"It's 10pm, and I'm chatting with new friends after dinner at a guesthouse in wilds of Catalonia. The candlelight flickers off stout terracotta jugs of wine and on to the faces of Thomas, a management consultant from New York, and Viktoras and Gabije, a charming Lithuanian couple I've been grilling about Baltic holiday spots. Ellen is German, living in Barcelona and training to be a therapist. It's testament to the relaxed vibe that the conversation flows as smoothly as the wine."
"A converted 17th-century masia (farmhouse), it's encircled by the fertile green humps and limestone crags of the pre-Pyrenees, with sloping gardens sheltering a large swimming pool. With its rustic, slow-living ethos, it's perhaps a surprising departure for owner Gerard Greene, former CEO of Yotel the modern, tech-driven city-centre brand with hotels in New York, Amsterdam and Tokyo among other cities. Just being here is a kind of therapy."
Off Grid is a 10-room retreat plus a four-bedroom barn in Alta Garrotxa, a protected nature reserve about 30 miles (50 km) north of Girona. The property is a converted 17th-century masia surrounded by fertile green humps, limestone crags of the pre-Pyrenees, sloping gardens and a large swimming pool. Interiors have whitewashed walls, bedrooms painted in limewash shades, sculptural stone sinks and brassy bathroom fixtures. Owner Gerard Greene began renovating the site in spring 2024, promoting a rustic, slow-living ethos. The retreat offers yoga, walking and restful outdoor time with views of Mare de Deu del Mont and nearby volcanic landscapes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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