France
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*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Last minute. 19th of April.
Thank you to have been so many to ask to join the team :)
Our team is OK now, we won't need anybody until end of September-beginning of October*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
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This beautiful place for which I need help in the South of France, is not my place of residence all year long, because I'm still working and living near Paris.
Near Paris I live in a big house with a garden, so, there are also a lot of things to do there, inside and outside :)
If you want to come and help me in the both places, of course it's possible !
and if you want to come only in one of the two places, it's OK :)
About "my" South :
5 years ago, I bought a beautiful , wild and isolated barn in the middle of it's land to create a country house where my loved ones, and friends, and me, could gather.
The place is located in the French Riviera, very close to the well-known Mediterranean beaches, while remaining secluded, quiet, in a beautiful environment: the Maures hills.
The house is a very old barn of the 17th century. It was in very poor condition when I acquired it and we worked very hard to make it as it is today.
Today the house is almost dealt with but the area still need some work!
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Internet is possible with smartphone but there is no WIFI here *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
The project It is not only the restoration of the house and its environment, but also and above all, an ecological project.
Indeed, over the past 35 years, mimosas invaded the region and our land, and they killed all the original vegetation.
We plan and have started to eradicate these mimosas, replace them with trees and young plants and so, restore Mediterranean vegetation.
I like to work there in the hills, in the heart of unspoilt nature.
The house is practically autonomous, electricity is produced by solar panels and water comes from our source.
Of course, the volunteers will not be alone, but 2, 3, 4, may be more, plus me. There is a lot of work to do here, no doubt, but it's also a wonderful area to explore all around!
We just love this place and are very attached to it: its authentic and relaxed atmosphere, the exclusivity of the place.
Just look at the pictures, they say more than long sentences ...
About me and my family :
We are a very united family 9 persons. I lost my husband few years ago.
My oldest daughter lives with her husband and 2 sons in Madagascar, they both work for NGOs.
My son is a naval architect, he lives in the nice city of Vannes, in Brittany, with his beloved and they are proud parents of a 2 years old boy!
My youngest daughter, who is a young photographer, lives in Paris.
About you :
It' very important for us to keep the wonderful warm atmosphere we have in our teams of volunteers.
So we're looking for motivated, easy going, hardworking, convivial and serious people.
Who love to share : work, experience, conversations, cooking, meals, etc...
Who enjoy being and talking all together, after the day work, with a bier or a glass of wine in the hand :)
Please, be honest in your description and don't say (as some does) that you havesome skills when it is not true, because it complicates the work of everyone and it brings many disappointments.
Also, we work hard because there is there a lot of things to do, but not only, be quiet!
Workaway is a amazing experience, I'm so happy to meet and discover people coming from everywhere and becominga part of amazing teams!
Don't hesitate to ask me any questions you have!
Hope to see you soon, I'm sure you will enjoy the life here!
2 more things : First : no WIFI here, mobile phones are ok but it depends of the place you are in the property !
and the other thing : come with working shoes if you have some, you will need them (specialy in autumn and winter !)
Emmanuelle
About the teams :
If you want to know how is the atmosphere on the spot, just read the feedbacks :)
April 2018 :
In South, our teams are nearly full now until next autumn !
The wonderful teams work and live there since mid October, most of time, managed by Dominic, the most amazing and friendly guy you can imagine!
We stop cutting mimosas, but we have to take off all those who died because of the last hot summer and burn them and continue to replace them with plants adapted to the region and climate !
There are a lot of other works to do there, especially wooden pergolas and decks ans steps, and a small annexe, and a vegetable bio garden. Spring is there, it will be necessary to repaint shutters and the wooden things who need to be refresh... In the house, the kitchen and the living-room need new paints, and, and... so many things to do... that's the reason why I need people who knows and love DIY !
At that season, the living conditions become nice again. So, it is now possible to have breakfast and lunch out on the terrace, and very soon, also dinner !
In my house and garden near Paris, I won't need help before June 2018 : painting, fixing, gardening ...
There, I can't accommodate more than 2 volunteers. ...... ...