Profile information
Host is looking for help immediately
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
2 Apr 2024
Reply rate
55.6 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
41
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
cat/housesit from March to May
I am looking for someone or a couple of people to come and take care of 4 lovely cats and do a bit of gardening at a permaculture project in rural Normandy from March. I need someone from 20 April for a couple of weeks and then in June. We can talk about dates/availability. The cats are not used to other animals so it would not suit someone who wants to bring a dog or cat. It would be better if you had a car as it is 6km from the shops and nearest transport.
There are four lovely cats that live at the house. So this is not a place for people with cat allergies!! The cats are very independent - they come and go as they please - there are three catflaps for them to use.
The house is in the heart of the Normandy countryside. There are extensive gardens all around the house and lots of books to read on all sorts of subjects relating to sustainability and well being.
I am a bilingual (English/French) English woman with qualifications and experience in plant based cooking, ecoconstruction, furniture making, organic/permaculture gardening, teaching and art and craft. I am also discovering Buddhism and am interested in the links between all these elements. Vegan permaculture appears to me to be a useful holistic framework that can bring a lot of elements together into a coherent and humane worldview.
Help so far has centred around renovating an old earth house with natural materials (now finished) and creating an edible landscape on almost one hectare of land using many ideas and techniques of permaculture. We grow wild plants, edible flowers, herbs, annuals and perennials. The garden is a bit overgrown as I have had to be away a lot. I need help clearing brambles in the forest garden areas and in re-creating the mandala garden that got a bit overgrown during covid. There is a fledgling forest garden and an apple orchard.
It is tranquil here. There is high speed fibre optic wifi but no television, There are plenty of books you can borrow on all aspects of ecological living and a guitar.
If you decide to come, please do not arrive with a cold or any other illness - I am susceptible to bronchitis.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
In coming here you can learn about aspects of vegan cooking, eco-construction and/or permaculture gardening (I am qualified in all of these). I have a good number of books on many aspects of permaculture that you can borrow. I love to play the guitar and sing so always interested to exchange songs.
Help
Are you vegan or interested in becoming vegan? Do you have some knowledge and experience in gardening/horticulture? I need help with my overgrown edible landscape as I have been away for a while. The mandala garden needs attention and the brambles that have invaded the forest garden need digging out.
I am also looking for someone vegan who would like to stay longer term to help me maintain the land (food growing) - I can offer a lovely room in the house or a caravan on the land or you could put your caravan or tiny house on the land. I am open to suggestions/offers. It could suit someone who has an online income and could help part-time on the land.
There is high speed internet at the house. It would be great to have some longer term help with the garden food growing project. In an ideal world I would love to welcome someone who has at least some knowledge of food growing/horticulture/agriculture to help with developing this aspect (the vegan edible landscape). I would like to develop the use of herbs, green manures, beans for protein and more edible perennials. We built a solar dryer last year and drying and storing more herbs would be great.
If you are interested in helping to develop vegan permaculture courses here - that could also be great.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
I can speak English or French.
Accommodation
Accommodation is in caravans or camping if you have a tent. In the winter months and during some other months there is a room in the house available.
What else ...
There are 4 cats that live here so this is not a good place for someone with a cat allergy!! You must love cats. It is not possible to come here with dogs or other cats.
Mont Saint Michel is half an hours drive away and there are many interesting old towns and cities to visit like Fougeres (with its old castle) Granville, St Malo and Dinan. There are beautiful waterfalls not far from here and a busy weekly market at the nearest town - Saint Hilaire du Harcouet (6km away). You can borrow bicycles to get to town or to explore the local area. It is possible to cycle to the waterfalls and Mont Saint Michel from here. There are buses to different places that you can catch at Saint Hilaire du Harcouet. We are in the middle of the countryside so it would suit people who enjoy peace and quiet.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I have high speed internet here. I would be very interested to offer a room in the house to a digital nomad who has some interest and knowledge of gardening, who is vegan and who loves cats, permaculture and the countryside. We could discuss conditions - eg some work on the land in exchange for accommodation/wifi or other - I would consider all offers.
Space for parking camper vans
You could park your van at one of the two entrance areas or help me clear a space on the land for you. There is the possibility to stay longer term here on your own.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
3 hours a day 5 days a week
Feedback (22)
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.8)
We found a project for me that I could really hang into and work on independently:… read more
We were put onto the task of building a tyre wall for the entrance to the… read more
There was usually a variety of jobs to do each day, depending on the weather and how… read more
This is definitely a place to learn a lot about permaculture and vegan cooking. We also had serious conversations on self-sufficiency, environmental topics as well as a lot of laughter and singing while Liza was playing the guitar on my birthday. :) There… read more
If you like to explore, experiment, learn and garden Lizas project is a great choice! My time with Liza, Kevin and part of the time with other volunteers was full of interesting and intensive discussions about all kind of Eco topics, especially gardening, self sufficency and vegan lifestyle. I was so happy, that Liza knows a lot… read more
There was always a list of things to do, so I never got bored. The projects were fun and diverse. I transplanted various plants, rendered some walls with lime, built a teepee for the beans, made a path next to a garden bed, leveled the… read more
Steve is a true Renaissance man - talented in many domains. He was able to successfully build a cabinet for the bathroom here using pallet wood with minimal supervision. He also… read more
she is super fun and her place offers so many possibilities to get into various fields, whatever your eco-friendly heart might be interested in. she accepted to host me on short notice and i was very grateful to her openness and general flexibility towards her volunteers.
the food was always delicious and… read more
