Summer Hideaway - a fabulous modern 4-bedroom family house and swimming pool with large walled garden - just 200 metres from the prestigious beaches of Le Grau d'Agde, the best kept secret on the Languedoc coast: an authentic Mediterranean rendezvous where the river Herault meets the sea, where dining out is always an occasion and where mornings are spent on the sands and in the shade of a cafe, afternoons at the quayside fish auction or under veteran trees in your own garden, raising a glass of the local Chardonnay or Cabernet and toasting the long lazy days that lie ahead. Of course you could simly spend the whole week by the swimming pool! There is even a dishwasher by the barbecue in the poolhouse,and the possibility of wifi under the trees. Very much a private home - a haven of space under summer skies - and is only available for a select number of weeks each year. The whole domain is enclosed with a smart wall. In the South-facing garden, discover the grove of old poplars that give the villa its name and provide balmy mottled shade on a sunny day when the temperatures passed way beyond 36 degrees and rising, There is a lovely lawn for true sunworshippers, a traditional boulodrome (for playing pétanque), a lush lawn and there are gravel paths all around the detached villa. Open the front door of the villa and step into the brightest living room you could wish for, the south wall is a huge window that opens out to one of the terraces and the grand garden and there are windows east and west too. A smart dining area is divided from the living room by a partial wall and the first dilemma is to choose to step out onto the East or South facing terraces (You will soon discover that this house has at least five different breakfast areas - without even considering laying out a picnic by the pool!) And, in the living room, is a Focus suspended fireplace, designed by Philippe Imbert, as displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. A superb kitchen with the latest appliances also leads out to the terrace. The ground floor master bedroom has a generously-sized ensuite shower room and its own french windows which open westwards to one of the garden terraces. Climb the the whisk-turn of the contemporary styled staircase and you may discover three more bedrooms, with a big shower/bathroom for the rest of the family. Two extra ensuites planned for 2009. The bedrooms are air-conditioned. Fittings throughout are to the highest standard. The villa has a generously proportioned integral garage too, as well as extra secure parking within the grounds. One or two families, up to 8 or 10 people, could share the house or a single family could enjoy enough luxurious personal space to make for a rare and truly relaxing break for everyone! The kitchen is the heart of any home, and here there is space for family and friends to work together on preparing the evening meal. The kitchen in the villa is grand and spacious with an island sink, dining unit, full sized fridge freezer, with chilled water and ice dispenser, dishwasher and all mod cons. A second summer kitchen in the garden, with dining table for 10, has a gas barbecue, electric cooker, fidge freezer, even an electric wine cooler and an outdoor dishwasher - ultimate luxury! In high summer, the villa seems a world away from the bustle of the South of France. Vast sliding glass walls open the living room into the glade and the garden; yet, within, cool white walls promise sanctuary and always a corner to settle down with a good book for precious moments of solitude before joining the rest of the family around the swimming pool. Even the garden is big enough for both conviviality and time on your own: A comfy chair on the eastern terrace or a hammock slung between two tall trees the perfect setting for an afternoon doze; the south terrace and the poolside for partying. The newly-built pool house aside, the outside dining scope is considerable: Imagine setting up a table under the poplar trees, groaning under the weight of fresh seafood and salad from the market, huge bowls of olives, fresh fruits and pitchers of the wonderful local wines: red at sunset, rosé for lunch and Picpoul de Pinet white at any time. Then, after two or three hours relaxing in the garden to let the sun cool down a little, an early evening dip in the Med itself at St Vincent Plage 150 metres away.