In 2019, we started to offer Meetups, Offsites and Residencies in our 17th century house in the south of France.
People come to explore what designing for life might mean, in practice, for them. Some are working on a live project, thesis, course, or book. Others want to transform their professional situation, and only do good work. They use a time-out here to figure out how to do that.
Whether you come as an individual, or in a team, your stay here combines me-time, you-time, and we-time.
About the house
The seventeenth century town house where I live in the South of France, with my wife Kristi, is an inspiring place to meet, create, and decompress. Our town, Ganges, is in the foot hills of the Cévennes (national park), 50km north of the Mediterranean. The house faces onto a pedestrian-only street.
About the Surroundings
Our house is in the historic centre of a small (4,000 people) market town. Ganges lies at the junction of the Rieutord, Hérault, and Vis rivers. We’re a few minutes by foot or by bike from beautiful river swimming holes and waterfalls. The sea is 35 km away.
Our regional food market (small on Tuesdays and very big on Fridays) is 100 metres away through an arched stone passageway. Shops, banks, the medical centre, a local hospital, the town hall, the cinema, the theatre – all are a couple of minutes away on foot.
Ganges also is the southern gateway to the Cévennes National Park, a world heritage ecological site; our region is #1 for ecological health and biodiversity in France. The region’s shepherds have helped shape the landscape over centuries.
FAQ
I’m sorry but they can’t. But, we can point you to other rooms or apartments for rent in the area (i.e. there’s a lovely airbnb 20 meters from the house). Just drop us an email if you need our help.
On this subject, I hope you understand we can’t welcome your friends who want to come for a visit, not even that interesting person you just met at the bar around the corner … Naturally we can make an exception, but do ask us beforehand. Be mindful that this is our home, and that this is working time.
No. No need to worry. All spaces are independent of our part of the house. John and Kristi live on the first floor, the rest of the spaces are on the ground floor or on the second floor. There is a communal front door to the house, and a central staircase with doors opening to the other spaces.
You can come and go as you please.
It would be a shame not to take time to explore the beautiful surroundings, go for a swim or a walk, or have a drink at one of the local bars. We even have a bike-rental around the corner (electric and regular bikes).
The MeetUp and the Residency are for individuals, but we are happy to host a single group coming to an Offsite. (contact us)
- From Nimes or Montpellier Airport, there are buses going to Ganges (journey is about a hour). They are reliable and comfortable, but not frequent and, honestly, the French time-tables are not easy to decode. Therefor if you decide to go for public transport, it’s best to email us at (meeting [@] thackara [dot] com) so we can guide you through it.
(Montpellier Occitanie: Ligne 108. Nimes Gare: Ligne D40) - From Marseille Airport you can get on a train to Nimes (or Montpellier), or rent a car and drive 2 hours to get to us.
- At the airports you’ll find car rentals. Prices for a hire car start at 40€ per day depending on time of year, type- and availability of cars. We recommend to reserve a rental in advance (for example at rentalcars).
- We sometimes can arrange to have someone pick you up from the airport, that drive would cost about 80€-100€ (4 passengers max, three if extreme luggage)
- parking: plenty of free street parking around (but not on the doorstep since we’re in a pedestrian street)
an extensive transportation page you can find here
CONTACT
or send an email to meeting [@] thackara [dot] com
We are not heavy on service, we provide a comfortable space in an historical building and quality time with each other and with John – but we don’t cook for you. There are two kitchens at your disposal. And there are various affordable restaurants nearby.
The good news is that since there are kitchens in the house, you will not starve. Our organic shop is well stocked, our food market is great, but eating out might be a challenge for you.
More and more restaurants offer a vegetarian choice. Vegan dishes are rare in local restaurants. Gluten-free only recently appeared on the shelves in the supermarkets and hasn’t inspired the local restaurant business yet.
(we are flexitarians ourselves)