Leaving the herd behind on a family trip in the peaceful southern French Alps

Écrin (also the name of the surrounding national park) means jewel box and the guesthouse lives up to its name, with gem-coloured textiles and a pool with a view. Run by Jean Mellot and his Taiwanese wife, Meg Liu, this ancient farmhouse connects visitors comfortably with nature. Over plump lamb chops, slivers of earthy Alpine cheese and oomphy shots of génépi, Jean gives us a primer on local shepherding culture. Wolves are the big talking point. After being hunted to extinction in France, they returned in 1992, drifting back over the Italian border. Now the southern Alps have the country’s highest density of them and shepherds are having to change the way they manage their flocks.