... is now grillou, in southern france!
 

Some of you may have hit on this page because you were looking for terroir restaurant with rooms in Cley next the Sea; others may simply want to find out what's happening at our new place, Grillou, in the southern French department of Ariège Pyrénées.

So a quick catch-up for those who don't know: after nearly nine very full-on and successful years in Cley, terroir closed its doors at the end of 2006 when we decided to move lock, stock and barrel to one of our favourite parts of our favourite country, the French Pyrénées. The house that housed terroir-as-was was sold and has reverted to a private home, and surprisingly quickly and with remarkably little angst, we found and fell for our next home, Grillou, where we've been living now for almost two years.
 

about grillou

Grillou is a 300 year old stone farmhouse literally in the middle of the woods, in the foothills of the Pyrénées, almost at the end of its track with just one other (out of sight) house a few hundred metres beyond. We're just 3 kilometres or so from our nearest village, Rimont, which has a boulangerie, an epicerie-bar and a rather good restaurant, and surrounded by beautiful scenery. When we came to view the house we were seduced by the absolute peace: all you can hear are cowbells, crickets (the 'grilloux') and birdsong. After a serious amount of work (!), we'll be opening Grillou to guests (you can read more about that below and on the next page).

Ariège Pyrénées is the 'other' south of France: still largely unknown even to the French, it's a rural department with just six main towns, many small villages and hamlets, some of the most stunning scenery in the country and a surprisingly lively and alternative cultural scene including some of France's best summer festivals. You can find us on the map wedged between Aude, Haute-Garonne and Andorra, believe it or not slightly farther south than Nice; or try this website, which is a great introduction to the area. Concern for the environment is strong here: the core of the department encompasses France's newest Parc Naturel Régional, of which we are a part, and there are many small organic and biodynamic producers around (not always certified), many of whom have opted out of successful city lives in France and elsewhere to live a simpler life here. The area is fantastic for walking, with endless well-marked paths for all levels; for birding; for photography and painting; or just for chilling with a picnic by a river or at one of the mountain cols with fantastic views right into Spain and Andorra.

Getting here from the UK or anywhere in northern Europe is pretty straightforward: both Carcassonne and Toulouse airports are just over an hour and a half away; if you prefer to take the train the TGV will bring you to Toulouse with a local connection to Foix, just half an hour away. Once you're here, a car is pretty much essential though. If you're bringing your own car, it's perfectly possible to drive from Calais or Boulogne in one (long) day, though we ourselves would break the journey usually somewhere near Chartres.

Here's a better look at Grillou ...

about us

We are Kalba Meadows and John Curtis; together we ran terroir restaurant with rooms in our home in Cley next the Sea, north Norfolk from 1998 to 2006. terroir, despite its low key approach and ultra-modest size, became increasingly well known and won a number of awards, including Les Routiers Regional Restaurant of the Year and Local Food Supporter of the Year (twice), plus several environmental awards such as the Business in the Community Award of Excellence for environmental responsibility. We come, respectively, from the worlds of person centred therapy and social work; we're into food, wine, walking, contemplation, birds and wildlife, growing things, environmental stuff, writing, living and being. We've come here to live more Slowly and more simply, to find time, space and balance, and to share this magical place from time to time with like-minded others.

so watch this space ...

... because you haven't quite seen the last of us yet! Although Grillou is first and foremost our own home, we're in the throes of creating some space for guests (to be honest, we'd miss you if we didn't!) - full details on the next page. We'll also be offering occasional day and residential workshops and events for small groups: space and time to be, to reflect, to see ourselves - our relationships with ourselves, with the environment and with other people - in a new way.
 

when?

Well, although we've made huge progress over the last year or so we've (still!) got an enormous amount of work to do to bring the house and grounds up to their full glory, as it were. Grillou was by no means a ruin when we moved in, but it's very much a product of the 1980s, complete with Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen type paint effects, blue bidets and dribbly showers; it was also, being originally a couple of smaller houses plus cowshed and barns, a bit of a maze and so needed some creative tinkering with layout and walls to bring out its best. Although we'd originally anticipated being ready for guests by summer 2009, life, the universe and everything had other plans for us, so please bear with us: we now anticipate opening our guest accommodation for spring 2010. As I write, our small team of craftsmen is busy wiring, plumbing, knocking down some internal walls, insulating, hemp plastering, doing creative things with reclaimed wood and stone and all the rest; we're working alongside doing everything else, including much of the demolition, creating a new shower room, tiling, sanding floors, painting, lime washing, laying stone for terraces ...

The curious amongst you can get a sneak preview of the work here ...

want to know more?

You could:

>>>>  get a taste of things to come on the next page, Slow Holidays.

>>>>  click here to catch up with our latest newsletter.

>>>>  find out more about how to find out more about Ariège-Pyrénées.

>>>>  join our mailing list to receive future newsletters (and a treat or two if you come and stay with us in our first year!).

>>>>  read more from Grillou on our blog, Slow Living in the French Pyrénées.

contact us ...

© Kalba Meadows 2008-9.    Last update 26 May 2009.
Award winning neighbourhood restaurant with rooms, unique seasonal vegetable cooking and fine organic wines; lonslow, pleasurable dining; chic, boutique style acc re