Mas de la Griffe – Ecological camping

They were living in the Paris region, Christine was a hairdresser, Marco worked in nightclubs. They were vegetarian, liked yoga, nature, animals, healthy and organic food. They were living in the heart of the city but their hearts and their minds were already elsewhere, and although they are included in generic “Great World of Comedy”, they were not really embodied in their characters. They were dreameing of another scenario, another life, a place where they would live in harmony with their environment, within a framework of peace, far from turbulence in the world … facing themselves.

They decided to live their dream of ecology. After 5 years of preparation, they crossed the step and left the Parisian life, direction: the Pyrenees. Armed with fresh agricultural degrees and a small stipend they had saved in recent years, they crossed France to the Pyrenees in search of the “Promised Land”.

“La Griffe” found them as much as they found it. Once populated by poor families but many, very poor (old farmer tell that “at that time,, who first stood up put shoes on.others…”). Mas de la Griffe had not known people since 1947.

No electricity, no telephones of course, no road either, the source seemed lost, decks collapsed, the farmhouse in ruins. But Earth, Earth was there,Earth did not move.Earth was waiting but almost everything was to be done again.

They had to pass a second step: dare, dare “La Griffe”! They dared, and when the sun began to shine and once cleaned well, the source went back to sink, drop by drop and a little more each day, that’s life, which reappeared. “Poc a Poc” in Catalan: little by little.

First tents in the summer, then a sheet on the former stable pigs, a stove for the first fire closed it was in November 1997 … A first-tunnel greenhouses for Housing, a donkey – Cesar – to relieve the burdens to bear. It will itself soon be supported by horses and a mule.

The first years were still hard, very hard sometimes. The memories are not lacking. Who are smiling now. A river which comes in the greenhouse, the roof of the team which collapsed during a storm, Cesar escaped and found in “Amélie” downtown! …

But life follows its course, the seasons follow the herds grow, cows arrive (2003), children grow up. The Earth rotates. The track starts to get (2004) with great difficulties. In early 2006, Nicolas arrives as a volunteer, and finally decided to stay on the site. June 2007, the trail finally reaches the “Maison de l’Artiste” and the river. More than 300 metres!

2007:the first yurt is set.

2009:the first campers…

2010: 3 yurts,the story continues…