Our experience at the Avignon house was much more akin to staying at a good friend's home than a commercial rental transaction. Woody sent us periodic updates about the parking and road work situation around the house beforehand, and checked in with us via email after we arrived. The caretaker came by twice to look in on us and make sure we had no problems. The kitchen was stocked with everything we needed, including a welcoming bottle of rose. I felt like a long-lost cousin being welcomed back into the family.
The house itself is roomy in the kitchen and dining room for gatherings, and cozy in the living room which is now well supplied with lounging furniture. Bedrooms are spacious and thoughtfully equipped with fans and mosquito netting (the surrounding area are wetlands), which came in handy during our Summer nights.
The house booklet had detailed but not laborious instructions, and the dining recommendations were spot-on - far better than our guidebooks. There are a couple great bakeries and small grocers a few steps away, and the bartender at the nearby Bar Du Progress, where we visited every morning for entirely passable cappuccinos (the French just can't help but burn their coffee!), clasped our hands when we told him we were leaving. We visited Avignon during the Festival, and inside the wall was a nearly in-navigable mass of people. Festive, to be sure, but a bit wearying. It was really nice to slip just outside the wall to this quiet, comfortable getaway. I can't recommend this stay enough.
