Accomodation
Very little of the château is yet inhabitable, though one of the projects underway is to open up several more
rooms.
Depending on the time of year, and how many people are already here, volunteers with their own transport or who are
willing to cycle stay (free) in a gîte in the nearby market town of Espéraza (shown on the right).
Another gîte, in St-Ferriol itself, should be available later this year.
Occasionally a wood cabin in the local forest is available.
Other accomadation includes a caravan parked near the Chateau in winter and in a nearby field in the summer.
Some people with their own tents prefer to camp.
Transport
Volunteers with their own transport will find it much easier to get about,
as public tranport in such a rural area is
limited.
We have bicycles available to volunteers, and an old Renault 4 for those with a full valid licence and comprehensive insurance.
Food
We have one meal a day together and groceries are supplied for other meals.
Food is generally organic.
Vegitarians are welcomed, but vegans might find their diet limited at the château
and, as a consequence of experience, people with eating disorders are not encouraged.
Insurance
Volunteers must be prepared to have access to health care etc in case of sickness
or accidents. Health insurance or an E111 (British form) or equivalent
are ideal
Age
For legal reasons, volunteers must be at least 18 years old, but their is no upper limit.
Weather
In general the climate is Mediterranean, with hot dry summers, rainy winters, and moderate springs and autumns.
You can expect to get 300 days of sunshine a year in the Languedoc, but the region covers a large area, and for various reasons the weather can vary considerably within its borders.
After Corsica, the Languedoc and Roussillon region is the hottest in France, with average annual temperatures between 13.5°C and 15°C. A local city, Nīmes, reputed to be the hottest place in France, recorded a shade temperature of 43C (110F) in 2001.
Summer temperatures are frequently in the eighties (30C +).
The coastline, sheltered by mountains, tends to be sunnier than and warmer than the inland areas.
The mountains of course tend to be cooler, and valleys damper.
Generally, the inland temperatures are a few degrees cooler in winter and a few degrees warmer in summer.
St-Ferriol, about 40 Km from the coast and at 400 m altitude in the foothills of the Pyrenees tends to be few degrees cooler that the plains of the bas Languedoc.
Rainfall is about 28 inches a year.
Heavy rains come in autumn and sometimes in spring.
Summer rain is infrequent and the days are long and dry.
The Languedoc has some of the most extreme weather in France.
It has not only the hottest summers, but also the highest winds.
It has spectacular lightning storms, hailstorms that can strip a car of its paint, and occasional floods.
Heavy snows are common in the winter in the nearby mountans (which is good news for skiiers).
