Happy days at Happy Hamlet
With your The Happy Hamlet Good Travel hosts Suska and Nico have created a place in southwest France where the worries of everyday life fade away and give way to a light feeling of happiness. Our author Ina visited the two of them.
As I roll into the small parking lot at walking pace, I take a deep breath. Once. Twice. And again. The last few weeks have flown by so quickly, as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button. Since I set off in my van from the south of Portugal, I have hardly spent a night in the same place. Adiante! Venga! Allez! Let's move on - because there is so much to see and discover! I have now left not only the Pyrenees behind me, but also the busy Spanish and French motorways. Since then, kilometer by kilometer, village by village, bend by bend and sunflower field by sunflower field, the world around me has become quieter. The streets narrower, the houses smaller, life slower. And now, at the end of the road and a little bit at the end of the world, I turn off the engine. Bienvenue, welcome and tervetuola in the Happy Hamlet!
The Happy Hamlet: more than a handful of happyness
When the hosts Suska and Nico found their new home here in 2016, they were probably as exhausted as I was. Nico had previously lived and worked in Africa for 25 years. In Djibouti, Suska suddenly fluttered into his life - half Finnish, half Czech and living in New York at the time. A few years later, the two of them made their very own Tour de Franceto look for a place where they could start a new chapter in their lives together. Four months, 25.000 kilometers and 86 visits later, they found what they were looking for. Around an hour and a half's drive north of Toulouse, in the middle of meadows, fields and forests, stood a small hamlet - somewhat lost and neglected. A handful of stone houses in need of renovation and the remains of an old barn. This included 13 hectares of land, which was mostly densely covered with trees and therefore of no interest to farmers in the region. But all the more perfect for a very special kind of hideaway.
Extensive renovation work has made the hamlet shine again
The Before and after pictures on the Happy Hamlet website give an idea of how much imagination, perseverance, sweat, idealism, muscle power and support the couple needed to realize their dream of a holiday oasis In the middle of the countryside Today, the Happy Hamlet looks as if it has finally found its purpose. The extensive restoration and renovation work has made the hamlet shine again without destroying its rustic charm. And not only the buildings themselves, but also numerous pieces of furniture, decorations, dishes, etc. have been given their second chance here. Thanks to upcycling and the typical Flea markets (flea markets) of the region, Happy Hamlet is a lovely ensemble of old chairs, colorful shimmering glasses, venerable cupboards and nostalgic porcelain bowls. Just like Suska and Nico, they all seem to have their happy place to have found.
A place of community where everyone forges their own happiness
But what is it that makes this Hamlet happier than other places? When I arrive, I am not greeted by cheerful music, nor is there a clever daily program to ensure that I am not bored. Although it is designed as a place for groups, retreats and events, the Happy Hamlet is an oasis where what the French call "se débrouiller" is possible. In a positive sense, this means doing your own thing and doing exactly what is good for you - what makes you happy. In addition to the five rooms in the main house, the magnificent barn with an open kitchen, the courtyard and the large veranda, there are small, magical places of retreat scattered all over the grounds. The natural pool and the barrel sauna, the hammocks under the trees, the spontaneous seating areas in the green and, last but not least, the forest. If you don't want to be completely alone on your forays, you can take Suska's and Nico's dogs for a walk and visit the alpacas, sheep, goats and chickens. And if you're really lucky, you might even get to know the newest residents of Happy Hamlet. Where exactly they came from is still unknown. But in May of this year, they were suddenly there: two peacocks chose Happy Hamlet as their new home. "One day, one of them landed majestically on the roof of our barn. And since then, you've seen them here almost every day," Suksa remembers.
Farm to Table: sustainable food from the region
The fact that two such elegant animals have moved in here without being asked is, in addition to the many returning guests and their outstanding feedback, further proof that Suska and Nico's plan has worked. Everyone should feel at home here and be able to forget the worries of everyday life for a while. During the retreats, the hostess also takes care of her guests' physical well-being. The few foods that Nico does not grow himself in his organic garden, he buys directly from local farmers or on Saturdays at the market in Montaigu-de-Quercy. "We often take our guests to the market so that they can experience the variety of local products for themselves. And trips to the nearby lavender farm Ferme de Lacontal or to the wineries in the region can also be organized if you are interested," says Nico.
Happy Hamlet: a place that you never want to leave again
However, I and my travel-weary soul do not want to leave the Hamlet. Instead of a planned short stopover, I stay for three nights and let the magic of this place work on me. I sit by the pool and listen to the chirping of the crickets in the trees. I browse dreamily through books and magazines. I sit as quiet as a mouse on the terrace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the peacocks. I spend happy evenings with my hosts, who are currently making the final preparations for the next holiday guests. I only realise how happy I really was in the Happy Hamlet when I have to leave again. And so I write a little wistfully in the guest book: “Happyness is not the excitement of visiting new places every day. But finding that one place that you never want to leave again.” A bientôt – your Ina.
Ina's final tips:
- You can book Happy Hamplet as a group of up to 15 people rent completely
- The Hamlet is also an ideal location for weddings, birthday parties and business workshops
- If you don’t want to organize a group yourself but still want to experience Happy Hamlet, you can sign up for one of the numerous Retreat Here is a small selection:
- Disconnect to Reconnect (October 2024)
- Merry Wellness Retreat (March/April 2025)
- Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat (May 2025)
- Ashtanga Yoga Retreat (July 2025)
- Are you looking for a very special place to finish writing your book, to finally do some drawing again or to work on your business plan? Then book a spot for the Residences – perhaps this year in October: residences
© Photos: Ina Hiester
Ina Hiester
Ina is a digital nomad and travels through Europe by land and sea. The journalist is always on the lookout for special places for Good Travel, philosophizes about travel in her column, takes photographs, makes music and writes articles on all kinds of environmental and sustainability topics.
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