Here are a few of the frequently asked questions we get from artists and writers before they come on retreat at La Muse.
Let us know if there are any we’ve missed!
Do You Accept Everyone for a Retreat at La Muse?
What’s The Best Way to Get to the Retreat?
What is the Local Transportation to the Retreat?
Are There Services at the Retreat?
Where Are the Nearest Medical Facilities?
What is the Weather Like?
What if I don’t Write or Paint 8 hours a Day?
Q: Is La Muse wheelchair accessible, or accessible to people with disabilities?
A: Our village is tucked into mountains and valleys and it’s hard to find even ground anywhere. Steps and steep hills characterize the village and our property. People with disabilities or limited mobility would not find the house easy to navigate, and we are not wheelchair accessible. Two of the rooms access the kitchen, library and terrace via one flight of stairs. The other three rooms have two flights to tackle. Access from the terrace to the street is via a sloping, stone stairway. Once through our gate, there’s quite a steep sidewalk to get to the main road.
Q: Do you have yoga mats?
Yes, we have yoga mats, straps, blocks as well as Mexican blankets. So, let us know if you want to reserve a mat during your stay! We will ask that you wash it before you go.
Q: Are there any organized activities or outings?
A: We can put residents in touch with a hiking guide, and a watercolor painting instructor who takes residents on hikes to give an outdoor watercolor painting course, and cooking courses, from simple bread or pasta-making to more elevated cuisine. We can also schedule massages, alternative therapies, and body work.
Q: Should I bring sheets and towels?
A: We provide them. You wash them. Those of you who swim at the lake or picnic down by the river, please DO NOT plan to use our white bath towels for such outings. Bring your own for such use.
Q: Should I buy toilet paper and kitchen roll?
We provide toilet paper and there are kitchen towels, although a lot of people buy their own kitchen roll.
Q: Are there laundry facilities at the house?
A: Residents are invited to use our washing machine and laundry line once a week, on the weekends. We charge 3 Euro per load. (This is intentionally steep to discourage overuse. You are welcome to share the machine with other residents to cut down on use.) Bring your own liquid soap. We do not use a dryer.
Q: Is there a printer at the house?
A: Yes, a photo printer, and because of this we ask residents to print large amounts of text in Carcassonne. There’s a photocopy store right beside the main post office in Carcassonne. If you have something you really need to print out, such as a boarding pass, or a few pages of an itinerary or poem then you can email us the document while you’re here and we’ll get it to you asap. The cost is 25 cents a page, the same as the store in Carcassonne.
Q: Do I need a converter, adaptor or transformer for my laptop?
A: To our knowledge, most laptops convert automatically, but you will need a plug adaptor for France. Please bring your own, they are very difficult to find here. Buy one that will fit into a round fixture so it will work with our surge protectors. We have surge protectors for all residents. Ask for a “universal converter,” that way you can use it all around the world.
Q: Are there modern kitchen amenities?
A: We have an automatic-drip coffee maker, electric kettle, toaster, refrigerator, an excellent industrial cooker, etc. Real foodies will want to bring their own knives.
Q: How do the meals work?
A: People cook for themselves. Residents are assigned shelves and refrigerator space in the kitchen. We have found that people usually get together once or twice a week for a communal meal, and we host a gathering of some kind most weeks.
Q: Is La Muse a social environment?
A: Yes, though that depends, to some extent, on a retreat’s particular group dynamic. The social vibe at the house is generally toned down because people work hard while they’re here. We do ask people to wrap it up at 10 PM. Most months our non-profit organizes some kind of activity (usually an art show and concert) but we do not do this every month.
Q: Can I bring my dog/cat/bird/pet?
A: Sorry, no pets.
Q: Can I bring my family/friends/significant others?
A: Spouses/partners are welcome at La Muse only if they are also residents at the house on a retreat, focused on a project. We do not welcome your visitors. We work with the owners of two neighboring cottages, which are available to writers and artists who would like to travel with family (no pets) or significant others, or who want to come for a shorter stay or anticipate visitors during their stay. Writers and artists in these houses are invited to use the La Muse library, terrace and printing facilities for work; their spouses are invited to join in on any meals organized by La Muse during their stay. Spouses may get bored; make sure yours knows there are no services, no televisions, no cafes, no shops. However, La Muse is an ideal spot for someone who loves to read, hike, cook, knit and take day trips.
Q: Do I need bug spray?
A: July has its fair share of mosquitoes, but oddly they only seem to bother a certain people. Otherwise, it’s not buggy. Anti-mosquito diffusers are available in grocery stores; they are very effective, more so than bug spray. One diffuser lasts for one month, generally. If mosquitoes make you miserable and you’re coming in July or August, buy one on your way up the mountain.
Q: What should I bring, in terms of clothes?
A: The house is in the mountains, in the South of France, so weather is unpredictable. Bring clothes for layering, and comfortable hiking or walking shoes. Please bring slippers or flipflops to wear inside instead of walking bare feet. You’ll be more comfortable this way; even in the summer the floors feel cool because they’re mostly stone. And, no matter when you come, bring one cozy sweater. We get cool nights, even in summer.
Q: Anything else recommended that residents bring?
A: One guest suggested we recommend binoculars for bird watching and another, a flashlight (and batteries for it) for night walks.
Q: What is the age range at La Muse?
A: Based on our past residents, we’ve accepted people in their early-twenties and late-seventies, though we don’t have a bookend in either direction. Acceptance is merit-based and has nothing to do with age.
Q: What’s life like in Labastide?
A: It’s a step back in time. Many of our French neighbors are either laborers or subsistence farmers; others are professionals who work for the local and regional French government offices. There are about forty or fifty year-round residents. In the last five years, there’s been an influx of foreigners (English, Belgian, German, Irish, and American) buying houses in the village who spend chunks of the year there. Most of them are writers or translators. The village is very, very quiet for most of the year, though from mid-July to the end of August its population nearly triples. It’s absolutely beautiful year-round, in every kind of weather.
Q: What will be my expenses?
A: This is a very difficult question to answer. Expenses will depend on an individual’s personal spending habit, especially in regards to appetite and how one chooses to get around. Food probably costs about the same as it does back home, with the exception of French specialty items, which are less expensive because freshly baked breads, pastries, pate, cheese and wine are staples in France. It’s generally 6 Euro to wash a weeks’ worth of laundry (two loads). If you plan to call home you can always use skype as an app. because we have WiFi, so saving on that charge or use your computer, during non “quiet hours.” Allow for at least one restaurant outing (50 Euro for a four or five course meal with wine.)
So, add up your current food budget, your choice of transportation (please see above), a “fun-budget” to allow for meals out, extra treats from the grocery store, perhaps artisanal regional products etc, and you’ll have an idea.
Q: Should I bring foreign currency or travelers’ checks?
A: Because of some issues with counterfeit, it can take two weeks or more to change dollars or travelers’ checks into Euros. And you need a French bank account to change the currency. The best solution is to pay by credit card and/or to use debit cards to get cash when you get here in a large amount so that you’re not charged each time. Check with your bank for exchange rates and foreign transaction fees. Make sure they know you’ll be taking out money in a foreign country so that they don’t block your account.
Q: I am a visual artist coming to La Muse. What supplies, if any, do you have in your studios? Should I bring everything I need for my project?
A: Artists shouldn’t hope to find anything in the studios. Though there is usually a bit of white spirit or some acrylic paints around, we can’t guarantee you’ll find what you need and do not catalogue what’s there.
There are inexpensive, good quality art supply stores in Carcassonne where we bring artists on their arrival date to buy supplies if needed. You can buy everything you need there. Please come with an organized list so other residents don’t spend hours waiting while you hem and haw over what you’re going to focus on and what to buy.
Contact us now about availability!