The house is very comfortable to stay in. The kitchen is well equipped with all you can need for hassle free cooking: fridge, freezer, microwave, diswasher and a new cooker. A nice touch were the already provided essentials.. washing up liquid, dish washer tablets, loo rolls so we didn't have to stock up on large packets of everything. We were a family of four and had a pick of bedrooms. The bathrooms accompanying them were also very good - great showers!
We enjoyed the character of the house. The terrace was a great sun trap and had lovely views, the ritual of closing and opening the shutters felt very french and the floor to ceiling windows that opened inwards meant we caught catches of the french conversations passing by. The children also found it a great place for hide and seek.
The house is the perfect spot for relaxing and getting away from it all - there's no TV, no internet and escapism is easy. (There's quite a few books to borrow if you read more than you expect too!)
There is also plenty of free parking very close to the house.
Prades itself was a good place to be in. The market was great and very friendly with plenty of opportunities to taste before you buy. We particularly recommend the Pyrennean rotisserie chicken. The Bio Co-op had everything I needed for a gluten free diet. The Spar was open at convenient times and was very friendly. The butcher up Rue Arago had good delicatesan dishes to go with the meats on offer. There was a choice of
boulangeries for our morning expeditions for croissants and pain au chocolats. (The town was also reassuringly quiet so I could send our 11 year old off by himself come the end of the week for this purchase.) We also enjoyed going to the patisserie just up from the Spar and choosing a treat which came boxed up tied with a ribbon even if you chose only a single eclair. Also on Rue Arago (just round the corner from the house) was a good pizza take away. Very fresh pizzas enjoyed by all.
We also tried out some of the cafe's for coffee and people watching or after tea for a glass of something and an ice cream for the children. El Rider 66 was particularly welcoming for the children.
The tourist information centre in Prades was surprisingly big for the size of the town. We found lots of things to do, worked out we were close to the train station but in the end were more than happy to stay round Prades and relax.