Enjoy beautiful remote nature in Alentejo, Portugal

Informationen

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  Beschreibung

  Welcome to our property in the rural countryside. It features sea views and is a 20-minute drive to the nearest beach, Odeceixe.
  
  Our place is slowly regaining popularity with Workawayers. It took us several months to find the courage to restart our activity on Workaway because the aftermath of the huge bushfire in August 2023 was severe. Sad to say, our beautiful Guest and Workaway Accommodation Container with kitchen, dry toilet, and shower was all burnt down. However, we have reinstalled all water supply and electricity. We have also rebuilt a shed with an outdoor kitchen corner for the workawayers.
  
  We are immensely grateful to have had a few great workawayers since July 2024, who have tremendously supported restarting our projects. We are thankful for more help with our ongoing recovery efforts.
  
  We still need assistance with gardening, cutting burnt trees or just branches, finishing rebuilding sheds, building a dry toilet, plastering, painting, and tiling for our private attached guest apartment, among other things.
  
  We are a young-hearted couple, 60 and 70 years old, from Switzerland and Germany. Our workload and energy are sometimes limited due to some health issues, and we are still a bit disappointed after the massive loss of 10 years of work and assets in last year's huge fire. We have an adopted dog. Our shy five-year-old female had been kept on a short chain and now appreciates freedom and a safe, loving home.
  
  Our home is an entirely off-grid house/property. We live in self-sustainability regarding energy and water. You are warmly welcome if you're honest-hearted, friendly, respectful, and love nature and all resources. This means no food waste and careful use of water and electricity resources.
  
  Our place is best if you have your own means of transport or even your own campervan.
  However, we can give you a ride to and from the next town two times a week if you don't have your own means of transport.
  
  Would you like to share your possible skills or learn some and enjoy hard work in nature? Are you happy to do any jobs that need to be done as long as you know or are taught how to do them? Do you enjoy a variety of tasks and don't mind getting dirty, even if you generally like to be clean?
  
  We enjoy the quiet and remote countryside and take little walks with our dog. Unfortunately, our mountain bikes got burnt in the fire, so we can no longer cycle. We like going to the beach occasionally and doing lots of work outside in the field and garden. We cook healthy meals for lunch, and we usually like quiet evenings.
  
  We also work part-time online (Jeannette as an English coach and Herbert as a retired software engineer with programs).
  
  Are you also open-minded to new ideas and activities and appreciate cultural exchanges? We have many possible projects. We can work together, or you can work independently.
  
  We also appreciate it when you see jobs that need to be done and do them or offer to do them without being told.

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  Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Kunstprojekte

  Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten

  Gartenarbeiten

  Heimwerker- und Bauarbeiten

  Betreuung von Tieren

  Zubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die Familie

  Hausarbeiten

  Handwerkliche Arbeiten
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  Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Welcome to our home, where you can enjoy nature and a calm area in a remote place in Alentejo (just north of Algarve), Portugal. You will be surrounded by trees, bushes, and flowers that are growing happily after the fire (unfortunately, all orange and lemon trees were burnt). You can also learn about some herbs for cooking and tea, relax in the countryside, and enjoy the sea view (10km away). With warmer days, we can enjoy grilling.
  
  We have been lucky to learn a lot from our Workawayers and are happy to share our experiences and knowledge with you.
  
  You may learn about:
  - Local trees and fruits and veggies.
  
  - The solar system and water tanks have filtering systems. - Please ask if you are interested in learning about this! Almost nobody seems interested in this even though clean water and electricity are basic needs, mainly if public supply is impossible.
  
  - Ecosystem with grey-water collection, compost, partly permaculture
  
  - Cooking together, baking Swiss cake, maybe making a Portuguese dish,
  lots of happy gardening
  
  - Depending on the season, you can enjoy different organic veggies and salads from our garden.
  
  - Meet local Portuguese farmers where we buy eggs and our fresh milk.
  
  - We have a piano and a table tennis game.
  
  - We have a lake for swimming from the rainwater (but it still needs installing stairs, etc.), so it's lovely for swimming but not perfect for getting in and out yet.
  
  I have no experience cooking for vegans, so I’d need help in that if applicable, but I know how to cook for vegetarians. You should not mind that we occasionally eat meat or fish while you can get vegetarian food.
  
  We primarily eat healthy food. We grow food in our garden and buy fresh food in the shops. We love veggies, salad, fruit, sometimes barbecue, etc., and wine two to four times a week. We like local meat and fish a couple of times a week; other days, we cook vegetarian meals. Vegetarians and vegans are welcome, too, but you would have to take over the cooking if you are vegan, as I have little experience cooking vegan.
  
  You get all the food from us. During the week, we usually cook and enjoy our main meal, lunch, around 1-3 p.m., together with our Workawayers. So, for breakfast, supper, and in-between snacks, plus your days off when you might be travelling, you can help yourself, and we will provide food for you. You can use the newly installed and protected, covered outdoor kitchen corner.
  
  We generally enjoy quiet evenings and often early nights. This has made it a bit lonely for single workawayers, as we appreciate quiet privacy in the evenings. So, please keep this in mind if you want to join us.
  
  Mutual respect, tolerance and honesty are keys to a pleasant and beneficial experience at our place.

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  Arbeit

  Depending on your skills, there are various possible projects. We are looking for help in any of these areas:
  
  - pruning, cutting burnt wood, etc. (lots of this is needed because of the fire in August 2023)
  - gardening: weeding, digging, planting
  - cooking
  - maintenance/cleaning in and outside our house
  - painting entrance gate walls (got black from the fire) and other walls
  
  Other possible help needed, which was damaged and destroyed on our private property in the fire:
  - easy construction jobs building sheds with wood and simple furniture with palettes
  - plastering and tiling
  - plumbing
  - sewing (curtains, cushions, etc.)
  
  Important:
  You want to be protected in the rough countryside, so please bring good clothes, good shoes for the countryside and garden, a hat, and necessary sun or rain protection!
  
  Do you love dogs? That's great because we adopted an abandoned dog, a lovable female. Unfortunately, she is always scared of new people, but she’s friendly, and a few workawayers made close friends with her within less than two weeks, which was great progress for her :-).

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  Sprachen

  Gesprochene Sprachen
  Deutsch: Fließend
  Englisch: Fließend
  Französisch: Gute Kenntnisse
  Portugiesisch: Grundkenntnisse

  Dieser Gastgeber bietet Sprachaustausch an
  Jeannette is an online English Coach. We are happy to exchange languages if you wish to improve your English or learn Swiss German or German. We are still learning a little more Portuguese.
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  Unterkunft

  A remote place in the beautiful nature.
  
  Unfortunately, in August 2023, the popular accommodation container with a kitchen, warm shower, and dry toilet completely burned down.
  
  By March 2025, we will have reinstalled a furnished a covered, protected space to sleep in a shed. In the meantime, we can offer our guest bedroom.
  You can use our separate bathroom, which is accessible from the backyard. We only cook warm meals for the main meal at lunch. For breakfast and supper, you can help yourself and use the new protected outdoor kitchen corner for workawayers. We have reinstalled a lovely outdoor shower for warmer days and plan to build a dry toilet and install warm water for that shower.
  
  It's a great place with your own campervan or if you have at least your means of transport. In winter, it's usually a bit more challenging with less daylight.
  
  Our main house is half traditional and modern. You can enjoy the beautiful sea view (within 10 km aerial distance) from our property and our roof terrace.
  
  We don't tolerate smoking, drug use, excessive drinking or loud parties at our property. Our neighbourhood is usually relatively quiet. Respect for nature, resources such as water and electricity, and food waste prevention are essential. Enjoying moderate alcohol is fine; we are happy to share wine or beer.
  
  Our place is most suitable for a single or a couple who loves being in beautiful, off-grid countryside. It's really tranquil out here! Many young ones who didn’t have their own transportation felt it was too remote and quiet after 10 days, even if we gave them a lift to the beach or town 1-2 times a week.☺️
  
  We only have a solar system for electricity and our well for water. This means you need to be open to valuing electricity and water resources and using them respectfully.
  
  
  Internet:
  Most workawayers have their own mobile internet. Your space has 4G reception. We work part-time online (English Coach and retired Software Engineer), but our separate WIFI is unfortunately not stable enough for several people to work online simultaneously. If you have no mobile internet, we can offer you to borrow our hotspot and upload for the current price.
  
  Transport:
  There is no public transport to or from here, but don't worry—we will pick you up. It's a 20-minute car drive to the next town (São Teotónio) with a bus stop and a 25-minute drive to the beach. We can give you a lift to a nearby place or near the beach a couple of times a week. It's also a great place if you have your own means of transportation.

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  Was noch ...

  We can pick you up from the next town, São Teotónio, by coaches, and commute either from Lisbon airport southwards within 3 hours to São eotónio or else from Lagos to São Teotónio within about 1 hour.
  
  If you wish, we can take you to a place you may like nearby (beach, town, etc.) a couple of times a week or further south to the Algarve if we can combine it with our plans. If you want to see more of the country, you can help longer hours, take off three or four days at the weekends, and pack some food. We can give you a lift to the next bus stop in São Teotónio.
  
  Do you enjoy barbecues with meat, fish, or just veggies? Do you want to play our piano? Do you want to play table tennis?
  
  There’s lots of space outside with tables, deckchairs, a roof terrace, etc. You can go on short or long walks or runs. In the evening, enjoy the sunset on the roof terrace with a view of the sea. Read a book, have a glass of Portuguese wine or tea with herbs from the garden.
  
  We are a pretty quiet couple and cannot entertain much in the evenings due to some health issues.

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  Etwas mehr Information

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    Internet Zugang

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    Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

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    Wir besitzen Tiere

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    Wir sind Raucher

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    Familien möglich

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  Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen

  Most workawayers have their mobile internet. We work part-time online. Unfortunately, our separate WIFI is unstable enough for several people to work online simultaneously. The mobile reception is at 4G within the area for the workawayers. If you have no mobile internet, we can offer you to borrow our hotspot and upload it at its current cost.

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  Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans

  Campervan or motorhome owners are very welcome, particularly since our accommodation container burnt down. There's a lovely space between the cork trees, with a sea view (10 km aerial distance to the sea), gorgeous sunsets, a connection to water and electricity (solar power) and a newly installed outside shower for warmer days by our last workawayers. You can also use our separate bathroom, which you can access from our house's backyard and our kitchen. We cook warm meals for lunch. For breakfast and supper, you can help yourself. We have a newly created covered outdoor space with a kitchen corner for the workawayers for breakfast and supper.

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  Hier sind Haustiere in der Regel willkommen

  You can bring your pet with you if it's social with other pets. Our dog has always been social with other dogs.

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  Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

  zwei

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  Arbeitszeiten

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week (or more hours on less days)

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