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BASTIDE DE LA SOURCE

Sitting on the terrace of Bastide de la Source, having lunch with friends or perhaps just enjoying a cup of morning coffee, one feels on top of the world - literally. Immediately below is the spring-fed swimming pool, sparkling in the sunlight. In the foreground are rooftops of the seaside town of Théoule-sur-Mer. Beyond, reaching to the horizon, is the Mediterranean, the coastline curving like a like a scythe to Cannes and, in the far distance, Cap d'Antibes. Everywhere sailboats make tiny swatches of white against the blue sea. Choose a clear day and Corsica is visible with the naked eye.

The view from this hillside property does not come without a price, however. The price in this case is 71 steps (we counted them) - safe, sturdy flagstone steps with a railing - that lead from the parking area to the bastide through gardens landscaped with flowering shrubs and exotic plants. After 45 steps there is a breather at the swimming pool terrace, then another brief climb to the house. It's a hike, but good for building a hearty appetite that can be satisfied in one of the superb area restaurants.

Happily, there is a modern beast of burden to lug groceries and bottles of wine and mineral water up the hillside. An efficient little elevator that can handle up to 25 kg (55 lbs.) delivers boxes and bags all the way to the terrace, stopping conveniently near the kitchen door. On departure day it can also deliver your luggage to the parking area.

Thanks to its high perch and orientation southeast toward Cannes, the 140 m2 (1,500 sq. ft.) house is filled with light, and is all the more luminous for the cathedral-like ceiling in the living room and the virtual wall of glass doors that face the sea. The upper level, where a mezzanine overlooks the living room, also shares the feeling of airiness and soaring spaces that characterize the entire house.

Another remarkable aspect of Bastide de la Source (source means underground spring in French) is its Provençal architecture, unusual for a region where most properties are typified by the stucco-and-glass Mediterranean-villa look. The Provençal feel derives from features like the exterior stone walls, the well-maintained exposed stone walls in the living room, terra cotta tile floors, beamed ceilings and extensive use of woodwork and old-wood doors throughout the house. These features are complemented by good-quality furnishings, area rugs and a few well-chosen 19th-century antiques.

The combination of a country ambiance and seaside location makes the property all the more desirable for couples or a small family seeking comfortable and reasonably priced accommodations on France's most expensive coastline.

But the signature feature of Bastide de la Source, the square footage that will get most usage from summer renters, is its wide flagstone terrace, equally suitable for watching the sea from a lounge chair, taking an afternoon snooze or dining while the sun sets over the Mediterranean. For grilling there is a built-in stone barbecue as well as a moveable gas grill. At each end of the terrace are tall cypress trees, and here and there ceramic urns overflowing with flowers. The terrace is accessible from all rooms on the ground level through sliding glass doors that open from the living room, master bedroom suite and kitchen-dining area.

Upon entering the house by the living room door one notices immediately the large gray- stone fireplace, which forms the focal point of a comfortable seating area that includes a long white sofa and two matching upholstered armchairs. This is an inviting room, warm and charmingly decorated, where guests can enjoy the stereo system or catch up on world news on the wide-screen TV, which has satellite reception with CNN and BBC. Just beyond the living room is a guest lavatory.

Double wood doors on one side of the living room lead to the sunny and handsomely appointed master bedroom, which has high ceilings, terra cotta tile floors and sliding glass doors that open onto the terrace. The bed is king-sized, and the tiled ensuite bathroom has an oversized tub with wall-mounted overhead shower, and WC.

The combined kitchen and dining area are entered from the opposite side of the living room. The kitchen has clean, bright lines, with cabinets and tile counters in white with blue accents. Appliances include a four-burner electric cooktop, wall-mounted conventional and microwave ovens, dishwasher and large two-door refrigerator. In a separate laundry room off the living room are a washing machine and separate tumble dryer.

In the dining area, next to sliding glass doors that open to the terrace, is a round glass table, illuminated by a wrought-iron chandelier, for up to six guests. A short flight of stairs leads to a small mezzanine overlooking the dining area, where there are a glass desk, bookshelves and a telephone, the ideal place to set up a laptop computer for e-mail correspondence.

Upstairs are two prettily decorated bedrooms, both of which open from the broad mezzanine that runs along the back wall of the living room. The first, a pleasant room with all-white walls and stone floors, has twin beds and an ensuite bath with a stall shower and WC. Thanks to a cleverly positioned mirror, guests in this room have an indirect sea view. The second bedroom, simply decorated in soft Provençal colors, has a 140 cm (55" across) double bed and a washbasin.

Down 26 steps from the bastide terrace is the 5 X 10 m (16.5' X 33') pool, an aqua-blue rectangle fed by natural spring water. The pool deck is equipped with lounge chairs and parasols, and in the pool house there is a small summer kitchen with two-burner electric stove and undercounter refrigerator. The pool can be heated at extra cost.

Another amenity at Bastide de la Source is the two-car garage, which opens by remote control. Fortunately the wrought-iron front gate is also automatic, as the driveway leading to the property is steep.

Théoule-sur-Mer, a drive of less than five minutes, is a delightful seaside town with restaurants, bakeries, food shops and stores that provide everything for day-to-day needs. Théoule has several beaches, both public and private, and there are other beaches on the coastal road to Cannes. In Cannes itself there are some 20-odd beaches along the Croisette, the palm-tree lined boulevard that is home to the Cannes Film Festival and several great names in French hotel lore, the Carlton, Majestic and Martinez among them. Restaurants serving the freshest of seafood abound along the coast, and in the picturesque hill villages above the Mediterranean.

Bastide de la Source is easily accessible by air from Paris (flights hourly) and other European capitals. Nice Airport, which has non-stop flights from New York-JFK, is a 35-minute drive. Théoule is only minutes from the Autoroute du Soleil, the east-west thoroughfare that puts Monaco, Saint-Tropez (70 km), Aix-en-Provence (144 km) and other points west within easy reach. The Fondation Maeght at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, which houses one of the world's best small collections of modern art, is 30 minutes by car. The exquisite little Matisse Chapel at Vence 15 minutes further.

But the most eloquent words on Bastide de la Source are not ours, but those of a JUST FRANCE client whose family enjoyed two weeks at the property recently, and who plans to return in the future. Responding to our property evaluation form, they wrote: "The view was great and the property was very private." And: "Théoule is a great little town." The form asks, "What, if anything, did you especially not like about this property?" The answer: "N/A."