Things to do  

Tennis (indoor or outdoor), squash, badminton - all booked via the tabac.

Boules - in the garden or up at the village on the ranks provided (two sets are kept at the house for you to borrow).

Swimming - in the wooden decked pool or one of the nearby lakes.

Boating - boats are available for hire at La Raviege and at lake Louazac. Canoeing is also available at Burlats (20 minutes).

Fishing - the local lakes are well stocked with trout etc and fishing permits can be purchased in the village.

Quad biking - this can be found at La Salvetat. It is charged at around 40 Euros per hour and driving licenses are required.

Cycling - 6 adult mountain bikes are kept at the house for you to use but they can also be hired at the Manoir Boutaric if additional are required. There are many tracks that thread their way through the forest and lake areas - guides available at the house.

Rambling - footpaths are available at the edge of the property that weave through the local woods by riversides and provide breath-taking scenery for nature lovers. To the rear of the house, a path goes round the wood for those not wanting to venture further afield.

Golf - La Barouge ( www.golf-mazamet.net ) near Mazamet is a superb and picturesque 18 hole course. There's plenty of water, trees and sand but it is forgiving and challenging in equal proportions and so is very enjoyable for all standards. There is also a 9 hole course in Castres.

Antique hunting - there is a shop in the village that has a large collection of the weird and the wonderful for you to un-cover. There is a more sophisticated art/antiques shop in the pretty village of La Suq - 5 minutes down the road. Further away from the village are numerous brocante/antique shops for you to browse.

Eating Out - At the far end of the village is Aux Epis, an extremely good restaurant providing food typical of the region. La Ferme Peybarthes is also within walking distance and provides a fantastic rustic dining experience for those who like duck ! The owner is a real character who delights in graphically explaining the anatomical origin of each of the duck courses (committed vegetarians might want to give this one a miss although the duck egg omelette is exceptional !). A guide is available listing most of the other local restaurants.

Night-life -  the tabac in the village is very friendly and is great for a casual drink or two. For a more lively night out, Castres (25 minutes) has many bars and a couple of late night discos. It also has numerous restaurants and boasts a beautiful square next to the river which is great for dining/drinking al fresco. Le Rampart at La Salvetat is slightly closer for a quirky late night disco (opens at 23.45 Friday/Saturday !).