The Happy Hamlet

08/11/2024

🥁 ATTENTION PLEASE! Some VERY cool (in our humble opinion 🤭) news to share! 🎉🎉

Not even halfway through November, yet we still need to ANNOUNCE that the calendar of 2025 is already fully booked with program from March through beginning of November! 😮 Since we have many private events, retreats and rentals booked for next year, the available weeks for the Hamlet retreats are limited. And this is why we thought it would be a shame if you didn’t know, that unless you act quickly, you might lose your chance to visit us next year (what a horrible thought! 🫣).

We’re not necessarily early bookers ourselves, but those who are say that it is the best thing that you can do: the earlier the better, because after that you only need to sit and wait for all the goodness! 🙌🙌 Sounds like a lifehack, indeed! 💯

If you think you deserve some sweet indulgence next year (and we know you do, bien sûr! 🥰), just scroll through the pics to see what spring & summer 2025 have to offer in the Hamlet! The fall season also has many confirmed (and some almost fully booked!) retreats 👉 for a complete listing of the Retreat Season 2025 head to our website (link in bio), check your calendar - and let us know when to meet&greet you! 😍😍😍

Could you think of a better 🎯 gift FOR YOURSELF (we tried, but couldn’t come up with anything 😅): All-inclusive, relaxing, recharging, eating local&fresh and sleeping well, enjoying good company (including adorable furry firends, but also important me-time), wandering in the wild nature, and most of all, being able to leave all the day-to-day hustle and bustle behind. Also your (watch and) wallet btw! 👌🥳

Although we won’t promise you’ll have nothing but sunshine (wish we could! 😎), what we can guarantee is that we’ll take utmost care of you! Yes, you 🫵 That’s what our guests seem to appreciate the most - and that’s what makes our little Hamlet a super happy one! 🍀🍀🍀

See you in 2025! 😘

07/11/2024

🥰 Making the best out of the (last moments of?) indian summer: the pool from all the angles (soon to be emptied but not brave enough to hop in for the last swim 😅), the doggies fooling around, the lemons growing and the springwater flowing by the bamboos, the peacoks on an afternoon walk and Milou the alpaga with the goats in the valley, the yuccas and spring (!) rose in bloom (?!), the sunset and the most colorful sky…

All good in the Hamlet, hope the same for you all dears 💚

26/10/2024

Live. Life. To the fullest.

An emotional ”grand finale” of the (high) season with these special peeps ❤️ Gathered in our little bubble, our own tiny universe 🙌

I’ve never accompanied anyone with their sister’s ashes to say goodbye in a special place for them (out of many). This moment marked me forever. We promise to take the utmost care of Heidi - may she flow free in and around the Hamlet 💛

I’ve never dreamt of living (while working) in a place that gathers time and again some of the most beautiful souls on the planet ✨💫

I could’ve not imagined how silent and awkward it can all of a sudden feel - head still spinning and empty, but heart full of emotions 🙏🥰

I sincerely hope you know how extremely much we enjoyed having you around .ohra.aho 💕💕💕💕💕

Thank you, merci mille, kiitos our darling Creatives’ residence guests - but also everyone else who’s been a part of our little journey so far! Grateful especially for the reminder of how much GOOD there (still) is in this world 💚

And I truly hope we tell you all out there clearly enough how much you mean to us ❤️

24/10/2024

I may have some ”favorites” in the retreats content wise (those who know, know.. 🤭), but I cannot hide the fact that the Creatives’ Residence holds a special place in my ❤️ It always marks the last week of the long retreat season and is packed with a lot of emotions. And it has a very unique ambiance. We always get returning guests too, this time three from the past and it’s been a blast to reunite! 😍 And to meet new adorable souls 🥰

Although I’d already be ready to get super emotional about the whole season, at this point I’d like to send mille bisous and mercis to our current guests - .ohra.aho 😘😘 THANK YOU so much for being here and making our season closure so precious - all the laughs, tears, kind words, many many discussions, smiles, hugs, beautiful art & craft, singing (to my mom for her birthday 💕) and so much more!! 🙏🙏🙏

21/10/2024

As we’re just about to welcome the last group of the ”official retreat season” (there’ll be more little events to come in the end of the year), we want to look back at last week one more time because we can still hear the echo of the laughter and giggles of our Disconnect to Reconnect guests 😍🤩🥳

There’s something special about a stay organised for a group of old friends - the magic and sparkles are already there ✨💫 How fun to watch and listen and feel the joyful ambiance, which couldn’t be ruined even with a few lost luggage 😅 The positive energy they came with stayed surely with us (and I believe with our neighbouring restaurant, too 🤣)!

MERCI MILLE dear , .santala, & for your visit, we are extremely happy that you came and enjoyed it 🙌🙏

Thank you also .yoga.ayurveda for your very much appreciated yoga classes, massages and herbal teas session ❤️

12/10/2024

My heart was full, and it feels empty right now. But as I said to these dears today: I value being surrounded by people who make me cry this much at ”au revoirs” 😭😭😭

They came. They relaxed. They read. They swam. They took naps. They were together. They were alone. They laughed. They hiked. They did yoga. They danced. They napped again. They had a glass of sparkling. They chatted. They spent hours in the hammock. They played songs. They gave all their love to our furry friends. They (well one of them!) biked 10 km to get fresh croissants early in the morning just for the fun of it (🙈). They knitted (again, one of them, but a lot!!). They were goofy. They put their sign by the tree in the rain and laughed again. They had massages. They made puzzles. They were “HAPPY-GO-LUCKY” 100% and the sweetest company to have around ❤️

My farewell words were mainly taken over by tears, but I hope you got the most important out of it: THANK YOU! 🙏🙏🙏

07/10/2024

Spent Saturday morning at our go-to farmers’ market in Montaigu de Quercy! So lucky to have it nearby as our ”grocery store” - fresh and local produce and always lovely atmosphere 🥰 The Hamlet is all set for our group of the week! Welcome dear HAPPY GO LUCKY guests, cannot wait to see you in a few!! 😍😍🤩🤩🥳🥳

05/10/2024

Oh my! This October sun!!! Absolutely fabulous light ☀️☀️☀️ Have a lovely weekend lovelies - bisous from the Hamlet 😘

05/10/2024

Merci mille dear wellness retreaters - always a pleasure to meet so many new smiley faces AND to welcome our first ever HH guest (from 07/2017!!) again and again 💕💕

Thank you Tuula for sharing your amazing know-how and for inspiring these ladies in their wellbeing 💛🙏

Kiitos for all the precious words, warmth and kindness 💚💚💚

PS. Next editions with Tuula in the Hamlet: April 21-26 & Sep 22-27, 2025. All info already online on our website, so clickiticlick if you want to book yourself a perfect spring or fall recharge next year! 👌💯

23/09/2024

15/09/2024

I’m still somewhere in la-la land, in a sweet bubble that surrounded me this week 💕💕

Les femmes fabuleuses, the inspiring, brilliant, hilarious, kindhearted women perfectly underlined the reason why we have created the Hamlet. To share sweet moments with beautiful souls - and to provide a ground for special bonds.

What a magical week with these extraordinary writers ✨✨✨

Cannot thank you all enough dearest .ritva & Jenni & Kirsi - and of course ma belle for all your words, wisdom as well as the laughs and tears.

You are all pure 💎💫🔥

08/09/2024

🥰 About last night.. Ouiii! This is how we spend Saturday evenings in the French countryside - at least once in a blue moon 😉

Ohhhh look who came back to her French home!! So extremely happy to have had you around again dearest 💚💚💚 Mille mercis for your (way too short!) visit, all the precious help, and especially the sweet and fun company!

Bon voyage back home (the other, more sunny one 😂), miss you already so we hope ”à très bientôt” 😘😘😘

PS. We were comparing two wines - we did NOT empty those two bottles! 😅

29/08/2024

I don’t read books.
I can’t read books.

I think it’s my mind being too busy. It is hard for me to concentrate 🤯

I forget what I read and I have to go back. I forget again. Then I have to go back again. Reading doesn’t advance really as it should 😂

(𝘖𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 😮🤔😆)
**

Then I took a few day mini-holiday (in the Hamlet!).

**

There’s this book that has been staring at me for years. Gifted to me by the author. I knew if I were ever capable of even thinking about reading one, then this was The Book.

I’d waited for the right moment, which never came… Until, on my holiday, I finally grabbed it, laid down under my favorite oak tree and I read.

I read I read and I read.

Once I started, I didn’t stop.

**

Maybe it was because I quickly connected with Amanda - to be honest I think I felt I was her.

Maybe it was because the text was so exhaustingly rich, addictive, beautiful, harsh, honest, surprising and satisfying.

Maybe it was because a butterfly landed on the book as if to listen to me read, and on that very page, there were butterflies in the text. (a long wait to turn the page because I didn’t want her to leave)

Maybe it was because Alejandro the peacock came stepping by my side just a short while after a peacock was mentioned.

Most likely it was because the author is a dear friend, and I read the whole book as if she was reading it to me.

When I felt the pages between my right fingers got slim, I didn’t want to advance. I didn’t want it to end.

But I did reach the last page.

Moved by the story.
Sad that it was the end.
Relieved that Maya showed up right after I had closed the book as if to comfort me.
Overwhelmed that someone can be so damn talented with words.

**

Merci, ma belle, Katja Kallio ❤️

𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

26/08/2024

🙌 HOLY-JOLLY-HOLIDAY 🥳

I just typed this in my email account’s out-of-office manager - felt so excited that had to send myself an email just to see it to believe it 😂🤩😍

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 & 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳 (𝘦𝘯 🇫🇷 𝘤𝘪-𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘴)!

🇬🇧 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵!

𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘹 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘱, 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘨 𝘫𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘵. 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘶𝘨 29𝘵𝘩 😎

𝘐𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱 +33 7 71 73 94 36 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘰 (𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰@𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘵.𝘤𝘰𝘮) 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 (𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 😅).

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘵, 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬! 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘣𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 (𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘎 / 𝘍𝘉).

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 ☀️ 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘬𝘢

**

🇫🇷 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘥𝘦 𝘮’𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵é !

𝘑𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘲𝘶’𝘢𝘶 29 𝘢𝘰û𝘵. 𝘝𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘻 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 (𝘰𝘶 𝘐𝘎 / 𝘍𝘉).

𝘗𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪 𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘰 (𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰@𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘵.𝘤𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘶 06 72 40 75 95). 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘯, 𝘫𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘳é𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘪𝘴 (𝘳𝘦)𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵é !

𝘑𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯é𝘦 🍀☀️ 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘬𝘢

Merci ma belle for the 📸!

23/08/2024

Bonne nuit from all the five ”chambres” 😴 After all these years I still cannot tell which one’s my favorite! Can you? Nighty night… 😘

20/08/2024

Ok ok. Game is on! I’ll let you guess what my favorite fruit (fresh from the tree) is! I’ll give you say 100 guesses and anyone who gets it right can either come wih a basket (big one, we’re loaded with them again!) or pick up a jar of jam next time when around the Hamlet 💜💜💜

15/08/2024

Guests ordered a pique nique lunch - so that’s what they got! Fun stuff to prepare for a change and apparently all delicious ☺️ Happy guests = Happy Hamleters 💯❤️

09/08/2024

Hosting holiday rental guests opens a window of opportunity for a ”mini-retreat” to ourselves 🤭 What a delightful day trip to dear friends’ summer house 😍 You definitely don’t always need to go far, nor for a long time - a break is always a (very good) break! 💯 Thank you & Fred for the lovely summer afternoon at beautiful ”Petit Quercy”! 👌🥰