Waking up to cow bells in a French chalet!

La Ferme du Soleil in summer – view of mountain

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.                              and winter – eating outside

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We had come to La Ferme du Soleil for a relaxing “wellness” break.  As a group we thought ourselves fit and healthy, but the thought of breathing in mountain air with no pesticides or pollutants made us think that we needed this break.

La Ferme du Soleil in the French Savoie Mont Blanc region ticked all the right boxes – we could hire the complete chalet sleeping up to 12, most of the bedrooms had delightful modern bathrooms en-suite, and it was easy to reach from Britain.

The Gilberts had bought La Ferme to help their son, suffering from ME.  The decision to buy a property in the middle of a hamlet where life is lived as it has been for centuries was deliberate.  It was in a special zone where pesticides are banned, so you breath pure air – which was proving a life saver for their son and others with asthma, ME and similar health problems.  Now La Ferme is let out during the year:  fully catered during the winter season, and self-catering during the summer.  As Veroni Gilbert says, she wants others to experience the benefits of living in an unpolluted atmosphere.

Anyone wanting discos and shops won’t find them – but having breakfast outside the front door, we watched cows from the next door farm slowly wending their way past us into the milking parlour.  The gentle sound of their bells had woken us up, and we strolled across to watch the farmer start to make cheese with their milk.  Twenty minutes later, having assured ourselves Brigitte and the rest of the farm were hard at work making cheese, we slipped back to finish our meal.

At night, everyone gathers around the huge fireplace

After breakfast. George, the neighbour on the other side, waved at us as he went in to feed his horse, kept in the traditional way underneath the house.  This shows the practical side of mountain life, where farm animals provide very efficient central heating all through the bitter winters.  Apparently you soon get used to the smell!

Although there is proper heating in La Ferme, including a wonderful open-air fire in the middle of the living room, which everyone clusters around when it turns cold, we did suggest to Veroni that the traditional built-in wooden bed on the downstairs floor should have a few sheep installed in the opening underneath – to make it authentic, as that was what the area under the beds would have been used for!

The area of Le Grand-Bornand is ideal for paragliding (what the French call paraponting), and   we had persuaded Alun,  an intrepid friend, it was just what he needed to do to experience Alpine life to the full.  Off we set in Veroni’s intrepid 4 x 4, and deposited him at the top of the mountain, right at Richard’s feet.

Our intrepid paraponter!

Richard runs paraponting flights, and leaving him setting up the massive canopy that was going to float above them, and reassuring Alun that he really, really would enjoy the experience, we tried to count the numbers of wild flowers that carpet the area in early summer.  You could understand why people come from all over the world to see them.

Explaining the procedure

At last it was time.  Alun was strapped into a solid looking harness fastened securely around his and Richard’s bodies, a few running steps, and the thermals lifted them off the side of the mountain.  Dimly in the distance we could hear “it’s incredible.  Wow!  Loving it”  as Alun floated away.

We then had to drive down the mountain, to the bar where Richard said he would land.  As we arrived, Alun came out with a huge grin all over his face, saying he wanted to do it again.

We told him he could come back in the winter – when paraponting is equally spectacular!   But no time for more – we were hungry, so it was off to Albert’s restaurant, La Ferme de Lormay, serving nothing but very local produce.  As the meal arrived, we dived in – there was something for everyone, from local cheeses, meats and salads – until we sat back totally full.

Then Albert came out with the next course – what we had feasted on was only the first course – so this time we were more circumspect, which was a good thing as eventually there were five courses, finishing with the most fantastic selection of fruit tarts.

What else to see

Having come all this way to relax, we were so energised we actually wanted to go and see more.  We had been told the car park – car park!  at Aix-les-Bains was worth seeing, so off we set.  More details on www.healthspanews.com/France-Aix-les-Bains.

Next day, having been very good, and concentrated on sightseeing and massages in Aix, we felt we deserved retail therapy.  So promising the men a 12th century jail, we set off  for Annecy, a beautiful medieval old town criss-crossed by small canals and flower decked quays.

The 12 century Palais de l’Isle is an island fortress in the River Thiou which was once a prison.  Today it is hung around with flowers, but it must have been grim when it was used as a jail.  Above is the Castle, with splendid views of the old town and  history to match.

After all this culture, we sat and watched the world go by, protected by flowers in the window boxes of the restaurant we chose – until it was time to try out the shops.  First stop was a dress shop, where one of us came across the ideal silk dress for a wedding, that perfectly matched a lovely jacket she had.  The rest of us shopped for shoes – shoes and more shoes, plus tops, skirts and some delightful china.  Typically French, and fun!

promotion@annecytourisme.com 00 33 4 50 45 56 66

Wellness was next on our list – and we had the choice of driving to St. Gervais where the medical spa treatments are superb – http://healthspanews.com/category/france-st-gervais

Or we could try celebrity-spotting in Megeve, where the dogs wear jewelled collars with genuine diamonds.  Les Fermes de Marie is a ‘rustic’ but luxurious retreat, made up of old farmhouses that have been transported here, surrounding a superb spa.

Chantal Milloz took us round, and explained that all the products they use are derived from plants, found everywhere from Peru to Finland.  Edelweiss is in many of the creams, but as these tiny flowers are protected, they are farmed commercially to make the products.  www.fermesdemarie.com

Life was fun – and we have all decided to return for the winter, when Veroni does the cooking – in the French style.   www.lafermedusoleil.com

Getting There:  Having been to the Rhone Alpes region several times, I now go by train – no contest.  I get on at St. Pancras, and sit back to read, work or just sightsee – and by early evening am sitting in front of a drink in the hotel or chalet.  No luggage worries;  no fights over seats;  no delays;  no interminable queues (how come it takes less than 10 mins at St. Pancras, but at airports it can take 30 – 40 minutes?)

Rail Europe are incredibly helpful, especially advising best way to travel.  I discovered that it is possible to change trains at Lille and Lyons rather than in Paris, which is a lot less stressful.  Yes, its two changes, but you get off train at Lille, lifts make it easy to take luggage up and over to platform for next train and wait is usually around 30 mins.  At Lyon it is same time and procedure.  In Paris, you have to transfer by taxi from Gare du Nord to one of the southern stations, and allow over an hour.  Or, if you are adventurous take the Metro!

During winter, every Saturday you can take a Snow train direct from St.Pancras to the Rhone Alpes region, and then take a taxi or local train on to Le Grand Bornand.  This train runs  from mid-December to mid-April, and takes 7 1/2 hours.

Rail Europe:  0844-848 5848   www.raileurope.co.uk