Location and Transport Links
The venue is one hour’s drive due south of Carcassonne which is well served by both SNCF and Ryanair. There is a shuttle bus from the airport to Carcassonne Railway Station and an infrequent train service from there to the nearest small town – 6 kms. from the venue. Toulouse and its airport are 2.5 hours away by road. Calais is about 700 miles to the north and, therefore, a two day trip by road. Further travel details and help with route planning can be provided.
Stuff people need to bring with them:
First things first:
A smile, a love of the outdoors and an open heart !
Plus a sense of excitement about living and working with their friends !
A robust attitude to the odd insect bite or sunburn; these things happen –
be prepared!
After that you need :
To come well equipped, physically and mentally, for outdoor living.
The summer days are often HOT so bring light clothes and footwear.
Plus swimwear, a warm fleece, for cool evenings, plus good tough footwear
and plenty of old working clothes.
Don’t bring fancy city clothes; they will be out of place and get wrecked.
Also you need:
Your own sleeping bag and mat.
A head torch ( that works! ) is essential.
For groups from the UK, bring any plug adaptors you may need.
None of these items can be bought locally without a lot of extra driving; a 60 Km.round trip.
All the rest can be discussed; make a list of your questions !
Volunteering.
I would like to propose that one half day per week be set aside to help with gardening and maintenance tasks here in the canyon or possibly to undertake to help one of our immediate neighbours or the village. This will not exceed four hours in total and will be planned in consultation with the group leader.
Communications while on site
For internet access, guests will need to purchase their own internet bundles. There is a good signal for roaming phones via the Bouygues network but a poor signal from providers whose roaming partner networks are less established locally. Vodaphone does partner with Bouygues; check with your provider.
The practical stuff
One member of the group should aim to be on site before the main group arrives. It takes some planning to make this happen but for a smooth start to the week it’s well worth the effort: There will be food shopping to be done, a new environment to become familiar with, and important information to be absorbed and passed on to the group. Every group will need a vehicle; this is vital for shopping, exploring, and for emergencies. Vehicle hire will need to be organised in advance of the main group’s arrival. There is safe parking for several vehicles on the estate property at a short distance from the canyon itself. Vehicles cannot be brought into the canyon, but I can offer to transport luggage and supplies from the parking place to the camp site as required.
Each group will need to appoint a Fire Officer and a deputy who agree to be responsible for ensuring that all naked flames are under close supervision at all times. There is a serious fire risk in the summer months.
All group leaders have to ensure and be prepared to show evidence that every member of their group is covered by basic health and accident insurance and that their members understand that they participate in living in le Moulin’s environment at their own risk. Group leaders will also be expected to hold a complete and up-to-date list of all members names, addresses, and family contact details. A secure place for document storage can be provided. Group members need to be fit, strong, and in good health. While some degree of disability might not present a problem, this environment is not suitable for anyone with serious mobility issues. The canyon is a natural geographical feature within a vast area of natural wilderness. There are cliffs and a deep natural rock pool on site. It cannot be made into a safe space for those with serious physical disabilities.
Money
I do not run these facilities on a profit-making basis; my aim is to cover the running costs while offering something affordable to creative groups who may not have huge financial resources.
They are only offered to groups which also follow a not-for-profit model. This can be discussed if your situation is more complex. What I require is a contribution towards the running expenses incurred by groups. These expenses include bottled gas, electricity, firewood, extra insurance, water charges, and breakages. This charge is in the form of full payment in cash due when the first group leader arrives. It will cover the whole group for their stay and is calculated at present to be €300 per group per week. (Just under €5 per person per day for a group of 9). A smaller charge will be made for a group of four or fewer. This bears no relation to the capital costs of the facilities provided and is not intended to. Additionally there will be a deposit of €100 made by bank transfer at the time of booking. This is held against more serious breakages and to confirm the booking. If no deduction for breakages needs to be made, it will be returned to the group leader in cash when the group leave. If the booking does not go ahead the deposit will not be returned.