Holland Park, eventually employed the services of Home Hunts (020± 8144 5501;
www.home-hunts.com), which specialises in tracking down properties in France on behalf of clients. `We plan to spend half the year here and half back in London,' explains Mr Shearer, a businessman. `Getting set up so that I can work remotely from here has had its challenges, but one of the reasons why we chose the area is because there' s so much to do throughout the year.' But you have to choose your area care-
fully, warns Stuart Baldock of buying agent Property Vision, who has years of experi- ence tracking down the finest properties in the South of France based out of his office in Nice (
www.propertyvision.com; 00 33 4 93 92 79 35). `Les Alpilles are the curate' s egg of Provence. Unlike the LuberonÐ uniformly green, rolling and unchallengingÐ here, we have Provence with attitude. It' s a case of the good, the very good, the bad and the ugly.' Because the area is still predominantly given over to farming, Mr Baldock warns that although buying acreage to protect your house and your views can be a good idea, it' s also fraught with potential disappointment. `All land outside built-up areas is subject to a possible compulsory purchase by the SAFER, a government body created to assist young farmers set up in business.'
FOR SALE €2.385m
St Rémy This 16th- century house just outside St Rémy is set in 17 acres. It has eight bed- rooms and two cottages Winkworth France (020± 8576 5582; www.wink-
worth.fr)
He also says that the D99, the road that
bypasses St Rémy to the north, can be heard for miles, especially at night, when lorries still throb by. `Sainte Etienne du Grès isn' t the prettiest village, but it has all the vital shops. If you' re happy to put 15 or 20 minutes between your home and St Rémy, go south for the very good. Maussane-les-Alpilles, Paradou, Mouriès, Fontvieille and Eygalières are exquisite Provençal villages.' Corinne Joutel of Valancogne & Partners
specialises in selling some of the finest stone-built houses in the area. `Often, our
clients begin by renting something through us and then they come to buying. This can make good income for the ownersÐ with 12 weeks' rent easily earning €60,000, depending on the house, of course.' Like much of the best of Provence, with the exception of over-enthusiastic pricing on the Côte d' Azur, prices of properties in Les Alpilles have resisted pressure to fall dramatically. `Certainly, you won' t lose money here,'
asserts Mr Segalin. `Having a house in Les Alpilles is like having a good business cardÐ it proves that you' ve arrived.'
FOR SALE POA
Near St Rémy This 18th-century mas within easy reach of St Rémy has
recently been renovated. It has four bed- rooms, a one-bedroom cottage, a pool and about five acres of garden Valancogne & Partners (00 33 490 95 99 41; www.
estate-agency-luberon-alpilles.com)
NEED TO KNOW
Macaroons Those from Les Gormandises de To come highly recommended
Croissants Boulangerie Fortier at 23, rue Carnot, St Rémy
Cakes Le Petit Duc, St RémyÐ perfect for presents with pretty packaging
Supper L' Estagnol, St Rémy, is good value for money
Hotel L' Oustau de Baumnière attracts the likes of Hugh Grant, Bono and Jean Reno (who owns a house nearby)
Lunch La Petite Table, EygalièresÐ there is a superb menu du jour at this tiny one-room traiteur
Areas to avoid East from St Rémy towards Cavaillon and north of the D99, `flat, agri- cultural and windy,' warns Mr Baldock
www.countrylife.co.uk/international Country Life International, Spring 2011 67
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