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LARRUNDARRA

NOTE: From mid-June to early September Larrundarra rents as a whole to one tenant. The apartment may be rented separately for a minimum two-week period at certain other periods of the year. Please inquire.

This spectacular property, with its six bedrooms, elegant furnishings, polished marble floors, luminous state-of-the-art kitchen, 12M X 6M (40' X 20') pool and well-equipped exercise room, would be a lucky find regardless of its location. But to discover such a well-appointed and reasonably priced house less than three kilometers from the pretty seaside village of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, on the sunny Atlantic Coast a few kilometers south of Biarritz, is worthy of a celebration in itself. JUST FRANCE is pleased to offer this exceptional property for August rental, and expects it will be of special interest to our clients who have known the joys of Provence or the Côte d'Azur, but are now ready to explore the unique character of yet another part of France.

While it does not have a sea view, Larrundarra is only 2.5 km. from the coast in a verdant area of pastures and small forests of pine and deciduous trees. A tennis and golf club, owned by the Lacoste family (of Lacoste shirt fame) and ranked third in France for its fine 18-hole course, is less than a three-minute drive from the house.

Larrundarra follows the typical Basque exterior color scheme of pure white walls, a roof of smooth brick-red terra cotta tiles, and green shutters. The L-shaped house actually comprises two separate living spaces, each with three bedrooms. The luxuriously furnished house is on the upper two levels, while on the garden and pool level is a breezy, less formal apartment with a distinctly summery ambiance. The two living spaces are connected by a staircase that permits them to be used as one harmonious whole; or, since both spaces have their own entrances and parking areas, they may be used as totally separate quarters. Thanks to the unique floor plan, the laundry and exercise rooms and garage, all on the lower level, may be shared by both spaces.

In August Larrundarra rents as a whole to one tenant. Depending on availability, the apartment sometimes may be rented separately in other months.

The main house

Rooms take on a grand scale in the main house of Larrundarra, which comprises some 325M2 (about 3,500 sq. ft.) of luminous interior space and 70M2 (650 sq. ft.) of balconies and terraces. An elegant foyer with a powder room foyer leads to a living room with high ceilings and two separate seating areas, one of them grouped around a fireplace with a mantle of peach-colored marble. While it is large, the room has a warm and intimate ambiance owing to its fine wood antiques and to an enormous oriental rug that unifies the two seating areas. French double doors open on one side to a breakfast terrace that also connects to kitchen, and on the opposite side onto a long and deep terrace that overlooks the pool. Hidden in a tall antique armoire is a large-screen television (with satellite reception bringing in more than 100 channels) and a full stereo system with CD player.

Adjoining the living room is a superb kitchen with a full array of top-grade appliances, among them a professional-size stove with two gas and four electric burners, wall-mounted convection and microwave ovens, dishwasher and side-by-side Sub-Zero refrigerator-freezer with icemaker. The red-and-gray marble counters and abundant custom-made wood cabinets provide generous work and storage space. For breakfast guests may choose a round glass table for four persons in a pretty dining area illuminated by a skylight, or in warm weather may choose a larger table on an adjoining outdoor terrace. As the owners entertain often and are dedicated cooks, the kitchen is equipped with all the cookware, gadgets and utensils necessary to prepare the most demanding recipe.

Across the foyer is the formal dining room, which is illuminated by overhead recessed lighting. This is an impressive space, equally appropriate for formal entertaining (there are abundant place settings and stemware on hand for this purpose) or convivial family dining. Complementing a large walnut buffet is a fine wood table with a carved design that can seat up to eight. As in the foyer, living room and kitchen, the floors are of a polished cream-colored marble, and for warmth and color there are oriental rugs. Throughout the house the doors are of solid ash.

In the wide corridor leading to the master bedroom is an antique desk that is ideal for writing letters or setting up a laptop computer. The master suite is a spacious set of rooms that includes a separate dressing area with walk-in closets, full ensuite bath and a bedroom with a sitting area and a balcony overlooking the pool. The floors are polished hardwood, and soft peach-and-white drapes match the bedspread of the king-sized bed. The marble ensuite bath has an over-sized tub, separate stall shower, and a separate WC.

A wood staircase leads to the upper level, where there is a sitting area with hardwood floors and a comfortable sofa. Two more bedrooms, one with a king-sized bed and the other with twin beds, open from the landing. These bedrooms, both large and beautifully decorated, share a bath with a stall shower and separate WC. All of the bedrooms receive plenty of natural light from windows and skylights, and all have bedside tables with good reading lamps.

From the foyer a marble staircase descends to the lower level, where there are a laundry room with an American-style washing machine and separate tumble dryer, a four-car garage, and a carpeted exercise room equipped with a universal weight machine, rowing machine and stationary bike. At one end of the room is a bath with stall shower and WC, and at the other, sliding glass doors that open directly onto the pool terrace.

A corridor on the lower level connects the main house with the three-bedroom apartment. With the door to the corridor open, the main house and apartment are connected into one coherent whole. When the door is closed and locked, the two become entirely separate and independent living areas providing total privacy for two families.

The three-bedroom apartment

The comfortable garden-level apartment comprises some 140M2 (1,500 sq. ft.) and has its own parking area, phone line, alarm system and main entrance. From the entrance a large foyer with a wicker sofa and storage closets opens onto a hallway that terminates in the family room. All of the rooms are filled with natural light from windows opening onto both sides of the house.

Three bedrooms open off the hallway, two with twin beds and one with a queen-sized bed. The twin-bedded rooms, one of which opens directly onto the pool terrace, share a full bath with tub and overhead shower, while the queen-sized bedroom has its own ensuite bath with stall shower but no tub. There is also a powder room in the hallway, for a total of three WCs. All of the bedrooms are decorated in soft, pleasing colors that complement the atmosphere of freshness and sunshine that prevails throughout the apartment.

The natural gathering place for apartment guests is the family room, which incorporates into one cheerful space a fully-equipped kitchen, dining area and sitting area. The kitchen is decorated in white and yellow and has all modern appliances. The dining area has an oval table for six, and in the sitting area are a long sofa and armchairs in a pretty yellow floral pattern. The natural brightness of the room is complemented by white tile floors and walls.

The family room opens through glass doors onto the immense pool terrace, a sunbather's paradise with wrought-iron chairs and chaises longues, parasols and an assortment of pool toys. There is a table for outside dining, and a barbecue. While the pool is not fenced, for the safety of children it can be secured when not in use by an electrically powered cover.

Other amenities in the apartment include a washing machine (no dryer), crib and high chair. Guests can also count on abundant hot water from the state-of-the-art central heating system.

The Basque country

Larrundarra is the ideal home base for exploring the Southwest France. The Basque country is a lush but rugged region of rolling hills, vineyards and mountains that straddles the Pyrenees and lies along a part of the Atlantic coast famed for its wide, sandy beaches and (as the many surfers will attest) billowing waves. Like Provence, the Pays Basque has its own distinct character, a result of its historical connection to Spain and its geographical placement in a naturally beautiful region where two Mediterranean cultures meet. With San Sebastian and the Spanish frontier only 33 km. to the south, the Spanish influence is everywhere - in the architecture, on the radio waves, and on the wine lists, where one is as likely to find a Rioja as the more local French appellations of Madiran and Jurançon.

Being a resort destination for sophisticated Europeans, the small windy streets of Saint-Jean-de-Luz are filled with smart international boutiques as well as shops featuring local foods, crafts and other products. The cosmopolitan town of Biarritz is 18 km. to the north, and beyond Biarritz the vineyards of Graves, Sauternes, Bordeaux and the Médoc. Directly east is Gascony, home of the "French paradox," a characteristically Gallic achievement whereby the natives fortify themselves against heart attacks by washing down enormous quantities of foie gras and other fatty foods with the robust red wines of Roussillon.

To eat well one need hardly leave Saint-Jean-de-Luz, which has plentiful restaurants in all price categories. Many specialize in regional cuisine, where exquisitely prepared seafood from the Atlantic and Mediterranean shares the same menu with heartier dishes built around duck, lamb and cured hams such as Bayonne and Serrano, for which the Pays Basque is famous. Omnipresent in virtually all of these dishes is the piquant flavor of pimento, the defining element of Basque cuisine.

Larrundarra is an exceptional property that is ideal for families or groups of couples. The house offers its guests the opportunity to discover a new and fascinating region of France while enjoying a relaxing vacation in a superb property.