Listen to this story

"Every story begins with an encounter.

Yet if history repeats itself,

it is from one heartbeat to the next that it is renewed."

In the 1960s, Joëlle's parents, expatriates from North Africa, chose this small corner of the Ardèche as a refuge. At the same time, a fox digs its burrow under the foundations of the house.

Privately, they nicknamed it "La Renardière" , like the traveller aspiring to rest his body and soul, who secretly baptizes his refuge.

Raymonde, a schoolteacher, and Antonin, a meteorologist, fell in love with the South Ardèche, a wild and sunny territory, echoing the land of their birth.

Their daughter Joëlle was 7 years old when she left the Hoggar and discovered the Ardèche.This was the opportunity for this little girl from the desert to leave the world of fire and to go and meet the world of water, with the Ardèche river where she learned to swim.

The Domaine has benefited from Antonin's passion for birds and trees.With the support of his wife, he prepared this land, planting cosmopolitan species.Blue cedars, atlases, lime trees and cypresses outlined the aviaries for the tropical birds.

Together, they unknowingly sowed the seed of the future Domaine en Terre Happy, the birthplace of Joëlle's maternal grandfather.

"At the crossroads, history links the earth and mankind and gives it relief." 

After Antonin's death, the estate, carried by his dreams, almost ended up in the hands of property developers. These developers, strongly interested in the richness of the place, nicknamed it "Les Jardins d'Antonin". 

Regaining the right to dream about the means of their own happiness, Joëlle and her mother perseveringly chose to lighten the family history.

They worked on reconciling with the place, in particular thanks to the harmonisation of sounds.

This is how Joëlle used her skills to care for her inner garden, while her father intended her to be a nurserywoman.

At the same time, she developed a rural craft activity called "L'Hirondelle", making and transforming flowers into soaps, candles and jellies.

As a result of this daily work, "La Renardière" was officially named "Au Bonheur de Vivre" (The Joy of Life) in 2006, opening the door to new possibilities.

120 rosebushes were planted, and with them the first steps towards the gîtes with a view to welcoming apprentices.

"The continuation of a story sometimes depends on a spark... which needs wood to maintain the sacred fire."

This was the meeting with Etienne, a small, joyful and dynamic man from Savoy, who left everything in 5 days to come and live in Ardèche, touched by the arrow of Love.

If the grace of Evidence is a powerful driving force, he must admit that after 6 months he was wondering what he was doing there!

Originally from a region where mountain water generously feeds nature, Etienne grew up next to a torrent, nourished by the element of water, and tamed the wind and its thermals by becoming a paragliding instructor.
When he arrived in Ardèche, the thermal shock due to the difference in climate and vegetation made him question his impulse.

Naturally confident, he knew how to stay in touch with his inner fire and the call of his heart. His enthusiasm for creating joyful social interactions took over and allowed him to tame this seemingly harsh and dry world. And trusting his adventurous spirit, he followed "his wood fairy" into the magic of her world, bringing with him a surprising mix of strength and gentleness.

Confident that he was on the same wavelength, he affirmed his inner reality, structuring at the same time the project of the cabins and the development of his osteopathic activity.

 From torments to turning points, 3 huts have blossomed, and with them the concept of well-being in Terre Happy.

"And since it is necessary to live "well" in the world of men...

... in this natural way, Natura Fenghsui was born in 2009, an online shop selling Fengshui products and harmonising living spaces.

The seemingly unusual presence of this Déco-Zen boutique is now in Véronique's hands.

For us, it is the symbol of the link with the "new" Domaine en Terre Happy. 
This tool of diffusion of our sensitive perceptions allowed us to meet Eric Defrenne, of Jolie Terre, in 2010.

Another meeting, another story that gave shape to the unusual concept of eco-gîtes.