Mas des Micocouliers is a sprawling, 17-acre private estate near the Château de Roussan just west of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The verdant grounds are entered through a remote-controlled wrought-iron portal opening to a long driveway that leads some 100m (110 yards) to the main house. One can take long walks around the grounds, while the wide grassy fields surrounding the mas offer a huge playground for children. The owners have several dogs and cats that have proven to be friendly playmates for adults and children alike. The animals do not enter the annex, but do have free rein of the grounds.
Directly adjacent to the impressive mas is a spacious and charmingly furnished stone cottage known as the Annex. While the Annex must be rented in combination with the main house during the months of July and August, at other times of the year it may be rented separately, and is an ideal vacation home for a one or two couples or a small family. Occupants are free to use the beautiful swimming pool and the poolhouse, which has a shower, changing room and WC. One caution: The Annex has no telephone, although in emergencies guests may use the owner's phone in the main house.
The Annex is an entirely independent living unit with a kitchen, two nicely appointed bedrooms, full bath and TV with satellite reception. What a pretty little house this is! The structure is done in Provençal fashion, with stucco walls and terra cotta tile roof, and at the entrance is a pleasant little terrace for relaxing or dining outside. A large room includes a sitting and dining areas and open-plan kitchen. The sitting area is done with simple but attractive pine furniture that includes a coffee table, small sofa and two armchairs, all arranged in front of a large stone fireplace (non-working). In the dining area is a wood farm table for eight. A large antique brass chandelier is suspended from the high, beamed ceiling.
The kitchen is fully appointed, and - in keeping with the country theme at Mas des Micocouliers - has pale green tile counters and a display of polished copper pots that add to the Provençal ambiance. Modern appliances include a stove with two electric and two gas burners, oven, dishwasher, good-sized two-door refrigerator, and washing machine but no dryer. The kitchen also has a small table where four can have breakfast.
The main bedroom in the Annex has a full-sized double bed in an antique frame, an armoire and chest of drawers. The second bedroom is more simply decorated, and has twin beds which can be made up as king-sized bed, and a huge armoire. Across the main room is an especially large full bath, beautifully tiled and well illuminated, with a tub and hand-held shower.
In addition to being the perfect environment for a relaxed vacation in Provence, one of Mas des Micocouliers' great advantages is its proximity to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a busy and thoroughly charming Provençal town. Not only does Saint-Rémy have a wide variety of good cafés and restaurants, most of them on the inexpensive side, but there is also almost every kind of shop for daily living necessities, including two pharmacies and a presse where the Wall Street Journal and International Herald Tribune are on sale daily. There is also a supermarket just outside the town, no more than a 10-minute drive from Mas des Micocouliers.
Cyclists will appreciate the generally flat terrain around Saint-Rémy, where bikes can be rented. Mas des Micocouliers is also well situated for exploring Provence by car, with the Lubéron and its constellation of lovely little villages being 30 minutes to the east, and the historic towns of Arles, Nîmes and Tarascon, all famed for their Roman past, an easy drive to the west. Near Saint-Rémy are a number of interesting villages, all of which have weekly open-air markets and at least one excellent restaurant, the most stellar among them being the Bistro du Paradou at Paradou and, now with Michelin one-star designations, the elegant Auberge de Noves at Noves, the intimate Bistrot d'Eygalières at Eygalières, and the absolutely wonderful La Petite France at Maussane-les-Alpilles. Of course the two-star L'Ousteau de Beaumanière is still going strong at Les Baux-de-Provence. Despite the plentiful restaurant opportunities, with the right cook it will be hard to beat any dinner prepared in the kitchen at Le Petit Micocoulier and served in the cool of the evening on its pretty little terrace.
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