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LA GRANGE

La Grange is an 18th-century barn near the north bank of the Dordogne River that has been splendidly converted by its French owners into to a comfortable three-bedroom, two-bath home with all the comforts necessary to a relaxed stay at any time of year. It is the perfect vacation venue for those who want a pastoral location in the Dordogne and do not need a swimming pool.

Situated on an immense estate in one of the prettiest regions of the Périgord, La Grange enjoys perfect peace and quiet. From all aspects the house has a breathtakingly beautiful view of the farmland and tidy little villages of the Vézère Valley. While the loudest sound here is the singing of birds or the distant clang of a cowbell, shopping for food and other necessities is available in nearby Saint-Cyprien (6 km). The cosmopolitan little town of Sarlat, principal city of the Dordogne, is 27 km to the east.

Seen from a distance, the barn looks like a typical Périgordian farm building, with a sharply sloping tile roof, all-stone walls and heavy wood doors. Inside, the stalls, mangers and watering troughs are now gone, making way for hardwood and terra cotta tile floors, rooms simply but tastefully furnished with fine country antiques, and two bright, spacious bathrooms with modern fixtures. Amenities include a powerful heating system, telephone, compact stereo with CD player and television with VCR (and satellite reception of desired, at extra cost). But even while making these 21st-century comforts available to their guests, the owners have artfully preserved the barn's essential country ambiance.

Guests will especially enjoy the country-style kitchen, whose modern appliances include a four-burner gas stove, dishwasher, wall oven, American two-door refrigerator and assorted countertop appliances. The counters are of brick-red tiles, and the wood cabinets are painted in a streaked soft green. The wood-burning stove is both decorative and functional. A fine antique armoire is filled with china and good-quality cookware. For dining there is a farm table for six.

The kitchen opens directly onto a large terrace where in warm months guests will want to take most of their meals. The terrace has a large table with benches, and is open on three sides and sheltered from the sun by a sloping roof. There is a smaller round table for breakfast. Westward from the terrace is a vista of forests and rolling hills, green at all times of the year, that stretches all the way to the horizon.

The large living room, adjacent to the kitchen, is comfortably furnished with a sofa and matching armchairs, several good antique pieces and, along the rear wall, an attractive single bed in a wood frame for the occasional extra guest. At one end of the living room is a huge fireplace with wood mantle, and on both sides are windows and French doors that bring in abundant light from the north and south. The floors are terra cotta tile, and the walls a soft white. Deep window wells lined with polished wood contribute to the warm country ambiance of the room.

A bathroom with overhead lighting, WC and a stall shower tiled in white opens off the living room. The fixtures are of polished chrome, and the water flow to the shower can be regulated according to degrees of temperature.

A wide staircase with a sturdy railing leads to the upper level, where three bedrooms open from a long hallway. The hallway and bedrooms, which have white walls and hardwood floors of polished chestnut, are filled with light from skylights and dormers cut into the slate roof. The luminosity of the spaces and the warm tones of the floors and antiques imbue each of the bedrooms with a freshness and unassuming charm that permeates this beautifully renovated structure.

Two of the three bedrooms have king-sized beds that can be separated into twin beds if desired. The third bedroom has a single bed, with another single bed in a loft reached by a wood ladder. All three rooms have bedside tables and reading lamps and lovely views over the countryside, and among their furnishings one or two fine antiques such as a writing desk or a bentwood rocker.

At the top of the stairs is an excellent modern bathroom with recessed overhead lighting. The bathroom is tiled all in white and has an extra-long tub with hand-held shower, porcelain white fixtures and a heated towel rack. Next to the bathroom is a separate WC.

Despite its serenely pastoral feeling, La Grange is within an easy drive of day-to-day commerce and of all of the delights for which this region is famed. The nearby Dordogne River, one of the most beautiful waterways in France, offers a wide variety of swimming, kayaking and canoeing opportunities. Of historical interest are the Lascaux caves and museum of prehistoric man at Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, 26 km to the north. The massive fortresses and other châteaux that dot the hillside are reminders of the centuries-long conflict that English kings waged here against their French adversaries in medieval times. Not to be overlooked are the fine restaurants, abundant in this region, which feature the robust cuisine (noted for its foie gras and truffles) and sturdy red wines (among them the Corbières and Cahors appellations) for which wine growers of the southern Périgord are justifiably proud.