Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Last replied
7 May 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
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2
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Details
Description
We are an English couple from very different backgrounds who now live in the foothills of the Swiss Alps. I grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa and my husband grew up in southern England. We enjoy meeting people from diverse backgrounds and love to learn about other cultures and ways of preparing food. We are christian but are curious and interested in all faiths.
We have an old chalet that needs a lot of work to bring it up to a reasonable living standard. There is also a fair sized garden that needs attention. Whatever your skill set, there will be tasks that you could help us with. Our home is in a small village just 100m from the lake shore and ten minutes drive from Interlaken. Being a tourist destination Interlaken has a range of good shops and restaurants and other attractions. From there you have easy access via rail or road to ski slopes (in winter) beautiful cities like Bern and Luzern and too many wonderful smaller towns to mention.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
There are many interesting museums and castles to visit within easy reach including Ballenberg which is a 'living' museum showcasing different styles of historic architecture from the different regions of Switzerland. They are open from April to October during which time there are residents dressed as they would have been long ago and carrying out all their daily tasks as they would have done back then. You can even try some of them for yourself, such as cheese making, woodcarving, weaving or learning how to work a water mill, among others. If you prefer sports, there are numerous winter and summer options. Skiing, sledging, snowshoeing, ice skating in winter, hiking, climbing, Via ferratar, swimming, canoeing, canyoning and other water sport in summer just to mention a few.
Help
There is so much that needs to be done on our house, it is hard to know where to start. It is a wooden chalet build on stone wall foundations. We are currently repairing some walls, insulating and then plastering. (Old style lime plaster work) There are new wood framed windows to install, plans to build a new bathroom and redo the old one. We also need to replace some ceilings and floorboards and build a new staircase. Some interior walls will be moved. Replacing all electrics is already underway with the guidance of a qualified Swiss electrician but the remaining grunt work could be done by an interested volunteer. Then there will be lots of finishing work.
In the garden there is a lot of weed clearing and organizing, planting and caring for vegetables to do. If you are more interested in domestic work, then taking care of household tasks, laundry and cooking would free us up for the building work.
There would be 4 - 5 hours of work to do 5 days a week.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
German: Intermediate
Afrikaans: Beginner
French: Beginner
Zulu: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Initially you will be staying in a room with ensuite bath room at our neighbors house. It has it's own entrance and is just across the drive way so takes less than a minute to get to us. Later, when we have completed a bathroom and bedroom workawayers will stay in our home with us.
We don't normally have breakfast but can provide some basics such as cereals, fruit juice, fruit, bread, tea and coffee. Lunch is simple, salads or sandwiches so dinner is our main meal and you are welcome to share both with us.
If you enjoy cooking I would be very happy if you would prepare some meals.
What else ...
Though we don't currently have pets of our own we do often care for a dog who belongs to friends.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (1)
He helped to clean out all the dust from previous construction work so now the house will be a little nicer for the next Workawayer. There was a lot of mucky work cleaning out a storage room and the old kitchen cupboards which… read more
At first I was a little nervous but as soon as I met them they transmitted a lot of confidence. Personally, my experience with them is magnificent, extremely understandable and good people. Open to sharing with you, long talks sometimes with a glass of wine, they allow you to organize your hours depending… read more
Feedback
He helped to clean out all the dust from previous construction work so now the house will be a little nicer for the next Workawayer. There was a lot of mucky work cleaning out a storage room and the old kitchen cupboards which… read more
At first I was a little nervous but as soon as I met them they transmitted a lot of confidence. Personally, my experience with them is magnificent, extremely understandable and good people. Open to sharing with you, long talks sometimes with a glass of wine, they allow you to organize your hours depending… read more
