Luxurious retreats reflect the rise in creative tourism and La Gonette in Provence is one of the best examples …
In a south eastern corner of Provence, twelve strangers gather in a château overlooking lavender fields and a medieval hilltop village. Their task over the course of a week is to discuss diverse novels (perhaps by authors such as Lindsey Tramuta, Andrew Sean Greer, George Eliot, Ken Corbett, Vincenzo Latronico or Ruth Reichl). After leisurely breakfasts, discussions on style and technique are mixed with impromptu poetry readings or creative writing exercises, all punctuated with languid lunches, visits to vineyards, dips in a secret swimming hole, or a game of Scrabble under the shade of an old olive tree. Later, the gentle tinkle of a bell calls guests to the terrace for apéro hour, the prelude to dinner around a candlelit table filled with just-picked flowers and a fabulous feast. The sound of laughter and conversation echoes around the walled gardens late into the night …
If this sounds like the plot of a Luca Guadagnino film, or too good to be true, think again. It’s a very loose outline of what to expect at one of La Gonette’s literary retreats, artfully conjured by Australian novelist Alice Nelson and her husband, psychiatrist Danny Shub. They had the idea of “hosting an artistic salon with all sorts of interesting people coming and going” aft er they bought the 17th-century château, once home to the late, legendary interior designer Robert Kime.
Jeni Glasgow in the kitchen at La Gonette.
Alice explains, “It was always Robert’s vision that it would be a place of connection and community. The first summer we lived here, the American author Michael Cunningham and I invited around ten artists and writers to spend a month together working and playing. It was an incredible success – the synergies and collaborations that arose from it, the work people got done, and the feeling of solidarity and community. And, of course, we all had an enormous amount of fun. We’ve continued to hold that Summer Salon, which is by invitation, but then we decided to expand to slightly more structured retreats and residences.”
On the horizon: a reading retreat and a culinary week, both in September. Special events range from one-off sonotherapy sessions to conversations with guest speakers such as Farrah Storr, Head of Substack International, or a performance of Samuel Beckett’s play, The End, by the Gare St Lazare theatre company.
“Connecting with and contributing to our local community has been really wonderful.”
A communal lunch at La Gonette.
This all chimes with the current trend for creative travel experiences; a third of travellers now prefer to trade passive sightseeing for more meaningful trips. According to the United Nations, creative tourism encompasses participative learning especially in the arts. In essence, travellers no longer want to observe culture, they want to inhabit it, even if just for a little while, actively seeking out courses to hone their skills and share their interests with like-minded people.
Harriet Davidson.
La Gonette represents the best of creative tourism, led by facilitators who are both masters of their craft and also passionate teachers. Cunningham (author of Pulitzer-winning novel The Hours) is a professor of creative writing at Yale and leads the reading week. In April, author Laura Calder, best known for her series French Food at Home, led a course on the Art of the Table encompassing not only how to host but also how to set a table which inspires conversation. Tables are found everywhere at La Gonette, from the kitchen table to the late night whiskey table, which, Alice believes, all “add a layer to the connections being formed, to the way we see the world, to the way we see ourselves.”
What’s served on said tables is also integral to the guests’ enjoyment, prepared and presented by “food creatives” Harriet Davidson and Jeni Glasgow. Their combined flair, finesse and eye for detail is complemented by wine recommendations from local chef and sommelier Arie Teerink.
Based in Slane, Co Meath, Jeni decamps each April and stays at La Gonette until the end of the season in October. She defines La Gonette’s alchemy as, “the mix of people, their stories and fun. It never feels highbrow.”
How to join? Guests fill out an application form and Alice follows up. “We receive many more applications than we have places for our residences, so we do interview applicants to find people we think would be a really good fit for particular programmes.” Successful applicants are assigned one of ten spacious bedrooms, some decorated with original Robert Kime pieces. Facilities include a hammam and swimming pool and an expansive garden. Trips to the villages of Simiane-la-Rotonde, Gordes or L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue are popular sorties with visiting guests – the latter boasts 400 antique stalls at weekends.
Alice Nelson and Danny Shub with their son.
“It’s all very inclusive, there’s no standing on ceremony,” explains Jeni. She’s given complete freedom to come up with menus which reflect the bounty of the region. Fun “tart parties” have been a hit with guests, as are outings to local markets and goat farms. The boulangerie and café in the village of Banon are favourite haunts. “Connecting with and contributing to our local community has been really wonderful and given us such insight into the history and culture of this region,” says Alice.
A communal lunch at La Gonette.
Irish photographer Doreen Kilfeather, who has provided a visual chronicle of life at La Gonette, sums up the experience: “I’ve never not come away with new ideas. Read. Paint. Draw. Cycle. Walk. Pick flowers. Drink beer in the sleepy village bar. Conversations with newfound kindred spirits. It’s a masterclass in living well and finding new roads.” @chateaudelagonette
