Waterballet

Waterballet is the last house on a dead-end lane at the edge of Villecroze. Complete quiet and privacy on 4000 m² of private grounds, with a stream along the edge and wild lavender among the pines. The grounds are largely flat, so children have plenty of room to play, cycle and kick a ball around. Yet the bakery is a ten minute bike ride away.

There are three double bedrooms, each with air conditioning and its own bathroom. The largest is on the ground floor and opens onto the terrace. The upstairs bedrooms take an extra bed, sleeping eight in the house. The double bed is extra long: 2.20 metres.

The living room measures 5 by 8 metres, flows into the kitchen and opens onto the south-west facing terrace, shaded by vines and roses.

The saltwater pool is 5 by 11 metres, long enough for proper lengths, with a 20 cm shallow section for the smallest. Salt instead of chlorine means no chlorine smell and no stinging eyes. Beside it stands a wood-fired sauna that heats up in under an hour.

The outdoor kitchen has a genuine wood oven for pizza, steak or duck breast. Charcoal barbecues are banned here because of the fire risk, but the wood oven and the gas barbecue may be used even in high summer. Firewood is provided.

Next to the house stands the mezzonette: a small home of its own with kitchen, bathroom, a double bed and three single beds in the loft. That brings the total to twelve. Book the house and we never let the mezzonette separately to anyone else.