Bodhi On Wheels: April 2015

Up out of the river plains of the Hérault, we cycled past rounded hills and increasingly mountainous terrain, riding along a Voie Verte (cycling track with no vehicles) through the heart of Haut Languedoc. This led us to our next stop: an isolated farm high up in the hills, surrounded by forest and wild terrain. No organic vegetables farmed here; instead the work focused on the processing of wild herbs and plants primarily for herbal infusions and essential oils. A change of focus for us after two consecutive farming gigs, and a real taste of quiet and lonesome mountain beauty...

THE RIDE TO LA SALVET:

Cycling towards Cabrières as we head up towards the hills.

Following a perfect road for cycling with no traffic and gorgeous views. Jeff and Bo clearly à l'aise.

Bo exploring Valmascle.

Staying the course of small country roads whenever possible, a good formula for cycling around France. Katy grits out a long slow climb.

Our campsite not far from Lamalou, our first time wild-camping since early November. The weather was on our side: lows of only 8-9° C.

A sunrise hike before our day's ride. No lie-ins when Bo is around!

We hopped on the Voie Verte de Haut Languedoc (Passapais) near Lamalou, just west of Bédarieux.. An old train line now converted into a cycling and walking track, an ideal way to travel through otherwise very-hilly Languedoc.

Bo was able to get in on it too.

The twelfth-century church of St Pierre-de-Rhèdes.

... and its fantastic cemetary, urban-like in its layout of alleys and family tombs.

We started getting some outrageous views of the Cevennes as we moved westwards along the Passapais...

Katy, loving it.

Several train tunnels to negotiate. Jeff eyes this one up.

Katy and Bo on the bridge before Olargues.

Jeff and Bo at St. Etienne d'Albagnan.

Our future WWOOF hosts arranged for the local school bus driver to carry our gear up the mountain!

Here it is stuffed into the back of the bus.

With significantly lighter bikes we made our way up into the hills, an 8km climb. Bo was digging the mountain air already.

For the last 2 kilometers we had a guide: 9 y.o. Jasmine, one of the daughters of our hosts.

THE PEOPLE:

Jean-Louis, principal force behind Le Salvet. His specialty is the harvest and processing of wild medicinal plants. He has been involved here for over 25 years, from its early days as a hippie community accessible only by a mule track.

Caro and Jasmine. Caro is responsible for the creation of all the jams, spreads and preserves at La Salvet.

Bodhi, now 22 months old. At Le Salvet he metamorphosed into a prodigious eater; here he is devouring a veggie burger made by his mam.

A few of the ubiquitous local characters...

Vainille and her wild son Lumi.

Silene (11 y.o.), Bodhi, and Jasmine (9 y.o.)

Some sunshine tunes on a relaxed Sunday.

Lise, who has come to do a two-week internship at Le Salvet. She is studying the cultivation and career of medicinal and edible plants in Nyons (Provence).

Silene, Caro and Jasmine.

Jeff (+ Bodhi) and Simon at the nearby summit of La Serre. Simon has come to Le Salvet to do a nearly one-year stay.

Bo and Lumi.

Katy, Jeff, Simon and Jean-Louis.

THE PLACE:

Hard as it is to believe, our good fortune has brought us up here to an elevation of 530 meters and into a wild and intriguing corner of Herault. Le Salvet can be seen in this picture just right of center in the midground (small clearing in the trees). The mountains rising in the background are the Cevennes, rising up to over 1000 meters.

The central building here was never intended to be a permanent dwelling: it housed hay and sheep until the mid 1970's for a farmer in the nearby village of Bézis, until some back-to-the-landers moved in and started fixing it up.

As seen from another angle.

Much of the productivity at Le Salvet is thanks to the WWOOFERs who visit (usually April to October). They are lodged in caravans peppered about the woods and fields of the property. Simon inhabits the one seen above.

During our stay, we were lodged in the girls' former playroom in the main building above the kitchen. Bodhi clowns around with Papa, Mama and Baby Bear on our bed..

Springtime advances day by day: yellow daffodils start popping up.

... as well as these.

A marvellous viewpoint from Le Salvet.

Mealtime. We ate very well here: nearly 100% vegan and organic.

Bo goes to town on a plate of potatoes.

High-quality mountain honey, a cherished local feature in Languedoc.

Various footpaths wander the nearby hills...

... and we were sure to get Bo out as much as possible.

Plenty of time to play as well...

Drying the nappies!

THE WORK:

This building is called Le Séchoir (the drying room and storing room for herbs). It would be the center of work activities for our stay, as it is too early in the season to do wild harvest, unfortunately. In the foreground are some rows of thyme; along with rosemary, sage and lavender they are the only herbs cultivated at Le Salvet. The rest are all picked and gathered in the forest, from a selection of sites around the south of France that Jean-Louis has visted and re-visited over the decades.

Jeff and Katy processing bay laurel leaves. Besides in the kitchen, Laurier is useful as a diuretic, astringent and for gastro-intestinal ailments.

Simon, Katy and Bo tackle a pile of romarin (rosemary leaves). Besides its use in the kitchen, it is diuretic, anti-oxidant and useful for gastro-intestinal problems.

Busserole (bearberry), useful for fighting urinary tract infections.

A heap of sage (sauge) waiting to be processed (sorted and picked over). A very useful culinary herb, its medicinal properties include: alleviation of stomach ailments, diarrhea, menstrual pains, asthma, inflammations, etc..

Bo pitches a hand in the sorting of oliviers, olive leaves. They are antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anticancer.

Warm weather sends the crew outside.

Bo gets serious about bearberry.

Drying bay leaves.

Sacks of sage.

5 kilos of sorted juniper berries on the scale. Genévrier is diuretic, antiseptic and particularly useful for urinary tract infections and arthritis.

One of Jean-Louis' tools and contraptions for processing dried herbs.

Running amok in the storeroom.

Le Salvet does most of its business in bulk sales; nonetheless there are various products available on their website and in local shops and fairs. Sarriette, or savory, one of the commercially-available dried herb products of Le Salvet.