Location: The Pink House is located in a quiet area of Paraza, a stones throw from the Canal du Midi and close to all amenities. It was originally part of an older winemaking building and was converted into a house around 20 years ago. The winemaker still uses the adjoining building for storage, but only accesses it during harvest time. On the other side of the house is the garden of a large village property.
Ground floor: The front door opens to a hall with a utility room attached. Here you will find the washing machine, ironing board, tennis racquets etc. There is a stone staircase leading to the first floor. (Set into the staircase you will find a safe for your use).
First Floor: On the large landing is a seating area with a comfortable sofa and doors leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. Also from the landing is the next flight of stairs leading up to the living room.
Living Room: This comfortable open plan room has a sitting area, dining area and a fitted kitchen with all the usual appliances including a dishwasher. The roof has huge exposed beams and emparts a very cosy feel. There is a CD player, radio, TV and a DVD player (with a selection of disks). The property has wifi and also a number of board games for those less digital moments! For cooler periods of the year, the house has electric wall heaters, and a woodburning stove. From the living room, two sets of double glass doors open out onto the terrace.
The Terrace: This has views of the canal and over acres of vines to the Corbières hills in the distance. The new outdoor table and chairs is perfect for dining alfresco and there are loungers for the sun worshippers. In the attached storeroom you will find extra chairs and a barbecue.
Bedroom 1: This large room with cool floor tiles has a king size bed and plenty of wardrobe space and two chests of drawers. You will find a selection of books on the shelves.
Bedroom 1: This room has two single beds (which can be combined to make a double). This room also has a wardrobe and drawers.
Bathroom: Double sinks are a feature of this room which also has a shower and wc.
The house is comfortably furnished and suitable for year round use. Double glazing, wood burning stove and good electric heaters mean that whatever the season, the Pink House will make a perfect base for your holiday!
Paraza is a canal town, built on the prosperity of trade and wine, set on a hill that overlooks the Aude Valley, with views of the Pyrenees to the south one can see the Pyrenees . The town sits alongside the Canal du Midi, an architectural and engineering achievement built in the 18th Century to link the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, now busy with tourist boats and barges.
Near the center of the village, dominating the brow of the hill is the Chateau de Paraza, once the home of Paul Riquet - the man who created the Canal du Midi. The Chateau's vineyards surround the upper land, and climb to a hill a little outside the village, that once was a pre-christian burial site, as well as being later a part of the Abbaye de Fontfoide's lands. The chateau is privately owned, but the enormous winemaking cave is open everyday for winetasting and purchases.
Just before the chateau on main road that winds through the village is the village church, which inside is colorfully decorated by baroque figures of saints. This is a very interesting church, well worth a visit. We live opposite the church and hold the visitors key, so please ask us and we will show you around!
There is a good restaurant in the village, The Cafe du Port, on the bank of the canal. A little further along, past the cafe is an art gallery. Paraza has a village grocery shop open daily and there are numerous vans visiting the village each week selling fish, meat, vegetables....... and occasionally a shoe van! A recent addition is a clothes boutique specializing in vintage wear.
For those of a more sporting nature, there are two hire centres in the village, one offering bikes and the other providing tours on quadbikes. A tennis court is freely available, racquets and balls can be found in the gite. Boules is a great tradition in these parts and the village boulodrome is between the tennis courts and the children's play area. Friday night is competition night and all are welcome to participate. All necessary equipment is kept in the ground floor store room.
Paraza is in the Minervois region of Languedoc, alongside the canal du midi and roughly half way between Carcassonne (50km) and Beziers (45km). Our closest city is the Roman city of Narbonne, less than half an hour drive away. There is a good selection of beaches within an hour drive and the Pyrennees are only a couple of hours drive away and are visible from the village. Located between the slopes of the Montaigne Noire and the Corbiere hills, the village is a perfect base for exploring this wonderful corner of the Mediterranean.