photo shows a packet of lentilles corail slices by Fleury Michon. Its a bit like ham but vegetarian.

Not Just for Vegetarians: Eating Well and Eating Better in Rural France

Being environmentally minded, gentle folk, a significant percentage of our guests are vegetarian, and many others are trying to eat more healthily. Food and drink are an important part of a holiday, and it’s interesting to observe France catching up with the UK in its offer of vegetarian and plant-based foods. I thought I […]

by Heidi Smith
June 20, 2026
rewilding, Climate Change, Things to do, Animals, Environment, Nature, Uncategorized

guests arriving at Le Moulin de Pensol and being given the key by the hosts.

No Trump supporters here please

New customer policy: We regret that Le Moulin de Pensol is no longer able to accommodate Trump supporters, climate change deniers or Tesla drivers. If you voted for Trump, or would have done had you had the opportunity, if you have found yourself saying things like “oh he’s not too bad at least he’s getting […]

by Heidi Smith
April 5, 2025
Climate Change, Travel, Business, Environment, Nature

Close-up of a bullfinch perched on a branch, showcasing its vibrant plumage and distinctive colors in a garden setting

Bullfinches – A Welcome Spring Surprise

Historical Impact of the Bullfinch and Its Role in Our Garden I was watching a bullfinch hopping around the garden this morning. A welcome distraction from my exercise bike torture, it was cheerfully moving around the unmown grass and occasionally checking out the peach and pear trees I’ve always liked them, but I was reminded […]

by Heidi Smith
February 16, 2025
Climate Change, Animals, Environment, Nature, Uncategorized

Mating meadow fritillaries at Le Moulin de Pensol, July 2024—showcasing how rewilding fights Shifting Baseline Syndrome and revitalizes biodiversity.

The tune of nature (in a minor key)

The tune of nature, (in a minor key.) Standing in the woods on a sunny July day with a visiting friend, we pause our discussion of natural history and what that bloke we used to work with is doing now, and just stop and listen. The woods seem to thrum with an intense buzzing – […]

by Heidi Smith
July 14, 2024
Animals, Environment, Nature, Uncategorized

eating at a restaurant is one of the best things to do on a rainy day in Pensol

Top 5 things to do around Pensol when its raining

Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Pensol It’s fair to say it has been a wet spring and early summer! But there is no need to let that ruin your holiday. We’ve gathered a list of things to do on a rainy day in Pensol when it just won’t stop raining. 1. Enjoy […]

Donkey, grazing, ungulate, rewilding, browsing.

Rewilding at Le Moulin de Pensol, a personal journey 1

I clean a lot of toilets and make a lot of beds. So many in fact, that I just do it on autopilot which leaves me a lot of time with my own thoughts. No one wants to be left with my thoughts, not even me, so I plug myself into BBC Sounds or Spotify […]

by Nik Smith
February 28, 2024
Climate Change, Animals, Environment, Nature, Uncategorized

Rewilding – a Personal Journey 2. Elephants and overfishing.

So where were we? Oh yes, I recall i was going to rewild and that would be that. As ever , though, the devil is in the detail. As mentioned we have donkeys, horses and a mule that can do a good job at eating grass. In fact one of the UK`s suppliers of wildflower […]

by Nik Smith
February 26, 2024
Climate Change, Animals, Environment, Nature, Uncategorized

Photo shows harvest mouse on brambles by Jerry Kinsley

Harvest Mice at the Mill

What we did when we found Harvest Mice at the Mill If you own any amount of land in France, you also own quite a few brambles. They seem to grow bigger and meaner than they do in the UK, and somehow even the blackberries they provide don’t make them worth it. We quickly realised […]

by Heidi Smith
February 6, 2023
Animals, Environment, Nature

European Butterflies and Moths

Over 100 species of European butterflies and moths recorded at Le Moulin: the perfect place for a butterfly and moth enthusiast to come on holiday With over 100 species of European butterflies and moths recorded at Le Moulin, it’s the perfect place for a butterfly and moth enthusiast to come on holiday. When I left […]

by Heidi Smith
November 16, 2022
Things to do, Animals, Environment, Nature

4 Things we can do to Reduce Global Warming

Climate Change With a degree in Environmental Science and another in Geography between us, it sometimes feels like we know too much about the state of the planet. COP26 was a total disaster and was never going to be anything else with the eco-reluctant UK government as the host. But the global inaction on climate […]

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Environment

Not Just for Vegetarians: Eating Well and Eating Better in Rural France

No Trump supporters here please

Bullfinches – A Welcome Spring Surprise

The tune of nature (in a minor key)

Top 5 things to do around Pensol when its raining

Rewilding at Le Moulin de Pensol, a personal journey 1

Rewilding – a Personal Journey 2. Elephants and overfishing.

Harvest Mice at the Mill

European Butterflies and Moths

4 Things we can do to Reduce Global Warming

Latest Posts

Not Just for Vegetarians: Eating Well and Eating Better in Rural France

No Trump supporters here please

Bullfinches – A Welcome Spring Surprise

Search

Sitemap

Quick Links

Contact Us

Follow Us

July 2026

August 2026

September 2026

October 2026

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

Compare listings