Meet our friend Philippe Papadimitriou

Owning a guesthouse is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for some, and a necessary source of income for others. For adventurer Philippe Papadimitriou, it's a way to combine both goals in a small village north of the Cévennes.

"A tall young man whose grandfather was once the owner of the Hôtel de Paris in Cairo, Egypt (8 Rue el-Maghraby, el-Abaseya district, near Ain Shams University)," is how writer Nicholas Crane described him in Clear Waters Rising after walking for a year and a half from Cape Finisterre to Istanbul, stopping at the guesthouse along the way.

In his account of his stay at L'Etoile, Crane details how Philippe bought and transformed this former holiday hotel. "It was pure intuition," Philippe says, "not a scientific experiment."

Crane was clearly fascinated by the Belgian-Greek host. And it's no wonder: from prospecting for gold to working various odd jobs, Philippe's life story is full of twists and turns. How he ended up in the Cévennes is an adventure in itself.

While living in Brussels, an opportunity arose on his 29th birthday to help renovate a traditional mas (farmhouse) bought by a fellow Belgian in a small village in the Gard region. "It was perfect timing," Philippe recalls. "I wanted to work abroad and I was ready for a change."

Once the project was finished, Philippe decided to walk all the way back to Brussels from the South of France. He set off but stopped after just thirty kilometers in the small village of Bordezac. "There, I met Olivier, the young owner of the farm inn 'Le Mas du Lauzas,' who was looking to close his business. Excited by the prospect, I wanted to take over the place with him, but it ultimately didn't work out."

Philippe ended up staying six months longer than planned. Then, with two horses and a dog lent by his new friend, he and a companion decided to travel across the country.

They followed the ancient Roman road, 'La Voie Régordane' (GR®700), through the Cévennes and passed through La Bastide-Puylaurent. They stayed there for two months in the summer of 1989 before heading toward the Vosges mountains along the GR®7. That month and a half of adventure inspired Philippe to completely change his life. Nature, human connection, energy, and quality of life became his driving forces.

During his travels, the idea of opening a guesthouse began to take root. After wandering through the Pyrenees and the Cévennes, he returned to La Bastide-Puylaurent, where the old 'Hôtel du Parc' (also known as 'Hôtel Ranc') was for sale. He quickly acquired it and specialized in hosting hikers as a gîte d'étape, which eventually evolved into a fully-fledged guesthouse.

For Philippe, this was the realization of a true ideal. From June 15th to September 15th, he cooks, cleans, bakes his own bread, serves Belgian beers, and successfully creates a 'home away from home' atmosphere for his guests.

"When I open for the season, I feel like I’m boarding a sailboat ready to cross the ocean," he says. "It’s no longer just work; it's a grand adventure!" Philippe makes himself fully available to manage his large 'ship' around the clock.

He also works tirelessly on his websites to promote his concept and share his passion for a different way of living, working, and developing this adventure—approaching it much like a gold prospector. "I may be a businessman, but I’m not a shopkeeper," Philippe notes. "The money will come if the idea is good and rich—it has to feel right..."

During L’Etoile’s off-season, Philippe takes the opportunity to travel and meet other guesthouse owners, ranchers, and innkeepers around the world. His exchanges have taken him to places like Strawberry Mountain Inn B&B in Oregon (USA), Mowbray Park Farmstay in New South Wales (Australia), Horse Creek Ranch in Alberta (Canada), and Hotel Zagour in Zagora (Morocco).