Sleeps six in 3 bedrooms (1 king, 1 queen, 1 pair of twins convertible to a king)

2 ½ baths

spacious open-plan kitchen/dining/living room

low-chlorine, heated salt water pool

central in-floor heating (no A/C, but a great river breeze)

big country fireplace

WiFi broadband

large flatscreen TV with French and English (Sky) satellite

serene country setting directly on the banks of the Dordogne River -- inside the famously scenic Cingle de Trémolat in the Périgord Noir (the best part of the Aquitaine!) between Sarlat and Bergerac. Note: Bergerac Airport (Ryanair, 80 minutes to London Stansted) is 30 minutes away, and Bordeaux Airport (short flights to Paris and Madrid) is two hours away.

About the Dordogne:

This gorgeous bridge carries the little country road upon which the house is situated. The photo was taken from the picnic table at the river's edge. The riverbank is a protected area for the swans, cranes, ducks and herons that flourish on the languid Dordogne. Fishing is from the opposite bank, along a little path in the woods. The panoramic shot above shows the same bridge in the upper left corner, and the farmland that surrounds the house. It’s part of the view from the famed Belvedere de Trémolat (2 Stars in the Michelin Green Guide). The neighboring villages are teeming with markets, festivals, sports, concerts and antique fairs. Plus, this is the region of France that introduced the now-ubiquitous Marchés Nocturnes — communal dinners in town squares where you bring your own place settings and shop the booths for all the elements of your meal. This being the Dordogne, foie gras and amazing confit de canard are always on offer, with pommes sarladaises, of course.

There are a dozen golf courses within a 40-minute drive of the house. Enjoy your own golfing holiday and send the others off to one of the many canoe hire places, tennis clubs or equestrian centers. The many fine stables here and the glorious scenery make for extraordinary riding. Pike and perch abound in the local rivers. You may enjoy picking the wild flowers along the quiet country lanes and also find places for quad biking and go-carting.

Lots to do!...At every turn in the road you can take in the historic towns and villages, including the fortified bastide towns which still bear the scars of the 14th-century Hundred Years' War. See Europe's earliest art treasures, the cave paintings of early man at Lascaux. Visit Les Milandes, where Josephine Baker raised her rainbow tribe of orphans. Gape at the stunning natural rock formations in the region's many spectacular caverns. Cross from Périgord Noir over to the Périgord Pourpre, where you can visit the vineyards of Bergerac and, a bit farther out, Bordeaux. Make a long but stunning all-day jaunt down to the wilds of the Lot River. Or just stay home by the pool and enjoy all the peace, calm and modern conveniences of your home-from-home, 'Le Chabrol!'

Tempting though it is to eat at home every night (and al fresco, at that — no bugs!), there is fantastic food to be had here at every price range. Trémolat alone has its Michelin-starred Vieux Logis (hailed by the American Gourmet Magazine in May 2009 as the finest restaurant in all the Dordogne) and it has the best pizza restaurant in the region. Within a half-hour radius you will find restaurants ranging from world-class refinement to a retired couple who serve the best confit and foie gras in the world on tottering little tables in their pretty back yard. The classic cuisine of Périgord features, besides duck and goose, the other key regional products which it grows and ships throughout France and around the world: strawberries, walnuts, truffles, Bergerac wines and the elegant Sauternes-like Monbazillac. Don't miss the night markets, where you picnic on regional food specialties in rustic village squares throughout the region.

The Dordogne, quite shallow in summer and rather slow-moving in many spots, is considerably warmer than you might expect, and a delight to swim in. There are many beaches along the roads from which swimming is fun, quiet and easy. Canoe rentals are available throughout the region so you can enjoy any number of leisurely hour-long scenic spectaculars. Waterskiing and pedalos are available at the Trémolat Bassin Nautique, and short barge trips can be booked in the fantastic carved-into-the-cliffsides village of La Roque-Gageac on the road to Sarlat. Rent a basic bike in Trémolat (or a fancy one a bit farther away in Lalinde) and cycle the tranquil towpaths beside the local canals which skirt the occasional rapids that made it rough sailing when goods from the region drifted downriver to Bordeaux two centuries ago. Climb Richard the Lion-heart's spectacular fortified castle in Beynac.

Shares and Prices:

Unlike New York or Paris, where demand is roughly equal year-round, the Dordogne has its most obvious appeal in the summer. Spring and autumn are each glorious in their own ways, and winter is...more spiritual and inward-looking (fireplace weather!).

We propose five shares of ten weeks occupancy each. Each share consists of a particular set of super-prime weeks and shares access to the pool of the other weeks not owned outright by another share-holder (the “floating weeks”). Shareholders may exchange owned weeks with one another. Shareholders may also send friends and family to use their time if they wish. Due to French tax law, and concerns about undue wear and tear on the property, Shareholders may not rent out their weeks to third parties. This is, however, an issue which may be discussed and voted upon once all the shareholders are in place.

Shares:

Please note that the swimming pool is open from May 1 to September 30 each year, and even though it is heated, the weather might not cooperate during the months of May and September. Accordingly, Shares A and B are priced without pool usage.


Purchase Prices and Operating Costs:

Acknowledging the relative desirability of the key summer months, and the higher operating costs during pool season, we have allocated prices and shares of operating costs accordingly. The annual operating budget is based upon actual 2009 expenses, adapted to higher levels of occupancy and inflated to what will be worst-case conditions for 2011. Costs can be expected to grow over time. Shareholders will have meaningful input, via majority vote, on the discretionary elements of the budget such as the level of quality required with respect to the gardening, furnishings upkeep and replacement, and such.

Annual Operating Budget:

For more information, contact Gary Gunas and Bill Rosenfield at email [email protected] or phone +44 (0) 7850 519 931 and be sure to tell them French Property Fractional or Adrian Leeds sent you!