FAQs

  • How do I get there?

    Inspire retreats take place in a peaceful hamlet, halfway between Monflanquin and Villereal, in the Lot-et-Garonne, France.

    Included in the price of the week are free transfers for arrival and departure from Bergerac, the closest city, either from the airport or the train station. This will be arranged with you ahead of your visit. There are regular flights from many places to Bergerac, eg London, Paris, and it’s equally possible to get the train from Paris via Bordeaux in a few hours. We encourage anyone arriving by train and there is a reduction of €100 for the price of your week if you travel this way to assist with the cost of your journey.

  • What's included in the price?

    The price of the week at Inspire includes:

    • your room, with a desk; linen and towels provided,
    • ALL of your food and drink for the week,
    • the preparation/serving of your lunch and evening meal – this is critical to maximising your time and space to think about your work, and nothing else…,
    • transfers from Bergerac, either airport or train station, at the start and end of the retreat, making it really easy to get here,
    • advice and close discussion of your writing with Marcus (should you want it!),
    • use of the library, a spare laptop (if you don’t want to bring your own), a ‘Freewrite’ keyboard if you want to go writing off-grid for the day, a laser printer to properly read through your progress, wifi, a piano, guitars, home cinema…,
    • use of the beautiful swimming pool,
    • perhaps the most precious thing of all; these retreats are deliberately SMALL, so you can have that precious space in which you want to work.
  • What happens during the week?

    The idea behind Inspire retreats is that it’s your time, to work how you want to work. To that end everything is arranged so you can get the most out of your visit, and we can be flexible with what you want and need.

    Of course, there will be (just a few) other people who have come to work, and so while you are free to take your breakfast from the kitchen at a time that suits you, we work to a routine of lunch at one pm and dinner at seven. Apart from that you can use your time as you wish; you can stay in your room, you can book a chat with Marcus about your project, you can explore the private woodland, sit and mull your ideas under a tree, in the library, or by the swimming pool… whatever you wish.

  • How accessible is it?

    As much thought has been given to the issue of accessibility as we have been able to.

    The bedrooms are up one flight of stairs; with bathrooms on the same level. There is a shower room on the ground floor. Unfortunately, at the moment there are no ground floor bedrooms, but this is something we aim to introduce in the future. Please get in touch to discuss any particular requirements.

    Marcus has good experience of working with blind/VI people, and while we can’t welcome guide dogs because of the possibility of allergies/phobias of other guests, we welcome anyone with a disability of any kind, and will do our best to make the week a success for you.

    The house, and Gigouzac itself, have an incredible nurturing and healing aspect; you will feel at peace here.

  • Can I bring my pet?

    Sorry, but no, as we can’t always know what the phobias or allergies of other guests might be.

  • What is the food like?

    The food at Inspire is simple, nutritious and extremely tasty. All ingredients are organic wherever possible and sourced as locally as possible. We can cater for vegetarians and vegans, and most intolerances and allergies, but we will discuss any requirements you may have ahead of your stay.

    Breakfast
    Breakfast is serve yourself with a selection of cereals, pastries, bread, cheeses, cold meats, jams etc.

    Lunch
    Lunch is usually a large and interesting salad, bread, cheeses, meats, soup etc and is served to you.

    Dinner
    The evening meal is a two/three course home cooked meal, prepared with locally-sourced organic ingredients. Wine, beer and soft drinks are all included in the price of your stay.

     

     

  • Who runs Inspire?

    Inspire is a project of the writer Marcus Sedgwick.  Please go here for more information.

  • What if I need to cancel?

    You can cancel your stay up to one month before the start date, and receive a full refund minus a €20 transfer fee. After that point, you can receive a 50% refund. We advise you to have adequate travel insurance covering your trip, should you need to cancel for covid-19 or other reasons.

    As for the stay itself, we request that all people coming to Inspire are fully-vaccinated, for the safety and ease of all people present.

  • Can I smoke/vape?

    Absolutely not, either in or near the house, for reasons of the health and comfort of all.