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Les Muriats |
CAMPING HOLIDAYS |
| Holidaying in the Bourbonnais Since 1988, the Dutch couple Ole and Alize Langerhorst have been living at Les Muriats, a farmhouse lying 4 km outside the village of Vieure. Vieure is situated in the Allier district of the Auvergne, in the heart of France. The region is traditionally called the Bourbonnais. It is a rural area with rolling green hills and centuries-old oak forests. The countryside is excellent for walking and cycling and the hills are not too steep. There is a freshwater lake 2½ km from Les Muriats where you can swim, hire pedal boats and canoes and, if there's enough wind, even surf. In Vieure you can drop into the local pub for a glass of red wine, enjoy a simple meal and sometimes listen to live traditional Irish music. In Cosne d'Allier, 8 km away, there is a good variety of shops and supermarkets, a tourist office, restaurants and cafés, a bank and a post office and a market every Tuesday. Larger towns in the area are Moulins, Montluçon and Vichy. There are numerous medieval churches and castles in the vicinity which are open to the public. At the end of July a medieval festival takes place in Souvigny. More information can be found here. During the summer months Ole gives wood sculpture courses. A maximum of six participants work daily during the week in the workshop. In the outside workshop it is possible to rent a space with use of tools, and courses may be given there. Regularly during the week you can participate in a communal dinner, often prepared in the old outside oven which is fuelled with branches and brushwood.
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Camping The grounds comprise around 6 acres (about 5 football fields); there are sloping fields and meadows with flat areas in between, which are divided by hedges and trees giving both privacy and shade. More than eight places are available for tents, please contact us on beforehand on mobile-homes and caravans. In one of the fields there is a central place providing kitchen and bathroom facilities. There are 2 toilets, 2 showers with warm water, and in the kitchen a cooker, fridge-freezer and 2 sinks with warm water. Adults : € 6.00 pppn Children : € 3.00 pppn There are two wooden caravans, 2 m by 6 m, fully fitted out for two people, with a sleeping area and kitchen facilities. A mobile home in combination with a smaller wooden caravan is also available. In the kitchen there is a small cooking stove, and the cupboards are stocked with all the necessary china, glass and cooking utensils. There is a wood-burning stove for colder days, a table and chairs, electricity, but no running water. A jerry can may be filled at the central kitchen. Guests must provide their own towels and bed linen. There is enough space nearby for one or more tents if extra sleeping accommodation is required. Rent: big wooden caravan € 200.- per week mobile home + small wooden caravan € 150.- per week, payable in advance. |
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Wood Sculpture
Courses For more than twenty years Ole has been giving wood sculpture courses during the summer. Everyone can join the course, young and old, men and women, beginner and advanced. A course runs from Monday to Friday. The lesson times are from 9 till 12 o'clock, and in the afternoons it is possible to work independently from 2 till 4 p.m. At the start of the first morning, time is spent getting to know how to use the tools. The participant learns how the different gouges are sharpened and whetted. During the week these processes are repeated as necessary when using the tools. The participant chooses a piece of wood from the widely assorted stock. A large piece or a small one, oddly shaped or straight, oak or fruit tree wood. Some people start with a practical item, others with an abstract piece. An assortment of dishes, drums, totems, busts, animals and abstract sculptures are amongst the items that are made. Ole demonstrates from examples including his own work how the specific properties of the wood can influence the design and how you can use this to your advantage. It is possible to make more than one piece during the course of a week. The maximum number of participants per week is six, giving enough time for individual attention. The price of the course is € 210 per week, including all materials and use of tools. COURSES 2010
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Route The grounds of Les Muriats (outside the village of Vieure) lie between Cosne d'Allier to the west and Moulins to the east. For the route from where you live to Cosne d'Allier (via Breda-Antwerp-Paris) or to Moulins (via Maastricht-Liege), we recommend you use a good road map or refer to the internet. Once there, the instructions are as follows: From Cosne d'Allier - Motorway A71, turn-off 9 (Valon en Sully, Hérisson, Cosne d'Allier) or turn-off 10 (Bizeneuille, Cosne d'Allier) - Drive through Cosne and at the roundabout east of Cosne take the D94 (Souvigny-Moulins) and almost immediately take the right fork, the D11 (St Hilaire-Souvigny-Moulins) - After about 6 km, at the crossroads of the D11-D459, turn right - Follow the road till the signpost directing left to Les Muriats - Continue for 600 m till the tarmac road bends to the left - On this corner turn right onto a track - The second house on the left is ours From Moulins - Follow the D945 Souvigny-D73 Gipcy-D11-St Hilaire, for about 30 km - After St Hilaire, and after the D11-D68 crossroads (right to Ygrande, left to Buxières-les-Mines), continue on the D11 - After about 3 km, just after the bridge over Le Bandais, at the D11-D459 crossroads turn left (the right turn leads to the lake, Plan d'Eau de Vieure) - After about 800 m uphill, the tarmac road bends to the right - Take the track which lies straight ahead here - The second house on the left is ours
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