JM team retreat 2020 – La Giettaz

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough. Ranko tested negative, but stayed in quarantine at home as a precaution due to a positive case in his close environment.

So we drove to Geneva on Saturday morning with only two instead of three cars, with a short stop at Zurich Airport, as Jony came directly from London.

After a good five hour drive we were standing in front of a huge house in a tiny Savoy village! But the Chalet Goville was not only “très chic” from the outside. We shouldn’t want for anything in these seven days. Well, except for a fast internet connection.

Our historic home from 1888 has only recently been hollowed out, renovated and expanded with great care and a great deal of style awareness. Many of the original knitted walls have been preserved, the country kitchen under the old, six-meter-high wood chimney is equipped with a large Lacanche stove, the cool natural cellar next to the kitchen has been converted into a walk-in wine and storage cupboard, and the old vaulted arch on the ground floor is integrated into the spa landscape as well as the living comfort overall raised to a modern level. Everyone can choose a spacious room with an integrated bathroom and a private balcony. We would only have got the house full if our partners and all the children had come with us.

Since we booked our stay after the hiking season but before the ski season, the little village sank into pleasant calm. And on Monday already in snow.

For this reason we started our first hike on the Petit Croisse Baulet on Sunday. After almost 3 hours and 800 meters of ascent through wonderfully colored autumn forests, we were rewarded with a wonderful view of the Mont-Blanc massif.

Due to the current Covid regulations and the nationwide lockdown that will apply throughout France from Friday, we have waived city tours, excursions and restaurant visits.

The days were therefore characterized by homely comfort. As is already tradition, we cooked for each other in teams of two, worked in between, read a lot, lit the fireplace at the push of a button, enjoyed the sauna and whirlpool, and put in a few spinning sessions, jogging laps and walks. There was enough space and opportunities and so our team retreat 2020 evaporated in no time.

Nice, despite the adverse circumstances, it worked out to spend time together intensively as a team.

We’ll see each other from home for the coming weeks and months. Stay healthy!

Our accommodation, the «Chalet Goville».

One of the nice rooms.

All of the rooms with its own bath.

The kitchen with its Lacanche stove and the huge wooden steam vent.

37° C. Still covered.

We brought along our own coffee machine, of course.

Lot’s of space in the cosy chalet.

Raclette. Asian summer rolls. Pasta. Vegetarian lentil curry. Pumpkin tart. Pizza. Stew. Czech chicken. …

Open fire for the ambience. On Click.

A quick fine pasta at the night of arrival.

Everyone their place of work.

Off to the first hike. Unfortunately it was the only one due to the snowfall.

Colorful autumn below…

…heavy wind above.

But with a wonderful view of the Mont Blanc massif.

Monday morning.

It used to be more of a barn than a residential building.

The “kitchen” before the renovation.

The chalet has been completely hollowed out.

Mailbox idyll on the jogging circuit.

Magical colored deciduous forests all around.

Mmmhh. There was also meat…

Jan in action.

Small walk.

So nobody get’s lost.

Music. Leo & Jay’s great passion.

Meeting point Kitchen.

Winter mood.

It’s been a crazy year. So it’s all the better that it worked out with the Retreat team.