We've just spent 3 weeks in Merviel; back to France from Canada for a family reunion to celebrate my parents' 50 years anniversary and we very much enjoyed our stay there.

The house is located about an hour away from Toulouse and Carcassonne and only minutes away from Foix, Mirepoix and Pamiers. It was just the perfect spot for us, traveling with small children, with its huge park and swimming pool. The house was large enough to nicely accommodate the 10 of us without having to be in each other's face all the time. Each bedroom has very high ceilings (so do have the vast majority of the other rooms as well), and is simply, yet nicely, decorated with vintage country furniture and accessories. Each has also very large windows over the park and its beautiful mature trees or over the surrounding hills. You can see and feel how this house was built and rearranged by its successive owners to now accommodate the needs of 21st century travelers without loosing its 19th century unsophisticated country charm. The kitchen is the perfect example of that evolution with the cohabitation of large beams and counters made from logs and raw wood (reminiscent of times long gone when this room was used a stable or a barn) and the state-of-the-art gas range that will please the most elaborate cook.

This house has a soul, as we say in French, and it is a perfect haven for those seeking a peaceful spot in an original and preserved country environment. It didn't take long for all of us (regardless of our French, Polish, Italian, Catalan or Canadian origins) to feel at home in this house.

Sports enthusiasts will love the small hilly roads and trails around Merviel for cycling, jogging or hiking; sailing amateurs will enjoy Montbel's lake, 1/2 hour away from the house for a great sail with a breathtaking view over the "Pyrénées ariégeoises"; food lovers will be delighted by the (fresh) produces available directly from local producers (right next door in Merviel or on any of the public markets in nearby Mirepoix, Foix or Pamiers); history lovers will have plenty to see with the nearby "Chateaux Cathares", Mas d'Azil and many other places...

Finally, a word on Eric, who takes care of the house in the absence of its owners, and Nathalie, who we hired during our stay for housekeeping and laundry. Both were very helpful, efficient and discrete and helped us make this stay in Merviel a family success.

Hoping to return there one day!