Welcome to MagicBus for this week’s focus on organic farming and permaculture.
For this week we have worked with Alice, from Perma Social Club, a travel agency based in Montpellier and specialised in permaculture trips. This is a very special week, fully organised with lots of activities to help you discover some of the best places in the south. This trip will take you to an ecovillage, you’ll make candles at an organic beekeeper’s, taste local beers from the village’s spring water, do yoga in a urban oasis, taste organic wine at a beautiful vineyard, etc. And that’s not all! You will also find some nature moments: the Salagou lake, the Maure plains, some beaches, etc.
In short, a very complete week full of surprises that you will remember.
Please note that the activities presented are likely to change depending on the availability of partners.
Toulouse Airport (TLS)
4PM – On Day 1
Nice Airport (NCE)
1PM – On Day 7
This first day will start when we pick you up at Nice airport at 1pm. We will then go directly to the splendid Chateau de Gaure. A treasure that we recently discovered and that we will share with you! Chateau de Gaure is a family estate in biodynamics (an approach centred on the use of lunar and planetary rhythms), run today by Pierre Fabre, who describes himself as “creator of emotion”. He produces organic wines that we will have the pleasure of tasting over a meal specially prepared by the Domaine.
And the cherry on the cake: we will sleep directly in the heart of the Domaine, on board the MagicBus! A very promising first night on board.
We will start our day at the beautiful Chateau de Gaure. Then we will head to the Lac du Salagou for a nature day!
We will wake up at the Salagou lake for a short bike ride around the area
Then we head for St Guilhem-le-Désert, one of the most beautiful villages in France! Our first stop will be at Mathieu’s, the Apiculturist Apis Sophia, where we will discover the backstage of his job. Then we’ll go to the candle making workshop, with wax from the honey of his bees of course.
We will then head for the Làsarde brewery. A brewery that is a bit special since their beers are made from the spring water flowing in the village! A nice aperitif will be waiting for us there and you will also be able to order a meal if you like.
This day will finally lead us to the Oasis Citadine in Montpellier, where we will stay for the night. A collaborative permaculture urban farm hosting a committed collective. There, and after a short visit of the place, we’ll end the day in style, with a local beer in hand (and even brewed on the spot!).
And as usual, a meal on board MagicBus and a convivial evening in perspective!
Waking up at the Urban Oasis with a good breakfast and a morning yoga session (to start the day well)! Our yoga teacher will be David: permaculturist, agricultural engineer and yoga teacher.
Departure at 9am for the Camargue! (don’t worry, it’s the only day we’ll get up that early)
We’ll head for the Mas de la Comtesse: a manade located on the banks of the Canal du Rhône in the Petite Camargue. There, we will take you by carriage to visit the place. We will also have the opportunity to see a demonstration of the famous “triage” and even a tasting of products from the family production. The bulls, the horses, the arenas for the Camargue races, everything is there!
But we couldn’t pass through the Camargue without stopping at the salt marshes. So this will be our second stop of the day: a walk in the Camargue salt marshes!
Then we will head for Marseille to spend the night around here.
After a good breakfast on MagicBus’s roof top, we will start this day with a short walk in the Plaine de Maure to get a taste of nature!
Then we will go to meet a group of families living in participative habitats: an eco-village Bois de Brindille. There, we will have the opportunity to visit self-built and eco-constructed houses, to share a meal with their inhabitants and maybe even to take part in a participative building site (depending on the activity of the moment).
We will have the privilege to sleep directly on the spot to enjoy this small corner of paradise and its inhabitants.
Breakfast at the EcoHameau and direction la Ferme des deux choux. Starting from a wasteland, Laurence set up a farm based on the principles of permaculture. She settled here 2 years ago to produce, among other things, coloured eggs, a permaculture vegetable garden, an eatable forest… So we’re going to visit Laurence’s farm, and do some grocery shopping for the week! Lots of organic, local and seasonal products that we will cook on board MagicBus and that will delight our taste buds!
Then, a chill afternoon: we’ll go for a walk on the beach, enjoy the fresh air and why not take a swim! Before heading to the place where we will spend the night.
And that’s it, it’s already the end! A good Sunday brunch will be needed to say goodbye properly 😌. Then we’ll hit the road again to arrive at Nice airport at 1pm.
