I lived for 50 years in the Paris area. Keeping up with the frenetic pace of the city, my soul yearned for the light and the smells of the mountain pastures. Behind the steering wheel of my car, I would think of the mountains around Massat almost every day. So it was while on holiday here and looking at the landscape that the idea of retiring to this place gradually wormed its way into my head. Living here permanently, in tune with the seasons, would give me the opportunity to live my dream of a “montagnard,” someone who lives in the mountains.
Reflecting this way of life, almost everything I do - and most of my leisure pursuits - involve nature and the outdoors. By way of an example, I alter the way I work in my garden each season.
Without entirely turning my back on the past though, I savour the calm of my life and the pride and dignity of the inhabitants of my village. Even so, when the mountain mischievously fills the air with wintery weather or with snow, I look at it with affection. I seek a life in harmony with nature. After a long apprenticeship, I have begun to grow some vegetables in my garden, and collect a few eggs from my hen house.
Calmly and serenely, through observation I’m getting to know nature better. In this way I have a more just view of the world that surrounds me.