Locality
Barrusclet is
situated down a long track off a quiet country road. We are 3km from
the village of Gondrin and 12Km west of Condom in south west France. In
Gondrin you will find two boulangeries, a boucherie, a small
supermarket, tabac, pharmacy, doctors, tourist information etc.,
everything you need for a self-catering holiday. There is also a small
hotel and bar, and the largest outdoor manmade swimming lake in France.
This area is great for families, with slides, inflatable's, table
tennis, tennis courts, children's play area, and plenty of grassed area
for sunbathing and picnics. Gondrin has a small Sunday market selling
local fresh produce. A 2 minute
drive, or short cycle ride in the other direction brings us to the tiny
hamlet of Lauraet. We hold a key to the immaculate, yet barely used
tennis court, which is overlooked by the pretty village church. Plenty of
small villages are within easy reach, and many offer restaurants and
bars for you to discover during your stay. Our favourite is the auberge
in the lovely village of Fources, a tiny medieval village built in the
round, with gorgeous flowers at every window. The plat du jour is 13
Euros and includes 3 courses, wine and coffee. This village also hosts
a flower festival and regular antique markets. Another
local village is Montreal. It has a lovely square, with bars and
restaurants, and hosts a medieval fayre in the Summer. It also has a
small bull-fighting arena, where during the summer festival there is a
bull-jumping contest. Not really our thing, but we were happy to see
that the bulls were not hurt. The larger
market town of Vic-Fezensac has a large bull-fighting stadium, where I
think it is more serious. Vic-Fezensac also hosts a huge Latino Salsa
Festival over one week in the Summer, and a weekly market. Most of the
local villages host their own festivals throughout the summer, and
these can be great fun with live music, eating and drinking, sporting
contests, and firework displays. We have found the people to be very
welcoming and there is a great sense of community. We are also
only a few kilometres away from the tiny medieval fortified village of
Larressingle. It is a really pretty spot, with a small cafe/restaurant,
and a working museum of medieval weaponry. The pilgrimage road to
Santiago de Compostela comes through this area if that is your
interest, and the peaceful Abbaye de Flaran is close by. The larger
towns of Eauze and Condom are 10-15 minutes drive away, and these both
offer larger supermarkets, and a greater choice of restaurants and
cafes. The river Baise runs through Condom, and river cruises are
available. Our region is famous for Armagnac and
Foie Gras. There are many vineyards within easy reach where you can
drop in for a tasting, and most of the restaurants have local
specialities on the menu. Other
activities within an hours drive include: High Ropes courses, canoe
trips, Wallabi World theme park, a great Go-Karting course, a Water
Park, paint-balling, and horse riding. The Thermal Spa town of Castera
Verduzan, and the Roman Villa at Seviac with its mosaic floors are both
close by. Also there are numerous swimming lakes and pools with beaches
and slides and play areas. If golf is
your thing, there is an 18 hole championship course, Golf de Guinlet ,
at Eauze, Golf d'Albret at Barbaste, and Golf d'Auch-Embats near Auch.
There are other courses in the region but if you are a keen golfer I
would recommend that you do your own research so you know exactly what
you are getting. We are
approx. 2 hours from the Atlantic coast and The Pyrenees, and
approx.3.5 hours from the Mediterranean. Lourdes is within striking
distance, as is Marciac and its famous Jazz festival.