La Bourdette du Ray is a small hamlet. At the centre is an old farmhouse at one end of which is the gite.  This cottage style gite with lovely views shares a large garden with 12m x 7m pool (fenced off), boules area, croquet, table-tennis and barbeque. Also holiday membership at the local tennis club, 1 km away. There is a small orchard and many varieties of trees and shrubs. It is fully self-contained, decorated with warmth and character, with a patio overlooking the pool for dining or reading al fresco.   Hibou - First floor   Sitting room with sofa-bed and chairs, television (with French TV reception), DVD, Video and CD player (we have 100+ DVD’s and Videos you can borrow).   o         Kitchen, open plan, with the lounge, is fully fitted with fridge-freezer, hob, oven, microwave, coffee percolator, kettle, toaster, iron and all utensils, crockery and cutlery. Washing and drying machines as required.    Shower room with vanity unit and WC.   Bedroom with double bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers with windows overlooking the pool area and garden.   The garden has a separate area for the gite with a picnic table and with use of swimming pool shared with the owners, hammocks and barbeques; there are sun beds and garden chairs, and parking space next to the Gite.   There is a boules area and a croquet lawn (hardly tournament standard, but lots of fun with a full croquet set).   Puylaurens is located in the Cocagne region of the South West of France - noted for its cassoulet and foie gras   Wine lovers will appreciate the fruit of the local vines. Gaillac and the valleys surrounding it are famous for the full bodied vin rouge. A half hour drive away, nearly all the local vineyards provide tasting opportunities.    Throughout the summer, most local villages have their annual fête. This is a huge, community organised feast that is open to everyone. Local foods and wine are served outdoors in the Town Square with late night dancing to the local band.   Antique lovers and bargain hunters will be in their element.  Summer is when the French "empty their attics" and most  weekends you'll find a nearby village closed to traffic allowing local residents to sell their wares.   The gite is 1.5kms from the medieval market town of Puylaurens (market day on Wednesday) built on the crest of a hill in the Tarn overlooking the Plain of Lauragais with La Montagne Noire 8 miles to the East and the Pyrenees on the southern horizon.    La Montagne Noire is a beautiful area for walks with swimming lakes and 15 minutes away is Revel with its bustling and famous market, a gourmet’s delight.  Local shops, restaurants, banks and markets are 5 minutes away.    On a clear day, the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees are visible 100 kms to the South; the Mediterranean is about 1.5 hrs drive.  Toulouse is under an hour to the West. Albi, Carcassonne and Castelnaudary on the Canal du Midi and the wine areas of Gaillac are also less than an hour from here.   In addition, all the following are locally available:  Horse-riding, cycling, canoeing nearby, sailing, sailboard, hang-gliding within half an hour  Swimming, half an hour away in the clear water lakes of Saint Fereol and Le Bassin du Lampy)  Castres: Goya museum