Maison St. Georges / St. Antoine L'Abbaye / Saint Marcellin / Our Gite for Week 2

For our second week in France, we stayed in the beautiful, amazing, medieval city of St. Antoine L'Abbaye. Our gite for the week was Maison St. Georges, an ancient stone building connected to what was once the old hospital where the monks of the abbey treated the poor.

There were many, many bedrooms, three bathrooms, and loads of fireplaces. The house had the unique feel of a very old structure that seems to exist on as many levels are there are rooms. Always stepping up, rounding a corner, twisting through a hallway, and ducking through an entrance, you really feel you're in an old castle, with surprises around every corner. Here are some of our pictures of the interior and exterior of the house:

This is the kids' bedroom, with their own bathroom / shower:



On the third floor was this cool sitting area, as well as two bedrooms and a full bathroom. There was also a patio for hanging clothes to dry and gazing at the scenery:



Here's a picture of the kitchen, looking rather lived in with all our stuff strewn around. The kitchen is on the second floor, definitely a hub of the house:



Definitely one of the kids' favorite rooms, a tiny little bathroom on the first floor that you kind of had to creep up into, almost like a confessional:



The view from the kitchen looking across into our bedroom:



The third floor bathroom, very roomy and luxurious. Old atmosphere, modern conveniences and appliances:



Here's a shot of the living room, and Sadie practicing her violin:



And here's a link to the gite's official site with more pictures.

Entering the city was like stepping back in time. When I envisioned staying in a little French town where we could walk to the grocer, the bakery, the cafes, and the ice cream shop, this is exactly what I had in mind. It was an amazing experience, living here for a week. We met some fantastic people, ate some wonderful food, and in the end felt right at home.

The owner of this gite was fantastic to deal with and the house was beautifully appointed. Everything worked perfectly, and we had no problems with any of the appliances or plumbing or anything. This house has been lovingly, painstakingly maintained and shows the love of its owner and the appreciation of all who stay here.

A few hints for living in St. Antoine L'Abbaye! There is no ATM in the town; you'll need to go to St. Marcellin to take care of banking and procuring cash. The two restaurants in town that we tried were lovely and well worth the price: Auberge L'Abbaye and the hostellier immediately across from the gite. Good food, good service, patience with English speakers, etc. There is a grocery down on the main lower road where you can buy most things -- milk, eggs, produce, etc. It's not open every day though! And the bakery at the end of the road is fantastic.

I highly recommend taking a ramble around the town on your first day -- you'll find little fountains, local artists, donkeys, alleyways and little hidden spots you'll really enjoy. It was a great walking town, and very friendly.