Quiet place to recharge in return for help on property in rural Andalucia, Almeria, Spain

Detalles

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  Descripción

  Would you like to stay and work with us in a peaceful valley in rural Andalucia? Could you offer some help with property maintenance and restoration and/or ground clearance and gardening. Are you interested in restoring old terraces and improving the water retention in this dry landscape? Would you like to learn about screen acting or solar power or blacksmithing or robotics or verse speaking? Would you like somewhere peaceful to be to write or paint or just sit in the sun and watch for the eagles?
  
  We live in a beautiful valley at the end of a track near Spaghetti Western territory in the Almeria region. We are very slowly getting two rather ramshackle old cortijos and lots of very overgrown land into slightly better order. We have no mains electricity here, though there is a good solar power system and satellite Internet.
  
  We have two dogs (former strays) who are friendly but unlikely to bother you. They'll probably be happy to accompany you on walks if that suits you!
  
  Mark works in computing and is interested in science, solar energy, blacksmithing, robotics. Helen is an actor, writer and producer and loves cooking and arty crafty stuff . We are in our sixties.
  
  Our property is not particularly luxurious, but the beds are comfortable, the food is good, the Internet is fast and the views are wonderful. It is incredibly peaceful here with no traffic (our house is at the end of the track) and the night skies are glorious to behold. It is the perfect place to unwind and watch the shadows move across the hills as you look for the eagles or spot the bee-eaters and hoopoes moving through the valley.
  
  The property and surroundings are probably not very suitable for anyone travelling with young children. It's not a very toddler-friendly environment!
  
  We can pick you up from the nearest airport/railway station/bus station if you don't have a car - and providing you're 30 or over with a clean driving licence, we will probably be able to lend you our car from time to time.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Ayuda en una granja

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento general
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Mark is happy to share his knowledge about solar power, blacksmithing and computing.
  Helen teaches acting as well as working as an actor so if you're interested in acting, film making, writing, directing then she'd be happy to share knowledge or arrange a tutoring schedule. She has recently created a small, fledgling film production company and is currently working in preproduction for two short films and a feature film.
  
  Mark speaks English and some Spanish. Helen speaks English, French and some Spanish.

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  Ayuda

  There is a never-ending amount of tasks to do here and we are happy for you to do the sort of tasks you enjoy.
  
  We would love to get the small cortijo habitable so that ultimately anyone coming on a workaway will have their own house to stay in. That's going to take quite a lot of help though - so to begin with, any visitors would stay in the larger house with us.
  
  We very much need people able to undertake ground clearance and gardening and some building repair and maintenance. There is also
  quite a bit to do inside the houses including painting and tiling - so any skills in these areas would also be most welcome.
  
  There are also larger projects like putting the solar panels onto a rotating platform, rebuilding stone terraces and creating areas of outside shade.
  
  We can provide accommodation, all food and trips to local resorts in return for some practical help around the place.

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  Idiomas hablados

  Inglés: Fluido
  Francés: Intermedio
  Español: Principiante

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  Alojamiento

  Two bedrooms available in the larger cortijo, each with a comfortable double bed. A third bedroom with a sofa bed and truckle bed. There are two bathrooms in the property (shared between four bedrooms) but rooms are not ensuite.
  
  Ultimately, we would like to be able to offer the small cortijo as accommodation so that people can have their own space to enjoy. But it's not currently habitable!
  
  We would aim to provide three meals a day which would usually be taken together. (Breakfast will probably be help yourself) . Helen is used to catering for lots of different dietary requirements.

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  Algo más...

  There is no public transport to our property, though we can pick you up from a transport hub. We may be able to arrange for use of our car (age 30+ because of the insurance cover). There will be time off (of course!) by arrangement to suit your needs and we can provide trips to nearby coastal resorts or places of interest.
  
  Every plant in the valley is out to get you (our place is known as the Cactus Patch) and the ground is quite uneven. It may not be suitable for those with limited mobility or for those travelling with young children.
  
  Our property is in a rural valley with no other properties very near. It's perfect for anyone who wants somewhere peaceful to unwind, write, draw, explore, walk . We have lots of books and good satellite Internet.

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  We have good satellite Internet here (unlimited). Some rooms are better than others but all the bedrooms and the main living area have good coverage.

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  Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas

  Although visitors are welcome to park a van here, the track up to the house is very rough in places and might be impassable in the (occasional) very wet weather.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Más de dos

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  Horas esperadas

  Very flexible, depending on your skills, needs and interests. Averaging 3 hours a day 4 or 5 days a week?