Host: Christopher Colyer

Accommodations: 6 gites (with 3 or 4 bedrooms each).

Address: Mouli d’al Roc, St Julia de Bec, 11500, Quillan, L’Aude, France

Click here for location.

Telephone: + 33 4 68 20 07 15,
Mobile: 00 33 0676396878

Activities/Attractions: L’Aude is rich in ritualistic paganism and pantheistic beauty, able to change geographically from Tuscany to Devon in an instant. During the summer months of June, July and August, Mouli d’al Roc is an ideal place for family holidays and during the winter, autumn and spring months, ideal for those keen walkers, nature lovers and pantheists intent on exploring a beautiful, historical and non commercial part of France.

Walking in the Pyrenees, especially with the Cathare castles as focal points is a very spiritual experience. You can head off into the mist of history on a one-way journey and always rely on us to pick you up at the end of the day. There are thousands of kilometres of well maintained and chevron marked trails suitable for walkers that take you through glorious countryside. I am assured that it is possible to walk the Route de Paye Cathare from Quillan to Barcelona (350 km) and only cross two main roads.

• Take time to visit the extraordinary, fortified medieval city of Carcassonne
  
• Or Collioure, one of the most beautiful seaside resorts of France, once much favoured by the Impressionist painters
  
• The city of Ax-les-Thermes and the nearby village of Rennes les Bains are spas, famous for their healing sulphur springs
  
• Mirepoix, with its medieval vaulting, has a good market on Monday mornings
  
• We are very close to the wines of the Corbierre
  
• And within easy reach of the beaches of Perpignan (90 km), which is officially the hottest place in France and where all world wind surfing speed records are set in the Gulf de Lyon, which stretches from Marseille down to Barcelona
  
• And the ski resorts of Andorra (130 km)
  
• And only three hours from Barcelona and two hours to the France/Spanish frontier
  

Also try to pay a visit to Andorra ... a duty free Principality where all types of luxury goods can be up to 50% cheaper than in mainland Europe. The drive up there is magnificent and the tax-free price of fuel, alcohol and tobacco more than justifies the day excursion.

There are various summer activities from Tennis in Quillan (a great title for a novel), to the activity centre, also in Quillan where you can risk life and limb with white water rafting, canoeing, mountain climbing and canyoning. It is also possible to hire mountain bikes (VTT).

Click here for a local history lesson.
Click here for detailed activity itineraries any time of year.

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General Information: Welcome to Mouli d'al Roc ... situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains at 450 metres altitude. Mouli d'al Roc is a tranquil 18th century converted water mill, set in our own valley of 57 acres, through which the stream Le Bec flows. Mouli d’al Roc is the Catalan spelling of Moulin du Roc.

We have six gites available for yearly rental. Three of these Gites (1,2,3) are all built out of the surrounding stone and are converted from the Mill's grain storage area with the ground floor of each Gite built into the rock face. Each Gite has two floors occupying a total of 650 square feet and all are fully furnished.

• Each Apartment Sleeps 6 or 8 intimately
  
• The first floor of each Gite is an open plan tiled living and dining area
  
• With satellite analogue television
  
• A fully equipped kitchen
  
• Separate bathroom/shower
  
• A large window from this lounge looks out over the Peak du Bec and the small ruisseau (stream) which runs right through our property
  
• The second floor of each Gite is reached via a three-quarter-spiral staircase that leads onto a mezzanine that has three bedrooms leading off it
  
• All the bedrooms have windows
  
• Each Gite has at least one master bedroom, (except for Gite 3 which has two) the other bedroom has a three quarter size bed and then there is a bunkroom at the back of each Gite with a roof window
  
• The front entrance of each of these Gites is via a veranda running the length of the Mill
  
• The terrace is an ideal sunspot for those intent on grilling themselves and al fresco meals
  
• This terrace then leads onto a plateau and then a pathway, which leads right down to the swimming pool (20 x 5 metres)
  

• A private garden at the front of the Mill has a large barbecue facility
  

Two other Gites (4 & 5) have been built in the 'milling' part of the Moulin, each occupying 550 square feet.

• Gite 4 occupies two floors with a fully equipped tiled kitchen, dining and lounge area with television and a master and bunk bedroom plus shower/toilet on the second
  
• Gite 5 is again on two levels. The ground floor entrance brings you into a tiled living/dining/kitchen area with television and via a spiral staircase you enter on to the second along a corridor that leads onto two large bedrooms and a large bathroom with a Victorian cast iron enamelled bath
  
• Apartment (6) is at the top of the Moulin itself and measures 700 Square feet and consists of two large bedrooms, each with their own roof windows, a kitchen/dining room with roof window and a small lounge with roof window and television and en suite bathrooms for each bedroom
  

We are an off beat and informal place that deliberately chooses the chaos of relaxed human and animal behaviour over that of slick management. The conversation flows freely and so also unfortunately for my kidney does the wine. Use of local detoxification facilities can be arranged and there are plans to install a portable unit soon.

Payment Accepted: Cash only.

Rates: (Prices quoted in GBP Pounds).

£440-670/week

Prices are inclusive of fuel, electricity, water, full self-service commercial machine laundry facilities, bed linen, duvets, towels, use of the swimming pools and all other Mouli d'al Roc’s amenities.

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