Summer has arrived early this year, and it’s hot hot hot. The sun has settled in for the season, and the days are long, bright and full of warmth. But even in the midst of the heat, Mas Baget remains a cool and welcoming retreat.

Thanks to the 60-centimetre-thick stone walls of the house, the interior stays wonderfully cool and calm all day long. It’s a relief to walk inside after a morning in the sun and feel the gentle temperature drop wrap around you. All the windows are fitted with mosquito nets, so they can stay wide open throughout the night, letting in the evening breeze while keeping the buzzing pests out. There’s something incredibly peaceful about lying in bed with the windows open, hearing nothing but the wind in the trees and the distant bark of a dog.

But of course, in this kind of heat, the real star of the show is the pool.

Our enormous swimming pool is where summer truly comes to life at Mas Baget. It’s big enough for proper swimming, lazy floating, wild splashing and everything in between. There are floaties for kids and grown-ups, a variety of recliners and loungers to sprawl on, and plenty of shade if you need a break from the sun. Some guests bring down a cool box filled with chilled cava, iced water, or a handful of juicy water peaches and just settle in for the afternoon. It’s relaxed, fun and endlessly inviting.

And when you’ve had your fill of swimming, lounging or sipping something cold in the shade, you can wander over to the vegetable garden to see what’s ready for lunch.

The Mas Baget Organic Kitchen Garden

Our organic kitchen garden is flourishing. So far this summer, we’ve harvested rows of vibrant lettuces, crisp and cool even on the hottest days, as well as French beans, celery, cucumbers, courgettes, and salad onions. The tomato plants are full and heavy with green fruit, almost ready to ripen. We’re already dreaming of homemade gazpacho, fresh bruschetta and slow-roasted sauces when they finally blush red in the sun.

It’s deeply satisfying to pick lunch straight from the garden. A salad of baby lettuces, cucumbers, French beans, salad onions, and a drizzle of our very own delicious olive oil, picked and pressed last November from our 120 olive trees, tastes so much better when you’ve seen it growing only moments before. Olive-picking weekend is a highlight of the year at Mas Baget …. a time of gathering, laughter and hard work rewarded with golden oil …. and there will definitely be a blog post all about it soon.

Summer here moves at its own pace. The heat might slow you down, but in the best way …. encouraging long afternoons, lazy conversations in the shade, cool dips in the pool and meals that taste of sunshine and soil.

If you’re in need of a break, Mas Baget is waiting. Come and enjoy the peace, the pool and the produce. Summer doesn’t get much better than this.