Sommières, Occitania, France

My wife and I have returned to her native country of France after 7 years working in conservation in Africa. We renovated two small 'mazet' or stone cottages, and now live in this charming home. (I'll be placing more pics to come of the second mazet).

My wife and I renovated two old mazets on our land on the edge of the small town of Sommieres (30250). The town is a 10 minute cycle or 5 minute drive through charming small, stone walled, forrested roads. In the town you can find a small cinema, supermarkets (intermarche and lidle) lots of restaurants, bars, bespoke shopping (very touristy in the summer months) and the other normal amenities of a town in France (wine coop, baker, fishmonger etc). Sommieres has the best market in the area on the Saturday which often has a large second hand market extended. The river Vidoule passes through the village. 500 meters from the mazet is the cycle path that links the local villages and is great for day trips and running (quite picturesque). We provide bikes.

About 30 minutes from sommieres is montpellier and nimes, the two cities (accessable via bus also) and you can also drive to various beach locations also about 30 minutes.

The mazet is off grid and we have been using the electricity for the last 15 months to work (there is wifi in one of the mazets which we use for work), watch movies, have lights on and in the day time run power tools and use a small oven. As it's solar powered, the winter provides less electricity but for us has provided all of what we need. Water is pumped from the bore hole and goes through a veriety of micro filters to ensure safe drinking (we will make sure to have changed them to be new the week before you get here).

In winter, we heat the rooms using a wood burner and hot water underfloor (all wood has already been cut for the winter). We cook using the wood burner as it has two hobs and a small oven section. The shower is outdoor but with hot water (gas heated) and sheltered from the wind, quite cosy. The toilet is a dry toilet to save water and is just outside the mazet in it's separate structure. The mazet itself is surrounded by oak forest and is a nature lovers paradice (we have resident pine martins, roe dear, fox, badger, wild boar and many species of birds) that use the surrounding forest. There are a couple of neighbors but they are super discreet and are very seldom heard / rarely present- but if you see them are very kind and nice.

Weather around Christmas is most often clear and crisp starting cold (about 5 degrees)but quickly rising (to about 20). Sometimes it might rain or be cloudy for 2 or three days and depending on your electricity usage, this can lower the electric capacity. In this case there is a generator that can be run as a back up (also to charge the batteries).

It is immersed in a natural wild setting. It is a different way of living with low impact. The surrounding area is gorgeous with loads to do. Great for discharging/relaxing

Feeding and checking the cat has water. Having someone around so the cat knows it's not been left behind (playing etc). Locking when not there, if there is a storm to close the shutters. V. Simple and easy.