Driving through the département of Gers, deep in the countryside of Southwest France on a road where tractors are sometimes as frequent as cars, one is reminded what a beautiful and historic region Gascony is. As far as the eye can see are fields with differing shades of green interspersed with bright yellow patches of sunflowers. Hills rise and fall, and there are wide lakes and rivers flowing through forests and grassy fields. In the distance are the Pyrenees, snow-capped even into summer, beckoning toward Spain and the Atlantic.

Here and there still stands an imposing bastide, a reminder of the bloody wars the English and French waged here in medieval times. Eleanor of Aquitaine brought this part of France into the House of Plantagenet and the English crown when she married Henry II in 1151. This land was defended by their son Richard I ("The Lionheart,"), and here English and French blood was spilt during the Hundred Years War, which eventually drove the English from France and sent Joan of Arc to the stake in Rouen.

While proud of the natural beauty and history of their region, modern-day Gascons are more apt to remind the visitor that Gascony is the breadbasket of culinary France. This is a land of duck farms, vast meadows with grazing cattle, wheat fields and immense stands of corn that resemble the plains of Iowa. As every good Frenchman knows, from Gascony come three agricultural products for which the region is famed: foie gras, confit de canard and Armagnac, a fortified wine of great finesse distilled from white grapes grown in Gers. Gascony also produces many different grains that find their way to boulangerie artisanales (bakeries that pride themselves on making fine breads in the old tradition) all over France.

In the midst of this gorgeous area of farmland and meadows, set high on a hill with panoramic vistas in all directions, is an utterly charming and authentically historic property called Menginolle. While situated in an idyllic countryside location surrounded by farms, Menginolle is a mere 15-minute drive from the busy little village of Villecomtal-sur-Arros, and only 30 km from Tarbes and the Autoroute system that puts Biarritz, Toulouse, Lourdes and other destinations with easy reach.

JUST FRANCE is pleased to offer this lovely and exceptionally comfortable property in a region that is long on gîtes and chambre d'hôtes, but regrettably, as we know from our many trips to the region, woefully short on substantial homes that are imbued with the sturdy pastoral character of Gascony but also have the level of amenities necessary for comfortable countryside living.

Menginolle was once a working Gascon farm, and the farmhouse and its enormous barn (originally three separate structures) both date from the 18th century. The property has a swimming pool and is set on four hectares (10 acres), planted mainly in grassy fields, copses of shade tees, and near the house, lawns, lilac bushes and gardens filled with colorful wildflowers. The ambiance is one of perfect calm, without the slightest noise other than the occasional hum of a distant farm machine. Of special interest is an old well planted with brilliant yellow flowers, and, set on a ridge some 25 meters from the house, a stone table where guests may lunch in the shade of two ancient oak trees while enjoying a view that on clear days stretches all the way to the Pyrenees.

The main house, an imposing two-story stone structure with a terra cotta tile roof, has three bedrooms, a dormitory-style room for children, and three baths. As it was built as a maison de maître the rooms tend to be large, with high ceilings, thick walls and shuttered windows that keep the interior cool even on hot summer days. The barn has two spacious bedrooms, each with an ensuite bath. Between the two structures there is 510 m2 (5,500 sq. ft.) of living space. The property is splendidly maintained throughout. With five beautifully finished bathrooms and five almost equally comfortable and charmingly decorated bedrooms (including three with private entrances), Menginolle is especially appropriate for a group of couples.

Main house

The main house is entered through a massive wooden door with a gabled balcony above it. Lying directly ahead in the foyer is the original 18th-century staircase, built of thick wood carved in a traditional Gascon style. To the left of the foyer is the kitchen, and to the right a cozy living room with shelves filled with interesting English and French-language volumes.

The living room décor sets a tone of elegant rusticity that continues throughout all rooms of the main house and barn. Two plush sofas upholstered in a dark blue fabric are arranged before the large stone fireplace with a broad walnut mantel. Among the other furnishings are an antique chest that functions as a coffee table, a writing desk and a large armoire. These are substantial 18th and 19th-century pieces in a distinctive country style, all in excellent condition and maintained at a high polish. The woody tones of the furnishings, beamed ceilings and wide antique-wood doors are complemented by the rich colors of oriental rugs over original tile floors. The effect is to create in each room an ambiance of warmth and intimacy, a feeling that is perhaps a reminder of how a wealthy Gascon landowner must have lived two centuries ago.

Any cook who appreciates traditional French cuisine will feel at home in this exceptionally well-equipped and imaginatively decorated kitchen. The modern appliances, including a dishwasher and a two-door side-by-side refrigerator with icemaker, do nothing to diminish the rustic ambiance of the room, which seems to be waiting for a hearty meal to be put on the long farm table that occupies the middle of the room. Wall ornaments, hanging baskets and other decorative items draw on a theme of old Gascony. The serious cook will be delighted by the semi-professional stove, which has four electric burners, two griddles and two gas ovens. The amount of cookware, along with the crockery and glassware, all tasteful and of high quality, is extraordinary. In a separate laundry room on the ground floor are an American-style washing machine and separate tumble dryer.

For entertaining or large family dinners there is the newest addition to Menginolle - a glass-enclosed jardin d'hiver, or verandah, that opens off the kitchen. The verandah can be used as a dining room for up to 20 guests, or, since it is oriented southwest and receives sun most of the day, as an additional sitting room. Beyond the verandah and under a leafy arbor is a spacious terrace with a wood farm table and benches for up to 10 guests.

From the foyer a hall leads to a spacious sunroom with a sofa, armchairs, a games table and an antique rocking horse that never fails to attract visitors' attention. In the cabinets are a variety of board games, books and other diversions. Here and throughout the house are tasteful watercolors and oils, mostly of regional landscapes. With French doors opening directly onto the pool terrace, this is an especially pleasant room in the evening, and also serves as a shady retreat on summer days.

Opening off the sunroom is a guest bedroom with its own entrance from the pool area. It is furnished with twin beds in wood frames, a fine antique chest of drawers and an antique armoire. Guests in this bedroom use a bath with shower and WC on the other side of the sunroom. These are especially appropriate quarters for guests who want extra privacy and easy access to the pool.

The large master bedroom suite opens off the upstairs landing. This handsomely decorated room has a fireplace, 150 cm (59" across) double bed in an iron and brass frame, and a large armoire for storage. At the foot of the bed is an antique wood trunk, a motif repeated in most of the other bedrooms. The attractively finished and commodious ensuite bath, down two steps from the bedroom, has a tub with a hand-held shower, and WC.

Across the landing is an equally lovely and spacious bedroom with a queen-sized bed, sitting area with antique writing table and impressive walnut armoire. Guests of this bedroom use a bath with tub and hand-held shower that is reached by a short staircase just outside the room. This bedroom and the master bedroom both have superb views toward the southwest.

The barns

At right angles to the south façade of the farmhouse is the complex of barns, which have been integrated into one structure with a ground and upper level. The ground level houses farm machinery, barbecue equipment and a Ping-Pong table, and there is also room for one car.

The ground level of the third barn has been converted into what amounts to a spacious (7 m X 10 m, 24' X 33') and handsomely furnished separate apartment with beamed ceilings, white stone floor and a view toward the southwest. Decorated in a 19th-century French provincial style, the room has a seating area with loveseat and armchairs, dining table, twin beds and an ensuite bath with a deep stall shower and WC.

On the upper level of the barns, reached by a wooden staircase that leads to a wide balcony with views toward the Pyrenees, is a second bedroom, also quite commodious, with a 140cm (55" across) double bed, high beamed ceiling and a view from the balcony toward the main house. The ensuite bath has a tile shower and WC. Like the two lovely bedrooms in the main house, this bedroom has wide-plank hardwood floors and is decorated with antiques, among them a remarkable carved bench at the foot of the bed.

With temperatures averaging a daytime high of 30ºC (85ºF) in July and August, the 6m X 12 m (19.5' X 39.5') rectangular swimming pool on the north side of the house adds to the many pleasures of Menginolle. The pool does not have a deck and is surrounded by grass and flowerbeds brimming with roses, lavender and rosemary. Nearby is an herb garden which guests are invited to use. There are plenty of lounge chairs and parasols for sunbathers, and from the pool there are magnificent views over fields and forests to the north and east.

While from Menginolle there are countless daytrips for history and culinary buffs, those interested in horseback riding, tennis, lake swimming and kayaking will also find no lack of opportunities nearby. For golfers there are a number of courses in the immediate region, including a particularly beautiful one at the Château de Pallane, a drive of 20 minutes. For a radical change of scenery there is Biarritz, a drive of about two hours, for a midday meal overlooking the Atlantic, a dip in the ocean, a shopping spree in the smart boutiques or a tee time at one of the excellent golf courses there.

Even with its pastoral location, guests at Menginolle have easy access to supermarkets and shops for other daily needs at Villecomtal-sur-Arros, Rabastens-de-Bigorre (10 km) and Marciac (13 km). For the freshest produce, meats and poultry there are also weekly open-air markets in the nearby villages. Within a 30-minute drive are a variety of reasonably priced restaurants, among them the excellent La Rive Droite at Villecomtal-sur-Arros, that offer the hearty regional cuisine for which Gascony is famous.

Gascony is a place that breeds bold spirits and lusty appetites. It is no surprise that Alexander Dumas (père) chose Gascony as the birthplace of D'Artagnan, his swashbuckling, high-stepping and poetically inclined hero of The Three Musketeers. And as every self-respecting Gascon will tell you, the world-renowned pâtés, foie gras, confit de canard and other delights produced in these lush hills hold the secret of life - the so-called "French paradox", which dictates that rich fatty foods washed down by a good red wine (a local Madiran will do very well) and followed by a glass of fine vintage Armagnac produce clean arteries, a stout heart and a long and happy life.

Maybe. In any event, whatever the real secret of life is, we can think of no better place to enjoy it than at Menginolle. With its felicitous marriage of bucolic tranquility, elegant but understated furnishings and unflagging attention to the amenities of modern life, Menginolle offers the ultimate countryside experience in an environment where no comfort is overlooked. This would be an outstanding property regardless of its location, but it is even more seductive for being situated in the heart of a region so rich in natural beauty, history and a tradition of gastronomic excellence.