Our visit to L'Etoile Gite d'etape
and the Cevennes region of France 

(Thanks to our friend Philippe Papadimitriou)

 

    Our goal was to find -- in a three week sojourn -- some small scrap of the essential France,  a sense of the countryside well away from the worn tourist haunts of Paris;  to discover the sights, sounds, and smells of places distinctly French.  (No small feat for a couple who speak almost no French and with only a passing knowledge of France itself.)
    By a stroke of amazing luck we met Philippe and were able to realize our goal.  We are deeply grateful!   -Tom & Kathy Corey -
      Our luck grew out of our mutual careers as innkeepers, Philippe in Lozere (state) in France, and we in Missouri (state) in America.  As Philippe's gite is closed in the winter, he made an email proposal to several bed & breakfast inns in the USA, suggesting that we trade visits with the purpose of learning from each other.  We were one of those inns who received his proposal and accepted.  We are so happy we did.  The experience has been both enjoyable and educational for both of us.  We are both changed by it -- I think we (Kathy and I) have perhaps gained the most.  (We have come to a more robust view of what is truly hospitable; a glimpse of what could be for the American hospitality industry that, truthfully, is becoming worn, repetitive  and over-wrought.)  

But we must tell you about our trip!  The picture above shows me (Tom), Philippe, Philippe's mother, "Virgine", and Kathy (oh yes, and "Billie" the dog).  We are on a day trip to the Saturday market in Les Vans, along roads winding down canyons and beside rushing rivers.  The countryside is awe-inspiring.  Tiny stone hamlets with terracotta roofs cling to the sides of mountains.  Countrymen tend sheep and goats in stone biers beneath groves of chestnut trees.  Vineyards hang precariously to the slopes.
    In summer, the area (called the Cevennes) is filled with hikers from France and Belgium.  While  visitors come from many European countries, the pleasures of the Cevennes are virtually unknown to Americans.  (We hope in some small way to change that.)  In 1878 a young Robert Louis Stevenson came here.  While not as famous as his other books,  "Travels With A Donkey In The Cevennes."  provides an  account of his trip.  And you can follow his footsteps by hiking the Stevenson Trail, which, of course will bring you right to Phillipe's Gite d'etape in La Bastide.

     We reserved three weeks for our visit to France -- a few days at L'Etoile then on to tour other areas, we reckoned.  We wound up staying a full week with Philippe.  His hospitality was warm. We regretted leaving!  He is a superb host!  
     The trip was begun by car from Paris, leaving Gare de Lyon with our little red Citroen.  To reach Philippe's gite one can also board a thru train to La Bastide from Paris.  Or, take the speedy TGV to Marseilles, then back by slower train to La Bastide.  Since the elapsed time is nearly the same, Philippe recommends the slower, more-scenic through-train.  Of course there are even quicker options involving combinations of flying machines and trains or cars.
      As in America, auto touring involves a choice between slow and scenic or slick and fast.  We choose slow, meaning we followed yellow roads on the Michelin map.  A tip: forget road numbers.  Instead, have in mind the names of several towns ahead on the route you plan.  And, have a detailed map.
      Hiking is the main recreation around La Bastide.  But the weather was rainy and changeable in March.  So, with Philippe, we toured by car and bicycled. We suggest the following things to do:

We can't wait to go back and see L'Etoile during the season when it is open for business and see Philippe in action.  If you are considering a visit or an exchange with Philippe , we'll be glad to tell you all we know about this wonderful place.  Email us at corey@rockeddy.com 

If you plan to visit Philippe in La Bastide, let us offer any information that would assist you.  Contact Tom & Kathy Corey,  Rock Eddy Bluff Farm, Dixon, Missouri USA.   Email at corey@rockeddy.com  or phone (573) 759-6081