Improve your French and help in our family home in Celles Sur Belle, France

Details

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  Description

  UPDATE......,looking for people in our second place in AUSTRIA FOR MAINTAINANCE IN AND OUTSIDE OUR CHALET THERE..... In France we are closing our season as per end of September. Thanks to all having helped us during summer 2024 and before ....
  
  currently ...looking for physically fit and healthy guys to tackle esspecially more demanding garden jobs/ clearing a small field, cutting wood etc as well as cleaning and clearing our barn and putting order there as well as in our workshop, so that tools etc. can be found at first sight. Girls for garding and household tasks or Couples who can work independently from each other welcome ....... if you have any skills like architectural experience to redesign our pool area after a wall has crumbled down, paint lower ceilings correctly , can cut or handle wood, or are looking for a small renovation project to exercise yr capabilities ....
  
  
  ..
  
  French/Austrian couple are seeking motivated volunteers for an intensive property clean-up,, household chores etc. helping repair stone walls and/OR general maintenance as well as taking care of the garden. We are looking for someone to help us for at least two weeks but longer stays to be considered. healthy and strong individuals capable of getting the house and garden ready again with us after along absence. Also someone too for cleaning the house, helping with preparing meals and ironing, watering the garden, weeding etc.. Willingness and adaptability required.
  
  Help might include tidying up garden beds (weeding, pruning, removing branches etc.) or being a tree surgeon to our maritime pine trees, olive trees, silk tree or other ....just as much as deplacing stones and helping in the house too, with cleaning maybe cooking and serving our little crowd . more physical tasks in the garden like raking needles and sweeping terraces as well as possible renovation tasks. anything that comes along .......AS much as we appreciate a university background and artistic or musical skills- pse be aware that we really consider a hands-on mentality and a good attitude as absolutely necessary - in exchange we#ll do our utmost to make you feel comfortable during your stay in any way we can .
  We work on a basically set schedule for at least two weeks upon mutual agreement - that once agreed to needS to be respected; THOUGH changes on both sides are possible but need to be validated from both concerned, as well as our house rules.
  
  
  my partner and I, we both love the sound of the spanish language and therefore would have a slight preference to candidates coming from , Spain or latin america- ,,,but this is not a must
  
  
  We are situated in the countryside about 1h off la Rochelle, an atlantic medieval town, a lovely place and resort that offers seaside pleasures and many other interesting spots to visit.
  free food and lodging against 25hrs of weekly help , with a flexible time schedule are supplied as well as structured french language tuiton, if wished for and if coming as a real volontaire as this is NOT a paid job.
  Also on off days you have to cater for yourselves if staying on the premises, as we are off to and the kitchen remains closed. Except for breakfast we recommend nearby bistros or restaurants. Days off are thought for exploring the area and parts of the region.
  This is a place good for cycling, hiking or riding and nature lovers who are happy to live a more quiet kind of life and will be happy about the local events provided as well as enjoying our discussions especially around the evening meals
  not to forget the excursions on yr days off ...... we can arrange 3 days off to enjoy seaside pleasures along the atlantic coast thus giving it the holiday feel during the summer months till late into september ....
  There is an Auberge de jeunesse and a Central Hostel in La Rochelle if travelling on a budget, also in SAINTES ß close to Royans beaches ....
  Plenty of opportunities to explore the region in yr free time as an independent traveler.
  
  We are meat eaters, can do with uncomplicated vegetarians but won't feel at ease with vegans.
  
  any questions? don'T hesitate to ask ......
  
  if you have your own means of transport, you will be less dependent on public transport. The place you'd have to come to is MELLE, however and only in very rare and urgent cases are we are willing to pick you up in NIORT -
  in case your arrival time there doesnt'T coincide with bus schedules for the onward journey to Melle. you might want to stay overnight in Niort, visit the town and then come to us by bus late afternoon with dinner, friendly hosts , information and accommodation awaiting you

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Elderly Companionship

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  get inversed into a typical french environnement and french lifestyle. If interested get a
  few hrs of french or german language tuiton on working days .let us know, if interested in cooking and wine,
  Gilles will be very happy to familiarize on this topic and with recipes etc. in yr free time.... Learn about plants
  or the background in the hospitality field.

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  Help

  Help around the house, garden, cleaning and clearing tasks (barn ) garden furniture etc., general property maintainance
  help with computer issues or giving spanish tuiton and whatever else comes along ... we would be glad to receive people who have an idea of constructing, painting and being somewhat skilled in these fields .....

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Gilles is more advanced in spanish than Eva, who speaks very broken spanish but can make herself understood.
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  Accommodation

  own or shared room, depending on number of workawayers staying at the same time, shared showerroom downstairs, use of washing machine, / pool unfortunately out of order in summer 2024 due to damages, but public pools exist and the seaside invites you on yr days off, ping-pong table, use of garden, cottage balcony. owners living just across the main house - separated by a small garden only. pse note that some parts of the main house remain private and are not for yr use,
  you have a possibly shared room, shared shower and bathroom, small entrance hall, outside terrace, # smokers# corner , cottage kitchen and balcony, restricted area in the bar as well a plenty of garden aereas to your use. even if lodged separately in a big house,
  we ask you to respect that the kitchen there, the living room and the upper bathroom / with very rare exceptions, when WE are authorising/ are not to be used. Over the past we have also noted, that peoply leave on inside and outside lights when not needed which makes our electricity bill roar up in times like these . we are stretching this point in order to raise awareness towards costs and also ecological matters.

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  What else ...

  places of interest are the atlantic coast with sandy beaches, lovely and lively medieval coast town LaRochelle,
  Cognac and its distilleries, Bordeaux - great town and nearby vineyard of st.Emilion, Futuroscope of Poitiers, Niort and Marais-Poitevin (called green Venice) lots of cycling paths, typical small french villages with their market days, great seafood being only 1h inwards from the coast. North-East there are the Loire valley castles and vineyards of white wine production. SAINTES and nearby ROYAN might also be of interest to you. From Royan the ferry sets over into famous Medoc and its famous vinyards and chateaux / Mouton Rothschild ...Margaux ... Palmer ...etc etc. For this it is better to have a car and also to leave it for the end of yr stay, as you could finish up in Bordeaux then.
  
  A horse-riding center is nearby, squash in Melle and open air communal swimming pools - as our own pool is out of use. Loads of roman architecture, fit parcours and only 2km away a very pretty nice small hamlet with its bistro, bread shop and piquenique area.
  possibility to come to our place in Austria late autumn/ during the winter months or in Spring as a workawayer.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  As stone walls of the main building are pretty thick , you are invited to use our bar or or outside smokers corner, cottage balcony for your laptop.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  there is room for a campervan behind our grange - thus giving you intimacy and also electricity supply if needed - and you can use the communal downstairs showerroom in the main house

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  5 hrs x 5 days a week

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