The village of St Andre de Roquepertuis lies in the Ceze Valley in the Gard departement. It's like a little outcrop of Provence on the western bank of the Rhone.

Vines, fruit trees, woodlands, lavender fields and ancient villages

The valley is gently undulating and covered in vines, fruit trees, woodlands, lavender fields and ancient villages. The river Ceze runs down the middle, providing pools for swimming in, rapids to kayak through and waterfalls to gasp at.

St Andre lies at the western end of the valley, just before it rises through the Gorges de la Ceze and off towards the Cevennes. It sits on a shallow hill, protected from the worst of the Mistral wind by a ridge to its immediate north and is surrounded by vineyards.

Local facilities

There is a cafe/bar/restaurant in St Andre with a lovely terrace (about 300m from the house). You can order your bread here for the following morning. The village is also served by a fantastic travelling butcher (try his chipolatas...)

3km away is the village of Goudargues, which offers a wider range of restaurants, shops and services (including a bank, pharmacy and doctors). 15km away is Bagnols-sur-Ceze, a good-sized town with larger supermarkets, a hospital and all major services.

The Ceze valley remains relatively unspoilt - especially when compared to the better-known areas of the Luberon and Ventoux to the east of the Rhone. Let's hope it stays that way...

Useful links:

St Andre village website - http://www.standrederoquepertuis.org

Ceze Valley website - http://www.valleedelaceze.com