Region: Ribatejo
We run a historic estate in a beautiful setting that hosts weddings, summer camps, hunting groups, and seminars, as well as runs as bed and breakfast. In the past, Previously it was used as agricultural and hunting land for the nobility of Portugal. There is a main house, a lodge, dormitories, and small houses, as well as a pool, pond, and large wooded area to explore. Offering a glimpse at historic and contemporary Portuguese culture and living, from the agricultural antiques you may be cleaning and organizing to a glimpse of hunting and wedding culture in this country. In addition, the spring through winter of 2010, there will be a Portuguese soap-opera filmed here twice a week. While the cast and crew are separate from us, it is quite fun to witness this!
We need assistance with grounds maintenance and development. Grounds keeping often includes tasks such as raking, weeding, decorating and painting, recovering antiques, trail building, cleaning and organizing objects, and planting, as well as helping with events (i.e. catering or dish washing). We appreciate especially if people share with us their interests and skills, as we have projects that need doing for just about everything!
We intend to plant a garden as demonstration for guests who will come here for seminars on cooking and gardening. We need volunteers to plant the garden (we provide the plans and general instruction), as well as to do weeding, mulching, and other tending that it will need. Thus there is both room and need for those who are creative and self-motivated. With the multitude of projects, there is something available for a variety of interests. We hope to have several volunteers (maximum 8) here at a time, however, this is also often a quiet, rural place. Volunteers live together dormitory style, with mostly single, bunk beds but also a few private rooms. The beds can be pushed together to make a larger bed for couples, however, if you anticipate this to be an issue, please speak to us about this in advance so we can try to see about a double bed.
In the summer, we have many large summer camps and will need kitchen help.
We are experiencing a revival of sorts, as we develop new aspects – trails, a bed and breakfast, a shop that holds antiques and sells local goods. We are excited about the variety of projects at here, and are developing new ideas for ways that we can use the land and space. Because we live part of our time in Lisboa, we tend to give a list of tasks and you organize yourself, or we call with instruction. Volunteers who are self-motivated, creative, and flexible do well in this setting.
There are a few employees who work the grounds, and the kitchen is shared between volunteers and employees. We provide you with groceries to cook for yourself, and often there is catered food left from hunting groups and weddings available, providing you with a taste of authentic Portuguese cuisine! We have a great bread oven that volunteers are welcome to use, and of course there is the pool.
We expect 5 hours a day, 6 days a week, and you are independent to arrange your time according to your interests. Because Lisboa and towns in the Ribantejo (Tomar and Santarem, for example) are easily accessible from here, this is a great place to work and go explore from, or to work and have a quiet, relaxing time in a beautiful area.
Coruche is 6 km away, easily accessible by bus. The bus to Santarem goes by at the end of the street as well. Because we are often in Lisboa, it is good to make sure to establish in advance the time you intend to arrive so we can make sure you get a ride!
