Gardoussel
Retreat (formerly The
Sun Centre)
Newsletter
- Feb 2006
www.thesuncentre.com
Dear friend,
Welcome to Gardoussel Retreat – a new
name for a new beginning! Previously known as The Sun Centre, when
we moved in December from our previous location near St Martin de Boubaux,
we decided to change our name accordingly. This is partly because our
new site is an entire hamlet already of this name. It means 'guardian
of the birds' due to the property's one-time function as a 'pigeon
post-office' - a homing destination for feathered messengers in the
days before they had postmen! It is also because we felt that being
in France and with more and more of our guests French themselves, we
should have a name to reflect this.
We haven't moved far – just to another valley in the Cévennes
mountains, slightly further south and handier
for transport links (we are 1 ½ hours from Nîmes and Montpellier
and there are buses connecting direct to the local village). Our new
location is just outside the pretty market village of St André de
Valborgnein the Gard department and on a much bigger site
than we had before. It has allowed us to expand and improve the quality
of accommodation and work spaces. It’s also very private and
peaceful with magnificent mountain views and a river running through
the property as well as a private stream. It truly is an oasis of calm
in one of the most beautiful and untouched areas of France.
As we settle in, we are gradually discovering a wealth
of local delights. Our property sits in 18 hectares of meadow and woodland
and we are slowly unearthing a myriad of obscure walking trails that
lead right up to the top of the mountain behind us and others that
take us direct to the village without needing to take the road. For
Sharon, who loves hiking and exploring the natural wilderness, it is
like stumbling into paradise.
Although the weather has not been amenable to testing
it out yet, there is a large natural swimming pool with a waterfall
just 5 minutes' walks away from us in the direction of the village,
complete with picnic tables, benches and diving rocks: truly spectacular!
We also have several smaller pools on the property.
There’s also a natural trout farm up the road where apparently
they let kids fish out their own catch. We’re looking forward
to trying this out with our two, as well as the donkeys for hire which
are also available in the village, not to mention mountain bike hire
and a tennis court.
We have managed to get hold of a guide to all of the
12 marked hiking trails in and around the village – including
one in English which is out of print but was passed to me so I can
copy our own. Sometimes the local tourist office organises free guided
walks, if not then these maps are extremely easy to follow.
Our family is happily settling in to our new home.
Frances – our
chief chef, top granny, sympathetic yoga teacher and head honcho of
odd jobs - is now living with us and should be moving in to her yurt
in a few weeks’ time. The kids are happy at their new schools
and we are up to our middles in renovation work!
To keep it brief, we have just completed the renovation
of two en-suite bedrooms to add to the two gîtes that
exist here already. We have also sealed off part of a third gîte to
create the most beautiful workshop room. Soon, our flexible foreman
George – imported
on loan from England and we’ll do anything we have to to keep
him - will start to convert a barn into four more en-suite bedrooms.
The unfolding of George’s work is a joy to watch – the
buildings are all built of indigenous stone with rich dark wooden beams
and we’re managing to incorporate many of the traditional features
to create modern, comfortable rooms with bags of old-fashioned charm.
To coincide with our new move, we are making some changes to the way
we run the retreat. We will still offer themed events – yoga,
Ayurveda, walking, self-development, writing, etc – during the
summer months, run by ourselves as well as an excellent posse of external
tutors. We may also run some retreats in spring and autumn to coincide
with the school holidays. But while up until now we have been open
year-round for ‘open retreats’, we will now limit the open
retreat experience to a handful of weeks each summer. To counter this,
we will now be offering chambres d’hôte (b&b)
stays year-round - the same as an open retreat but with only breakfast
provided instead of full board; evening meals possible by arrangement
though the local villages have good restaurants. We will also be offering gîte rentals
throughout the year.
We hope these changes meet with your approval. Whichever type of visit
you choose, we’re sure you will appreciate the stunning simplicity
and incredible natural beauty we have discovered here, where guests
can truly relax without the distractions of TV, crowds or traffic.
As we wade into the not inconsiderable amount of renovation work ahead,
we are trying our best to do the same!
Finally, as we have now moved from our previous location, we are selling
our former home, birthplace of The Sun Centre. The property has 6 bedrooms,
a studio apartment and 2.5 acres of land at the edge of a tiny hamlet,
4km from the village of St Martin de Boubaux. Nature lovers only need
apply: the property is totally calm, with uninterrupted views across
the valley and is in an isolated, unspoilt situation. For more information,
contact me directly (sharonblack1969@yahoo.com).
Well, that’s all for now. Below is our list of what we are offering
in 2006. We hope to see you at Gardoussel soon!
Namaste
- Sharon & Alex
Gardoussel Retreat Experience 2006
Because Gardoussel is such a new friend to us, we have pared down the
number of themed events on offer this year. On the other hand, we
are now also offering chambres d’hôte (b&b) and gîte
(holiday apartment) rentals for those who want to stay with us on
an independent basis, either self-catering (in the gîtes) or
eating at local restaurants/cafés (evening meals sometimes
available at Gardoussel – check for availability). All our
guests are welcome to make us of our workshop/chillout spaces (indoor
loft, outdoor yoga deck, Mongolian yurt from autumn 2006) as well
as any additional activities/therapies that take their fancy (see
below for details).
‘Wise Wild Woman – the Power of the Feminine’ – 16–18
June 2006 – 260€
Join American-French somatotherapist Nochenka Welsh for a women-only
exploration of the feminine. Using qi gong, dance, meditation and massage,
Nochenka will assist you in finding new ways of looking at your monthly
cycle, your sexuality, your creativity and your dreams. This workshop
will start on Friday evening and finish late Sunday afternoon. Suitable
for both English and French speakers.
Open Retreat with optional Yoga - 5-12 August 2006 - 370€ *
Come and enjoy a week of tranquillity and fun with like-minded people,
right in the middle of summer. Full-board vegetarian meals are provided
(or picnic lunch if requested), plus 2 optional daily yoga classes
for those who want to practise or deepen their yoga (* 10€ per
class).
Gîtes
Our 2 beautiful, independent gîtes (holiday apartments) are available
for weekly rentals for those who want to do their own thing at Gardoussel
Retreat. We have 2 gîtes available:
* le Pigeonnier has two twin/double bedrooms with a 2-person
sofa bed in the living room giving it a total capacity of 6 people.
It has a large, semi-professional kitchen with an open-plan living/dining
room and a shaded terrace for outdoor dining, a shower room and separate
toilet. 400€ per week
* le Gîte Vert also has two twin/double bedrooms and
a two-person sofa bed in the living room (total capacity 6 people).
It has a living/dining room and a modern fitted kitchen as well as
a grassy garden terrace for outdoor dining. 380€ per week
Both gîtes are available for let from Saturday to Saturday.
Guests have the use of our loft workspace and outdoor yoga deck in
addition to our 18 hectares of meadow and woodland – perfect
for ball games and exploring! There are also swings for children and
a badminton/volleyball net. A cot can be provided on request.
Chambres d’hôtes
We have 5 newly renovated guest rooms – all with en-suite toilet
and shower facilities. Prices include breakfast. Evening meal can sometimes
be provided – check for availability.
* la Bergerie (available autumn 2006) – a converted
barn a short distance from the main building. Offers 2 two-person bedrooms
and one 4-person bedroom, each with en-suite shower room / toilet and
its own entrance. 35€/pers/night ; 50€/2pers/night
; 70€/3pers/night ; 80€/4pers/night
* le Nid – offers two bedrooms for 2-3 people each,
with one bed on ground level and a 2-person mezzanine. With a shower
room / toilet shared between the two rooms. 35€/pers/night
; 50€/2pers/night ; 60€/3pers/night
Extras
Various extras are available at Gardoussel, all provided by experienced,
fully-qualified practitioners. Take your pick from massage (Ayurvedic
and Swedish), craniosacral therapy, Ayurvedic consultations, cookery
classes, life counselling and group yoga classes depending on numbers
(min. 5 participants). During your stay, you will of course
be able to make use of our various workspaces and gardens & grounds
- ideal for reading, studying, yoga or meditation. Other therapies
and activities will come on offer as our network of contacts expands.
What to do in the local area?
There is a large natural swimming
pool with a waterfall just 5 minutes' walk from Gardoussel towards
the village, with picnic tables, benches and diving rocks.
There are 12 marked hiking trails in
and around the village, one of which crosses through the edge of our
property. We have maps with full details, available from the local
tourist office, who sometimes organise free guided walks.
Mountain bikes can be hired from the
village, as can donkeys for accompanied treks (great for children and
baggage!)
There is a public tennis court in the
village, and a Sunday morning market from March - November. Trout can
be fished from a local natural fish farm.
Further afield, the Cévennes National Park covers an area of
910 sq km. The park's headquarters are close by in Florac, as well
as a museum dedicated to the park's natural history.
How to Find Us
Gardoussel Retreat is situated 85km north-west of Nîmes and
55km west of Alès, just 1km from the village of St André de
Valborgne in the Gard department, which makes up part of the Languedoc
region.
You can fly to Nîmes or Montpellier then get a train and bus
to the local village, or we can help organise a taxi from any point
along the way (taxi shares possible). Cart hire available from both
airports. There are daily buses between St Jean du Gard and St André de
Valborgne.
For a map and directions by car to Gardoussel, please see our website www.thesuncentre.com.
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