Ariege maison d'hôtes in the French Pyrenees
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We've been involved in responsible and sustainable tourism for a number of years (our restaurant won two environment awards) and of course we're carrying on that commitment here: for us it's a way of life, not a marketing tool. In restoring this house we've favoured natural and ecological materials wherever it's been feasible: hemp and lime render, lime washes, natural paints made in-house using earth pigments from Roussillon, reclaimed wood and furniture .....
On a day to day basis we do all the usual things: low energy light bulbs and appliances, keeping waste to a minimum, various forms of composting, minimising our use of electricity, heating oil and water, etc etc. [Yes, we use oil for heating; we inherited a huge, relatively new and very efficient Viessman boiler and although we'd prefer something more eco-friendly neither of us class as environmentally sustainable replacing something that's in perfectly good sound order]. Taps and showers have flow limiters; WCs have dual flush mechanisms. We use, make, and supply our guest accommodation with, environment friendly cleaning materials and toiletries in refillable containers. Recycling is pretty advanced here in France; we separate out our waste and provide the means for our guests to do the same, while always preferring re-use in some form or other. We're effectively paper-free and do all our administration through the internet. We've deliberately opted out of what's generally called the consumer society: we buy what we need, don't do 'brands' and don't feel the need to own the latest bit of gadgetry.
We manage our gardens on loose permaculture principles. We grow our vegetables and fruits with respect for the environment, without chemicals and following lunar cycles. We have created and continue to create a garden that is as natural as possible, one that reflects and blends in to the woodland environment surrounding it. No manicured lawns, but natural grassland; some areas have been left completely wild in order to attract and shelter the copious wildlife with which we share this place (the name of our house, Grillou, is a diminutive of 'grillon' the French word for 'cricket'). And no swimming pool, because we have no wish to disturb the peace, silence and natural beauty of the surroundings; instead we plan one day to resurrect the former 'mare' (farm pond) that used to be on this land many years ago.
Community
We source the food that we don't grow ourselves from local producers. Ariège is particularly rich in distinctive local produce of all kinds, some of it labelled organic or biodynamic, much of the rest being produced in a sustainable and ecological fashion without labelling. We have links on our website to some of the most local farmers, producers and other outlets and details of the best markets to help our guests prepare for their stay and encourage them to also buy locally (most do - it's one of the things they come for). Many producers welcome visitors and we do whatever we can to help guests visit and discover our local gastronomie.
By offering dinner here just three days a week we encourage guests to use local restaurants. This is particularly important in a sparsely populated rural area like ours where many restaurateurs are feeling the pinch of 'la crise'.
We're a place for Slow Travel, not one night stopovers - we'd much rather welcome people who want to get an authentic experience of the Ariège and the Pyrenees, which takes time. We provide a vast amount of information about the department and spend time with our guests helping them to immerse themselves in local life if that's what they want (and we hope they do!) and even acting as interpreters if needed. We have a wealth of resources here and what, or who, we don't know, our neighbours almost certainly will!
We're dog friendly and will accept one dog at a time here. We make a small charge of 5€ per night as a contribution towards the extra cleaning required; we don't, however, keep this ourselves but donate it to the local SPA (rescue centre).
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