Profile information
Host rating
65 %
Last replied
27 Jan 2024
Feedback
-
Email verified
Details
Description
We are Jenny (35 F), Shervin (39 M) and Rafi (2 M) and we are working on transforming our stone house and oak forest in the Ariege Pyrenees Natural Park.
We are in a tiny, peaceful village, surrounded by abundant nature, gorgeous views of the Pyrenees, incredible river spots, and a lovely circle of neighbours!
We have almost finished renovating one part of the 17th-century farmhouse, we used ecological materials and techniques as much as possible. (Lots of lime-hemp plaster / chaux-chanvre !!)
We have 800m2 of land which we recently had terraced with earthmovers. We are currently planting a few trees, preparing the forest and garden for winter (trimming trees, removing large trunks to unlock paths etc.) and thinking ahead to next spring - planting plans, preparing beds etc. to start to build our permaculture garden and orchard.
Our long term plan is to establish a not-for-profit wellbeing association at our place.
The idea is to create an eco-conscious wellbeing hub and eventually build a space where we could offer varied workshops and other events for our community members and volunteers. (e.g. massage and bodywork workshops, eco-construction workshops, wild foraging walks, forest sound voyages, small community festivals, art exhibitions, forest school-type activities).
All this is still a long way off but we hope to get there little by little! This is not a commercial project, but a labour of love to create value for our local community and others who share or would like to share our interests in holistic wellbeing, naturopathy, permaculture, foraging, eco construction, bodywork, meditation, sound healing, dance, and physical play.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are a bilingual family (English/French + Spanish), of 3:
Shervin: physiotherapist/cranio-sacral osteopath and canyoning instructor,
Jenny: holistic massage therapist, singer/musician,
Rafi: joyful toddler who loves books, cars and playing in the building site,
and our 2 cats.
As well as learning or developing skills in eco-construction, landscaping, and gardening / forest maintenance, we will love to share and exchange with you in music, bodywork, outdoor sports, nature communion, and alternative healing modalities (energetic systems, plant medicine, sound therapy...)
Jenny teaches a bodywork system of stretches designed to keep our bodies flexible and fit for work, and loves to jam with other musicians.
Help
We need help transforming our oak forest and garden into a permaculture paradise!!
Some of our common / current tasks are:
- building outdoor staircases (using stone + lime mortar) + stone walls
- building bamboo/metal structures for vines / kiwis
- planting / replanting trees and bushes
- trimming trees for winter
- clearing some areas of the forest, creating habitat piles and
- rendering brick walls in lime mortar
- building beds for our next vegetable garden
Previous experience in permaculture design and eco construction would be super interesting, as we would love to have your input on the forest garden design.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: 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
Guest room on ground floor with private bathroom next door. We live on the first floor so you will have the ground floor to yourself. The room is spacious, very cool in summer ( ~20 degrees when it's 35 outside!) large built-in wardrobe.
Double bed, plus possibility to add another single bed e.g. for friends who Workaway together but don't share a bed.
The rhythm of our day is: breakfast around 8h, lunch around 13h, dinner around 19h-19h30.
We provide all food and drink in return for 4-5 hours work per day. Breakfast will be more self-service in the commmunal kitchen + dining area. We're happy to take into account your preferences for food and of course any dietary requirements.
We are not vegetarian but don't eat much meat, we eat as much as possible local and/or organic vegetables, fruit, meat and bread. We don't drink alcohol but we provide a few beers and the occasional bottle of wine for people working here, so if you come to stay and you want to drink more than that you will need to buy it!
What else ...
We are in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the stunning Ariege Pyrenees Natural Park, with wonderful hikes, bike rides, hills, lakes and rivers all around. There is a small river spot right in the village, and a phenomenal river spot (our favourite) at 8 minutes drive or 25 min by bike.
Lots of hiking and biking routes accessible directly from the house, plus climbing, canyoning and skiing are within 1.5 hours drive.
The area is extremely peaceful, abundant beautiful nature, we have in the forest/garden wild boar, deer, badgers, foxes, squirrels, and hundreds of birds.
We are 10-15 minutes drive from the nearest shops or bakery. There are wonderful markets at Montbrun-Bocage (30 min) , St Girons (30 min), The best and closest small towns for music, food and culture are Sainte-Croix Volvestre (15 min) or Salies-du-Salat (15 min). So, coming with a vehicle you can enjoy the surrounding area to the maximum.
We live a very peaceful lifestyle here, we enjoy music, bodywork, gardening, climbing, surfing, dinners with friends, meeting interesting people, dancing, festivals, watching movies, board games (7 Wonders anyone?!) and falling into YouTube wormholes learning about innovative eco-construction techniques, musicians or crazy technology!
The best fit for this place will be people who can share the rhythm of our day and who feel content being a bit more "disconnected" in natural surroundings. (We do have WiFi and phone signal though! ;) )
We prefer not to host dogs as we have 2 handicapped cats, but may sometimes find flexibility for the right person/people and the right dog!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Our internet connection is currently limited as we are waiting for a new 4G box/card. However you get 4 bars of 4G on Bouygues, Orange, SFR etc.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
