The Guil gorges road winds its way along the mountainside, dizzying, dominating the turquoise waters of the torrential river which gives it its name, in a long string of winding bends, in the heart of the Queyras regional natural park, in the Hautes- Alps. In winter, when the access roads to the Izoard and Agnel passes are snow-covered and closed to traffic, this undulating roadway in a canyon landscape is the only way for motorists to reach the Ceillac and Arvieux valleys. , Abriès and Aigues.
The latter have eight resort villages, preserved from mass tourism, where people come less to show off than to breathe the fresh air, enjoy the ski areas in winter and go hiking in summer. La Rua, perched at an altitude of 1,730 meters, close to the slopes, is the first of seven hamlets in a row grouped within the commune of Molines-en-Queyras. This is where Maison Emme is located: a log cabin, the traditional habitat emblematic of the architecture of the Aigues valley, which a duo of mountain lovers transformed into cozy gîtes.
“The fustes are composed of three bodies, explains Justine Carré, the co-owner. Originally, families lived in the stone part, called the caset. Next to it is the old stable. The fuste itself corresponds to the upper part of the building, made of larch trunks, which was formerly the hayloft. Its facade, facing the mountain, has stacked balconies. »
This 17th century buildinge century, of almost 500 square meters, has been habitable since the major renovation carried out in the 1980s by the previous occupants, a group of German friends. Justine Carré and Mathieu Gicquel acquired it in 2019 and created four accommodations with a view of the peaks that can accommodate two to six people.
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Previously, Mathieu Gicquel worked in Grenoble as an engineer, after spending nine years in Canada, a good part of which in Vancouver aboard a food truck. The idea of settling in this remote valley was suggested to him by his partner, originally from Provence, accustomed since childhood to family vacations in Queyras and schooled for a time, by choice, about forty kilometers from Molines -en-Queyras, before becoming an agronomist, then a graphic designer in Alpe-d’Huez.
Together, for four years, thanks to the income generated by rentals, they set about bringing life back to this house left in its original state. They wanted to preserve its original name, which they believe to be that of its builder. While certain specific tasks, such as polished concrete coverings or plumbing work, were entrusted to craftsmen, they carried out many things themselves, often with the help of tutorials gleaned from the Internet.
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