Ecological involvement

Our village in a preserved environment

For more than 20 years, our activist and associative journey in the East of France, in Alsace-Lorraine, then here in the South of the Pyrenees Orientales has led us towards a humanist commitment first and then environmental, increasingly realistic and demanding. Because the protection of children, like mothers and fathers and therefore our future as a species, is the same as that of our planet and ecosystem. Given that the increasing pollution of our natural resources (water, air, land, fauna and flora) as well as the deterioration of our health, that of our children and our living conditions in general, are becoming more and more worrying. This is why we chose this little haven of peace in the Catalan country, nestled at the top of a rural and wine-growing village, already itself committed at municipal level to a sustainable development approach, among the first villages in France in “Zero phytho”, while trying to become relatively “autonomous” in renewable energies thanks to photovoltaics, by promoting private or collective vegetable gardens without pesticides, by organizing composters or by improving roads and the quality of pipes and recycling of waste, etc.

Our renovations and eco-logical projects

Thus, upon our arrival in the village in 2017, our choice to move towards ecotourism seemed obvious to us in this magnificent natural environment with exceptional views of the mountains and the sea. We then started our accommodation rental activity. tourism in 2018, always with the objective of respecting architecture, craftsmanship and local commerce, while also committing ourselves to an approach of quality and environmental responsibility.

This is why we started the renovation of this large Catalan farmhouse of almost 350 m2 as a priority by reviewing the insulation and changing all the doors and windows for GROSFILLEX aluminum double glazing, insulating the attic with rock wool and finally by completely repainting and modernizing it. Then for energy saving by installing 18 photovoltaic “solar” panels on our large south-facing terrace with at the same time a “thermodynamic ambient air” water heater coupled everywhere with reversible air conditioning with low noise level and consumption ( which mosquitoes hate by the way!). For the economy and quality of water, we have gradually installed several rainwater collectors, replaced our large swimming pool with salts (without chemical chlorine), reviewed the waterproofing of the roof in particular of our magnificent roof terrace in solarium with NAMGRASS synthetic turf (choice of recycled plastic, certified 15 years) lighter, economical and ecological ultimately given the weight or cost and above all the constraints of continuous watering of a green roof in the South of France; in order to avoid both humidity and energy loss in winter as well as heat accumulation in summer. Finally, we recently installed on each kitchen faucet Aragon-SR Geyser water purifiers from EPIXEN-Bien-être (carbon filters) during the increase in chlorine during tourist periods and the risk of nanoparticle deposits in the water. city ​​water.

For our other outdoor projects, we are still installing a permaculture orchard and vegetable garden (obviously zero pesticides here, everything is weeded by hand or machines) with a small henhouse at the bottom of our large and long garden. 2 hectares that we would like to rehabilitate, as before below, into an eco-logical orchard too.

True Ecotourism rather than Greenwashing

“Ecotourism is one of the sectors experiencing the highest rate of development in the world, unlike mass tourism which degrades natural environments, by integrating an ethical and eco-citizen dimension. Good practice guides are appearing for taking biodiversity into account in hotels” and accommodation in France as well – see Ecotourism.

Given that the term “ecotourism” is not protected, just like “sustainable development” or “fair trade”, it is now better to refer to the opinions of organic farmers and/or local peasants, committed artists and artisans, traders truly independent as small businesses and local associations that are more legitimate and competent in the matter (and no longer only to big brands and subsidized NGOs) to identify truly eco-responsible offers in this splendid department of the Pyrénées Orientales, neglected for too long. Because currently, in France as almost everywhere in Europe, we are witnessing an increasingly present and widespread phenomenon of “greenwashing” consisting of making poor consumers and tax-paying citizens feel guilty and lying to better tax them and plunder their meager resources in order to fatten the rich private multinationals (polluters who always do not pay) much more polluting in reality than SMEs, households, businesses or others, to further support the serious deviances of the international banksters of shadow finance (HFT: High Frequency Transaction, toxic securitizations and excessive tax exemption), mercenary pharmaceutical and criminal industrial agri-food firms which try whenever possible to “green” their slogans, reputations and falsely altruistic and “eco-responsible” approaches while continuing to strictly the opposite !

A perfect example of Greenwasking : the 100% electric car absolutely in no way “eco-logico-responsible” when we must move towards a progressive reduction throughout the world of radioactive nuclear power plants (not to mention lithium batteries, copper cables necessary for recharging almost everywhere…) and replace them one day not by RE: Climate-dependent renewable energies such as wind turbines (useless without wind) or solar (useless at night) but for example by free energy magnetic motors Tesla type thanks to powerful magnets (when our public subsidies will really go to useful research and not exclusively reserved for the military-industrial complex according to petrodollar prices), Archimedean endless screws in micro hydrodynamic screw power plants on our canals and rivers (real mills of the 21st century), the reasoned and reasonable exploitation of Liège and the return of stoves to remote villages or spaced out homes and fireplaces with real logs (and not potentially harmful industrial pellets, not to mention the factories manufacturing) and coming from truly sustainable forest areas to still be preserved and maintained in France, also sometimes a little Geothermal energy (depending on the heat of the earth or the hot underground water) when it is possible depending on the seismic zones or no and even Methanization for certain small businesses in order to intelligently recycle their or our bio-waste only generated on site and not imported (not to recreate public or private landfills), etc. In short, as you have understood, always consider “local solutions for a global disorder” (film by Coline Serreau, 2010).

This is why in our committed words and speeches (while remaining attentive to and respecting the needs and divergent opinions of others), as much as in our militant actions too, in coherence with our moral, spiritual and civic values, we offer you another vision or rather “art of living” slower, calm and relaxing… and not just during the holidays either 🙂

The development of true Green Tourism, Cycle tourism & “Slow Life”

Because today speed is undoubtedly killing us! In our modern societies, especially urban ones, as with the global banking and monetary system, time is constantly accelerating at great speed, in time-consuming ways. People whatever their backgrounds, genders and nationalities are far too over-stimulated because they are connected to robots, computers and screens almost 24 hours a day. The vast majority in the West live at 100 or 200 km/hour all day long and run all year round, even our entire lives, after increasingly erratic schedules. This is to try to reach “metro-work-resto-sleep” on time, manage our daily tasks as best as possible with dependent children or teenagers and other responsibilities, participate as best we can in associative, cultural, festive or sports (for us or our loved ones), still keep a few friends, stay young and attractive, perform well at work or in bed, etc. Always in competition with machines as with other humans (neighbors, colleagues, friends, siblings, schools, social networks, etc.), constantly in the search for physical and sporting performance, sensual and sexual, intellectual or other.

As a result, too stressed, too often and for too long, we take stimulants to keep us going (chocolate, coffee/tea and other hidden sugars in junk food, energy drinks, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, medicines, etc.). Without realizing that we gradually end up becoming clogged (clogged emunctories = chronic inflammation), falling ill and sometimes even dying prematurely (respiratory then digestive allergies, chronic and immunodepressive illnesses, cancers, etc.). And when finally, from time to time, we can slow down a little and unwind during a well-deserved vacation, weekend or occasional vacation, we have the “counter-blow” of this excessive speed and the over-stress of our “Quick Life “. In psychoanalysis, we call this the “boomerang” effect or the “decompensation” phase with more or less visible, annoying or even disabling side effects.

It’s with this objective also that we provide our guests, in addition to documentation on tourist activities, local maps of cycle, hiking or equestrian trails, as well as a list of good addresses of artisans, traders, farmers and local winegrowers, such as good gourmet, semi-gastronomic or other restaurants, in order to combine, as in Italy or Spain, the “Bella Vita” & “Slow Life/Slow Food” with the “Belle Vie” or “Art of Living” from the South of France too.