Accommodations

Hébergement et services

Latitude 's "campus" consists of a châteauesque 14th century flour mill (see photo below), a restored/converted  tobacco hangar, the director’s two-storey home, a swimming pool facing the tobacco hangar, gardens, Bar-B-Q-hut, waterfall, &  terraces for relaxing and fishing.  Although fully modernized, the buildings retain their rustic character. "Latitudinals" are welcome to use the rowboat, moored at the mill, and the fishing gear (local license mandatory).

The 14th Century Mill at LatoulzanieThe 14th century mill   (LE MOULIN)  The moulin of La Toulzanie is a fairytale structure with a rich history. Vestiges of its former status as a fortified mill remain; the mill is reached by a footbridge, & it resembles a small chateau. Its turret contains a semi-circular stone staircase down to the mill room & up to the 2nd floor's wooden pole used since the 1300s by craftspeople to mend roof tiles.  The grand salon at the entry level is dominated by a huge stone hearth.  On this level, there is a bathroom, kitchen, & double bedroom with shower, and gorgeous view of the arched bridge over the river Lot. Upstairs is a suite: one large queen bedroom with a magnificent exposed beam ceiling & one small single bedroom (with entry from the large bedroom) plus a kitchenette, bathroom & separate w.c. When courses are in session, public conferences are held downstairs in the mill room where one of the original millstones serves as the rostrum. Formerly owned by the château of Cénevières (for which it milled flour), the mill was featured in Elle Décoration (Sept. 1996),& it is the setting of La courte échelle, a novel by philosopher Noëlle Châtelet, the sister of France's former Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin (Editions Gallimard, 1991). The mill lies less than two minutes away on foot from Latitude's two-storey house.

Hearth of the 14th Century Mill

The moulin's stone hearth in the grand salon

The mill is rented as a gîte when courses are not in session.  The rental tariff per week for 2007 is listed below .Please note: (1) the prices below are in euros. If paying in other currencies, the equivalent will be charged at the bank rate on the day of payment. (2) Only the entire moulin can be booked, that is, upstairs or downstairs suites are not rented separately.(3) The tobacco hangar is not rented as a gite; it is available only to Latitude course participants.


        

Tariff:   2007-  early January, 2009 (weekly rental in Euros)

Low

Nov 8-Dec. 15, 2007
 Jan 05, 2008 - Mar 22, 2008

600 euros

Mid

Mar 22, 08 - Apr 26, 2008;
Sept.20, 2008-Oct. 25, 2008

800 euros

High

Dec 13, 2008--Jan. 5, 2009
(includes logs, electricity)

Apr 26 -July 5, 2008

Aug 30, 2008 - Sept. 20, 2008

1040 euros

Peak

July 5, 2008 - Aug 30, 2008

1300 euros



Other weeks may be available, and there is the possibility of renting the mill for an extended period of time.  For more information about the moulin & reservations, please contact Latitude's operations manager, Neil Buffée, by e-mail at gemeaux3@wanadoo.fr or call him in France; the phone number from the U.S. is (011) 33 5 65 30 25 76. From France, his number is 05 65 3025 76.

Take a Photo Tour of the Mill


hanger ground floorTHE CONVERTED/RESTORED TOBACCO HANGAR  (Le séchoir à tabac) Until just a few years ago, this traditional Lotois structure was used to dry tobacco leaves. Remodelled in1999, it now features a half-timbered coffee/tea bar, 2 bathrooms, and 3 upstairs bedrooms: (1) the riverside double features a balcony overlooking the Lot River & its own antique clawfoot bathtub, desk, & w.c; (2) the roadside twin-bedded room features a large window where tobacco used to hang & (3) the middle double bedroom faces the swimming pool.  (See photos by taking a photo tour.) There are desks in each bedroom.  The original hand-hewn beams remain in the bedrooms & shower room. The hangar retains its traditional airiness; the downstairs is open & faces the swimming pool, only 5 steps away.

Left:  The “caussenard” sheep --the black-eyed, typically Lotois sheep-- is the subject of the painting now hanging in the former tobacco hangar; it  is Latitude’s symbol. The oil was painted by Chris Hawkins, a Londoner who lived in the Lot for several years.

Take a Photo Tour of the Hangar

THE  DIRECTOR’S TWO-STOREY HOUSE  There is one bedroom, opening onto the pool--without a step to it--available here in case someone needs  ground level accommodation.

Take a Photo Tour of  the Pool & Grounds 

LODGING  Participants stay at Latitude,  nearby Bed and Breakfasts, or "gîtes" (fully-furnished, rural holiday homes). Typically, gîtes accommodate 2-6 guests & come fully-equipped -- except for linens& towels, which Latitude will supply. The most desirable gîtes tend to be rented by January.  It is important to book early so that Latitude can secure these gîtes!

Note on phones: Buy a phonecard. There are several kinds. If you wish to use a phonecard from a public phone booth ("cabine", ask for such a card. Another card works from private phones, such as the mill.  A calling card (e.g.,AT&T) will also work.   Call re France Telecom's Le Ticket de téléphone at the toll-free number 0 800 50 48 54 after arriving in France. Or, visit a post office, some tabacs or special stores, depending on the city to purchase a phonecard. Most cel phones do not work in La Toulzanie. Some participants have used cel phones just a few km away.

Nearby activities: You can rent canoes, kayaks, horses, & bikes, including VTTs, within 10 minutes of Latitude.  There are regularly-scheduled nature & historic walks.  Art is exhibited all summer in nearby  galleries. Throughout the summer there is a variety of events, including the Blues Festival in Cahors, the avant-garde music weekend in Assier, classical concerts, & costumed re-enactments of medieval rites. Cahors’s fireworks, held after dark on July 13th near the Pont Valentre, are truly spectacular!