supermarkets, Carrefour and Hyper-U, which will cover all your essential shopping, plus a good range of specialist food shops.
If you are thinking of a meal out close by, we would highly recommend Les Tilleuls which is at Moulin de Pas at the foot of our road. A welcoming atmosphere and highly competent cooking.
SHOPPING
Please remember that most small shops close between 12.00/12.30 and 14.00/15.00. The supermarkets stay open all day.
Bread: boulangeries in Grambois(1), La Tour d’Aigues (6), Hyper-U in Pertuis does excellent bread.
Groceries: Moulin du Pas has an excellent small supermarket and vegetable shop. La Tour D’Aigues has two small supermarkets.
Fruit and vegetables, charcuterie, meat, cheeses: (i) Moulin du Pas, (ii) La Tour d’Aigue, try Casino or Viticulture, the co-operative at the south of the village. There are several charcuteries.
Pharmacie: Moulin du Pas, on the right before turning up to Grambos. La Tour d’Aigues, as you enter.
Doctor Dr Bourget, rue Parterre, Grambois, 04-90-77-93-34
Supermarkets: Pertuis has Hyper-U on the ring road, (turn right at the round-about as you enter from Grambois) and Intermarché, (on the road leaving Pertuis, south to Aix).
Wine: Local wines from any of the village caves or from local chateaux. See the house book for directions. At the cave you can buy wine ‘en vrac’, very drinkable for the equivalent of 50p per bottle. It comes in a ‘jerrycan plastique’, (there are several in our cave), filled as at a petrol pump. Try Grambois for rosé, delightful on ice in summer, La Motte d’Aigues for red and Le Cellier de Marrenon in La Tour d’Aigues for white The latter, on the road south out of the village, sells a range of local wines
The Chateau at La Tour d'Aigues
MARKETS
There are Farmers Markets (FM) which sell produce and Provençal Markets (PM) where you will also find provençal fabric and gifts, herbs and spices, baskets, small pieces of furniture, pottery etc.
Monday: Cadenet (PM)
Tuesday La Tour d’Aigues (PM)
Wednesday
Thursday The night market at Motte d’Aigues, 19.00, is part market part outdoor café, buy your own supper. A great atmosphere. Take your own rug and utensils to picnic.
Friday Lourmarin (PM), Pertuis (PM)
Saturday Apt (PM)
Sunday St. Martin de la Brasque (FM), Grambois (FM)
ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS
WWW.provenceguide.com, is the internet site for all the Tourism Offices for the Departments of Provence.
The Grambois office telephone number is 00 33 4 90 77 96 29
La Tour d’Aigues office number is 00 33 4 90 07 50 29
There is a handy leaflet on Outdoor activities in Vaucluse, which gives lots of contact addresses. Below is some information on the main activities.
Golf
Thoughts from some fanatical Irish golfers.’We played golf on some of the finest golf courses anywhere – way ahead of what we expected’. There are three courses within half an hours drive of the farm. Pont Royal, west towards Mallemort, is a Seve Ballesteros designed course. Aix-Marseilles Country Club is south on the road to Marseille Airport, Pierrevert lies east towards Manosque. More details in the house book.
Horse riding
A local address recommended in the leaflet on Outdoor activities in Vaucluse, but not personally known to us
C.E, Muller Robi
Rte de Cabrieres d’Aigues 00 33 4 90 77 22 19
Tennis
To find the courts in Grambois, take the road up to the village, turn right at the T junction at the top and immediately right again. The courts are a little way up on the LHS. Book, ahead of time, at the Café Dol, in the square next to the boulangerie. You will need to bring your own rackets and balls.
Cycling
Bike trip organisers, rentals
Chemin a Suivre, L’Espigon, Pertuis 00 33 4 90 79 55 99
Cycles Genin, 1073, Boulevade des Jardins, Pertuis 00 33 4 90 79 49 43
Volley ball, boules, badminton, and table tennis
Are all available at Le Sautaire.
Contact & Booking
To check availability and price please send us the form to the right or phone +44 7966 444 659. We speak English and French.
Our booking process stages are...
1 If the dates are available we will send you a booking form with the terms and conditions. Please come back with any questions.
2 If you are happy to book please send us the form and deposit. We will send you detailed notes on routes to the house
3 Six weeks before arrival the final payment is due and we will send you details for your arrival and departure, the contacts of our meeting team, and any local updates