Experience sustainable living with eco-friendly projects on a 1905 house in Zuidwending, Groningen, Netherlands
Letzte Aktivität
: 16 März 2025
Profilangaben
Usually responds innerh. 1 Tag
Verschenke eine Workaway-Mitgliedschaft
mehr
Finde deinen perfekten Gastgeber
Geforderte Mindest-Aufenthaltsdauer: mindestens 1 Woche
Helfer gesucht
Helfer evtl. gesucht
Keine Verfügbarkeit
Informationen
Gastgeber Ref-Nr.: 691492629285
Website-Sicherheit
Feedback (10)
I spent a week at Monique and Paul’s house, helping out with tasks in the garden. That wasn’t the original plan, but I was happy to be outside and contribute to their home.
My personal goal for the week was to live like a Dutch local and immerse myself in the culture. I've been learning Dutch for the past four months, but unfortunately, it was a
… read more bit too early to fully engage in Dutch conversations (je spreekt te snel! ;-)).
The experience was fantastic because Paul gave me the chance to participate in everyday Dutch life. I attended a conference on home insulation programs in the Netherlands, where Paul was a speaker. He also invited me to an Irish music session at a pub in Groningen, where he played several kinds of flutes—it was really cool! On our last day, Paul and I toured the Groningen countryside together. He took the time to explain so much to me, from history and geography to physics. His knowledge is truly impressive! I deeply appreciated that day and Paul’s generosity. To top off a wonderful Sunday, Monique and Paul invited me to dinner at a restaurant.
We occasionally had some communication difficulties due to my limited English pronunciation, but Paul was patient throughout.
This was my first WorkAway experience, and although I was completely out of my comfort zone, I’m so glad I did it. Thanks to Monique and Paul’s kindness, the experience was overwhelmingly positive. I’m already planning a future trip with my family to my favorite country! And who knows, maybe another WorkAway experience in the Netherlands next year?
Nicolas stayed with us for about a week. Previous contact had been very good but as preparations for renovating the front door steps were not yet done and other work was not finished yet either, the work was changed from building to mainly gardening. Nico did it without complaining and with great effort. Trimming almost 100m of hedge and clearing
… read more the clippings took him less than two days where I spent double that time in previous years. The same goes for the other jobs he did. No worry about quality of work, he knows what needs to be done and rightly takes pride in doing it right.
We spent pleasant times together after work, one night we went to the Irish Session in O'Malleys and in the weekend we enjoyed a sightseeing trip through rural Groningen where we got a chance visit to a traditional windmill in Pieterburen, and to the Waddenzee. Nico is very pleasant company and we had fun trying to speak French and Dutch together.
We thoroughly recommend Nicolas to any future WA Hosts!
Vom Host für Workawayer (Edwin)
Edwin came to us on short notice as his planning had changed. Initially he requested to stay for about 10 days. We had good contact including a video call and we thought the proposal was great for all of us. As agreed, I picked him up from the Veendam train station late Sunday afternoon. We had dinner together and I showed him around. Monday
… read more started with garden work which he seemed to enjoy. He then came up with the idea to work some more the first four days so he could have an extra day off on Friday and go to Amsterdam for a long weekend, and return Monday afternoon. No problem, we are flexible and happy to meet personal wishes.
The next days were mainly spent harvesting pears. For the first time in three years the tree had produced a large amount of fruit and picking, processing and preserving these pears is a lot of work. This was done in the kitchen where we also spend a lot of time during the day. Edwin usually wore noise canceling ear buds and didn't always pick up signals from us. Also he probably didn't notice he was making a lot of noise and Monique worried he might break things. This was cause for some irritation, on top of other problems she already had with her health and her mother. She felt she was unable to express herself and change this as her English was not sufficient. This unfortunately led to some unpleasant exchanges making Edwin very uncomfortable. I tried to mediate but this didn't help enough to clear the air between them.
Edwin and I had a good talk that evening and we came to the joint conclusion it might be better if he didn't return after the weekend for the last few days of the initially agreed period. Fortunately he was able to find an alternative destination so this didn't inconvenience him too much.
Edwin is a hard worker and seemed to enjoy the jobs we offered. He really liked the meals we shared and certainly is not a picky eater. In his free time he usually kept to himself, reading a book or chatting online. He is an early riser and likes to take a walk before breakfast. He also occasionally took a bike for a ride.
Thank you Edwin for the hard work you did!
Vom Workawayer (Edwin) für Host
I am grateful for my time at Paul & Monique's!
Right when I met Paul, I could tell that he was a very hardworking, orderly and caring guy. He has a beautiful property that he's put a ton of love and dedication into over the years, and it shows in almost every nook and cranny you look.
It was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to help and
… read more do my bit to make his place a little brighter than it already was. I worked in the garden to start, but I ended up spending most of my time picking, preparing and jarring pears. It was very satisfying work, and I learned a lot about food prep & preservation along the way.
Whenever I had questions, Paul jumped right in to teach me how to improve what I was doing. I was left with a sense of pride in my work and felt like I'd grown just from this experience alone.
Unfortunately at the time of my stay, Paul's wife Monique was going through a difficult time with her mother. Some of Monique's stress ended up being directed toward me when I got in her personal space by accident, and Monique & I had a falling out.
After this happened, Paul stepped in to show everyone love. He talked to Monique about it, apologized to me, and told me honestly that he can't guarantee Monique would feel better during my time.
I greatly appreciated Paul's honesty. That trait is something that is very hard to come by in this day and age, and it helped me make the decision to leave a week earlier than planned.
Through this experience I learned from Paul what it looks like to show up for your wife and your guests at the same time - a difficult balance to handle, and he did it with grace.
I would highly recommend Paul's place if you're looking to get your hands deep in some quality work that you can learn from, get to know Dutch culture better, and just share some laughs over good dad jokes.
Also, their dinners were awesome!
Thank you Paul & Monique for your time, I hope you enjoy the pears this winter ❤️☺️
Vom Host für Workawayer (Nora)
Nora stayed with us for almost two weeks. We had a great time together and she really felt part of the family. We always tell our workawayers to act like they are at home and that is what she did. Fully bilingual in English and German and even understanding a bit of Dutch, we had no problems communicating. I could practice my German and Monique
… read more her English. Nora was happy doing anything we offered her to do, even tediously cleaning the driveway or painting a wall.
She quietly went her own way in her free time, sometimes sitting with us in the living reading a book in the evening, often going for a ride on a bike. With the fine weather we had, she loved to go to the public beach at a nearby recreation lake. We had great fun together one evening at the Open Irish Session in O'Malleys where she even sang along with several of the tunes we played. You certainly deserved their customary free drink for the musicians! In the weekend Nora visited Groningen city on the Saturday by herself and on the Sunday we all toured the neighboring province of Drenthe.
Thank you Nora for your most pleasant company and all the work you did for us. You will always be welcome to drop in if you ever happen to be in the neighborhood. Auf wiedersehen!
Paul & Monique
Vom Workawayer (Nora) für Host
I spent a bit less than 2 weeks with Paul and Monique in August and really enjoyed the experience. After a brief whatsapp call to get a first impression both parties agreed it would be a good match and I was able to plan my journey very comfortably, since Paul was very communicative and helpful with directions and even picked me up from Germany.
… read more
Zuidwending is a rural area, but the next town Veendam is only 15min away by bike and has some shops if you need them and also a train station connecting you to other places in the netherlands. The house itself is very welcoming and rather spacious, with a nice big garden outlooking the fields around it. The room for workawayers is not huge, but very cosy.
Paul and Monique are lovely, and Paul had many stories to tell about topics I had barely any previous knowledge in, like scouting or his time in the navy so that was really interesting to me. Monique and I got on well and had some good laughs. But also for me as a rather shy and less chatty person I never felt uncomfortable with just "coexisting", since they did not mind me doing my own thing or keeping to myself at all.
Breakfast was held separately, and for lunch and dinner I joined Paul and monique. I was always well fed and the meals were tasty, but if you feel like preparing your own food that is also no problem.
The work I did was mostly outside, consisting of weeding, trimming the gras, washing the car, but I also did some inside jobs, like painting and cleaning. I think it was varied enough and I could choose my working hours and breaks quite flexibly. They will ask you beforehand what you normally prefer to do, so it will be somewhat tailored to your skillset.
Concerning free time, the couple has some old but well functioning bikes that I could use to go for bike rides around the area and my favourite spot was definetly the nearby lake which is great for swimming and sunbathing with a good book. On the weekend I went to Groningen City for a day, easy to reach and nice to look around. The other day Paul and Monique took me out for a sightseeing trip around the area, so I was able to see the landscapes, smaller towns and Paul knows a lot about the history of the area - bonus for a history nerd like me :). I also had a really good time in the irish pub in Groningen where Paul plays the recorder with a group of musicians. I personally love music and singing so I was able to join in for one session. Everyone was so lovely, I enjoyed it a lot!
So to conclude, I had a great time with Paul and Monique and this will not have been my last time in the Netherlands. Thanks for everything and all the best!Weitere Bilder
View from the street showing our 1905 home proudly flying the Groningen colors.
Paul and Monique in our back yard with our 24 solar panels
The shed walls look tattered and need to be plastered. Experienced help badly wanted!
Rain water filter with one of the big trees needing maintenance.
Project for 2024: total renovation of path and steps, see jobs description.
Our driveway with the 25 m amateur radio antenna tower awaiting assembly
Flower patch with the shed in the background.
Garden fireplace made from an old wood burner and smashed concrete tiles. Recycling at it's finest?
Conservatory great for relaxing when outside is too cold
Big kitchen ready for (y)our culinary experiments
Recently renovated family bathroom on the ground floor.
Cosy guest room with two separate beds
Guest room with double bed
Feedback
Dies sind zusätzliche optionale Bewertungen, wenn Mitglieder Feedback hinterlassen. Es wird die im Schnitt hinterlassene Bewertung für jede Option angezeigt.
Korrekte Angaben im Profil:
(5.0)
Kultureller Austausch:
(5.0)
I spent a week at Monique and Paul’s house, helping out with tasks in the garden. That wasn’t the original plan, but I was happy to be outside and contribute to their home.
My personal goal for the week was to live like a Dutch local and immerse myself in the culture. I've been learning Dutch for the past four months, but unfortunately, it was a
… read more bit too early to fully engage in Dutch conversations (je spreekt te snel! ;-)).
The experience was fantastic because Paul gave me the chance to participate in everyday Dutch life. I attended a conference on home insulation programs in the Netherlands, where Paul was a speaker. He also invited me to an Irish music session at a pub in Groningen, where he played several kinds of flutes—it was really cool! On our last day, Paul and I toured the Groningen countryside together. He took the time to explain so much to me, from history and geography to physics. His knowledge is truly impressive! I deeply appreciated that day and Paul’s generosity. To top off a wonderful Sunday, Monique and Paul invited me to dinner at a restaurant.
We occasionally had some communication difficulties due to my limited English pronunciation, but Paul was patient throughout.
This was my first WorkAway experience, and although I was completely out of my comfort zone, I’m so glad I did it. Thanks to Monique and Paul’s kindness, the experience was overwhelmingly positive. I’m already planning a future trip with my family to my favorite country! And who knows, maybe another WorkAway experience in the Netherlands next year?
Nicolas stayed with us for about a week. Previous contact had been very good but as preparations for renovating the front door steps were not yet done and other work was not finished yet either, the work was changed from building to mainly gardening. Nico did it without complaining and with great effort. Trimming almost 100m of hedge and clearing
… read more the clippings took him less than two days where I spent double that time in previous years. The same goes for the other jobs he did. No worry about quality of work, he knows what needs to be done and rightly takes pride in doing it right.
We spent pleasant times together after work, one night we went to the Irish Session in O'Malleys and in the weekend we enjoyed a sightseeing trip through rural Groningen where we got a chance visit to a traditional windmill in Pieterburen, and to the Waddenzee. Nico is very pleasant company and we had fun trying to speak French and Dutch together.
We thoroughly recommend Nicolas to any future WA Hosts!
Vom Host für Workawayer (Edwin)
Edwin came to us on short notice as his planning had changed. Initially he requested to stay for about 10 days. We had good contact including a video call and we thought the proposal was great for all of us. As agreed, I picked him up from the Veendam train station late Sunday afternoon. We had dinner together and I showed him around. Monday
… read more started with garden work which he seemed to enjoy. He then came up with the idea to work some more the first four days so he could have an extra day off on Friday and go to Amsterdam for a long weekend, and return Monday afternoon. No problem, we are flexible and happy to meet personal wishes.
The next days were mainly spent harvesting pears. For the first time in three years the tree had produced a large amount of fruit and picking, processing and preserving these pears is a lot of work. This was done in the kitchen where we also spend a lot of time during the day. Edwin usually wore noise canceling ear buds and didn't always pick up signals from us. Also he probably didn't notice he was making a lot of noise and Monique worried he might break things. This was cause for some irritation, on top of other problems she already had with her health and her mother. She felt she was unable to express herself and change this as her English was not sufficient. This unfortunately led to some unpleasant exchanges making Edwin very uncomfortable. I tried to mediate but this didn't help enough to clear the air between them.
Edwin and I had a good talk that evening and we came to the joint conclusion it might be better if he didn't return after the weekend for the last few days of the initially agreed period. Fortunately he was able to find an alternative destination so this didn't inconvenience him too much.
Edwin is a hard worker and seemed to enjoy the jobs we offered. He really liked the meals we shared and certainly is not a picky eater. In his free time he usually kept to himself, reading a book or chatting online. He is an early riser and likes to take a walk before breakfast. He also occasionally took a bike for a ride.
Thank you Edwin for the hard work you did!
Vom Workawayer (Edwin) für Host
I am grateful for my time at Paul & Monique's!
Right when I met Paul, I could tell that he was a very hardworking, orderly and caring guy. He has a beautiful property that he's put a ton of love and dedication into over the years, and it shows in almost every nook and cranny you look.
It was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to help and
… read more do my bit to make his place a little brighter than it already was. I worked in the garden to start, but I ended up spending most of my time picking, preparing and jarring pears. It was very satisfying work, and I learned a lot about food prep & preservation along the way.
Whenever I had questions, Paul jumped right in to teach me how to improve what I was doing. I was left with a sense of pride in my work and felt like I'd grown just from this experience alone.
Unfortunately at the time of my stay, Paul's wife Monique was going through a difficult time with her mother. Some of Monique's stress ended up being directed toward me when I got in her personal space by accident, and Monique & I had a falling out.
After this happened, Paul stepped in to show everyone love. He talked to Monique about it, apologized to me, and told me honestly that he can't guarantee Monique would feel better during my time.
I greatly appreciated Paul's honesty. That trait is something that is very hard to come by in this day and age, and it helped me make the decision to leave a week earlier than planned.
Through this experience I learned from Paul what it looks like to show up for your wife and your guests at the same time - a difficult balance to handle, and he did it with grace.
I would highly recommend Paul's place if you're looking to get your hands deep in some quality work that you can learn from, get to know Dutch culture better, and just share some laughs over good dad jokes.
Also, their dinners were awesome!
Thank you Paul & Monique for your time, I hope you enjoy the pears this winter ❤️☺️
Vom Host für Workawayer (Nora)
Nora stayed with us for almost two weeks. We had a great time together and she really felt part of the family. We always tell our workawayers to act like they are at home and that is what she did. Fully bilingual in English and German and even understanding a bit of Dutch, we had no problems communicating. I could practice my German and Monique
… read more her English. Nora was happy doing anything we offered her to do, even tediously cleaning the driveway or painting a wall.
She quietly went her own way in her free time, sometimes sitting with us in the living reading a book in the evening, often going for a ride on a bike. With the fine weather we had, she loved to go to the public beach at a nearby recreation lake. We had great fun together one evening at the Open Irish Session in O'Malleys where she even sang along with several of the tunes we played. You certainly deserved their customary free drink for the musicians! In the weekend Nora visited Groningen city on the Saturday by herself and on the Sunday we all toured the neighboring province of Drenthe.
Thank you Nora for your most pleasant company and all the work you did for us. You will always be welcome to drop in if you ever happen to be in the neighborhood. Auf wiedersehen!
Paul & Monique
Vom Workawayer (Nora) für Host
I spent a bit less than 2 weeks with Paul and Monique in August and really enjoyed the experience. After a brief whatsapp call to get a first impression both parties agreed it would be a good match and I was able to plan my journey very comfortably, since Paul was very communicative and helpful with directions and even picked me up from Germany.
… read more
Zuidwending is a rural area, but the next town Veendam is only 15min away by bike and has some shops if you need them and also a train station connecting you to other places in the netherlands. The house itself is very welcoming and rather spacious, with a nice big garden outlooking the fields around it. The room for workawayers is not huge, but very cosy.
Paul and Monique are lovely, and Paul had many stories to tell about topics I had barely any previous knowledge in, like scouting or his time in the navy so that was really interesting to me. Monique and I got on well and had some good laughs. But also for me as a rather shy and less chatty person I never felt uncomfortable with just "coexisting", since they did not mind me doing my own thing or keeping to myself at all.
Breakfast was held separately, and for lunch and dinner I joined Paul and monique. I was always well fed and the meals were tasty, but if you feel like preparing your own food that is also no problem.
The work I did was mostly outside, consisting of weeding, trimming the gras, washing the car, but I also did some inside jobs, like painting and cleaning. I think it was varied enough and I could choose my working hours and breaks quite flexibly. They will ask you beforehand what you normally prefer to do, so it will be somewhat tailored to your skillset.
Concerning free time, the couple has some old but well functioning bikes that I could use to go for bike rides around the area and my favourite spot was definetly the nearby lake which is great for swimming and sunbathing with a good book. On the weekend I went to Groningen City for a day, easy to reach and nice to look around. The other day Paul and Monique took me out for a sightseeing trip around the area, so I was able to see the landscapes, smaller towns and Paul knows a lot about the history of the area - bonus for a history nerd like me :). I also had a really good time in the irish pub in Groningen where Paul plays the recorder with a group of musicians. I personally love music and singing so I was able to join in for one session. Everyone was so lovely, I enjoyed it a lot!
So to conclude, I had a great time with Paul and Monique and this will not have been my last time in the Netherlands. Thanks for everything and all the best!
Vom Host für Workawayer (Manuel)
Manuel stayed with us for a good two weeks in June. His main interest was improving his English which he thought was rather poor. No way Manu, we didn't have any problem talking with you; it's a lot better than you think! We loved having you around, very flexible, willing to do anything we asked and then even volunteering to do more like
… read more refurbishing some old bikes in your own time. You took great pride in your work and were very clever finding solutions to some of the challenges you encountered. Always cheerful, singing and obviously enjoying yourself. You finished the job cleaning the white stones in the front yard, did a lot of garden maintenance (including 'pruning' a big tree) and helped stripping the old toilet room in preparation for the refurbishment we are currently working on.
After work we had fun together playing billiards in the community center (Dorpshuis) or enjoying the live open Irish Session in Groningen and you spent a lot of time with the neighbor's son who is a car lover like you. You were very comfortable in and around the house, true to what we told you that you should behave like you are at home. Sometimes you sat with us in your free time, sometimes you took one of the bikes for a spin and explore the area. In the weekend you organised your own day trip to Groningen city. You are a pleasure to have around, very considerate and quiet when you were in your own room.
We were sorry to see you leave already after two magnificent weeks together and happy to take you to your long distance bus, even in the middle of the night. Thanks a lot Manu, we hope you will return to us some day and wish you all the best in your endeavors.
Un fuerte abrazo,
Paul & Monique
Vom Workawayer (Manuel) für Host
Una experiencia perfecta!! Estuve 15 días con Paul y Monique y me trataron genial, la casa es súper bonita con un gran jardín por lo que siempre había cosas que hacer, nada demasiado complicado. También comenzamos con las reformas del baño y el cuarto de la colada.
Ambos son personas muy agradables, en mi estancia pase más tiempo con Monique ya
… read more que Paul es una persona bastante ocupada, aunque también fui con el y con la gente del barrio a jugar al billar, me encantó!!
Me dejaron una bicicleta para explorar la zona sin problema, las comidas eran deliciosas.
Experiencia de 10!!Du kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Maranatha is a remarkable young woman who knows what she wants and who has seen quite a bit of the world. She seems a bit shy at first but really appeared to like her stay with us. She did several jobs we had, mainly work in the garden and most of her time was spent in the front yard where tons of white rocks had to be cleaned and put back. She
… read more thought it would take only a few days but as the week drew on she spent more and more time trying to get the job finished. She *almost* succeeded but what a meticulous job she did, thank you very much!
It was a pleasure to see how Natha worked to improve her Dutch which was already at a surprisingly good level. Speaking and understanding were quite good and she wanted to read just about anything she could lay hands on. Especially a magazine for home owners caught her interest and I was happy to let her take it as a souvenir, along with the week's newspapers.
Natha was really part of the family, usually sharing the meals and sometimes siting down with us in the living in her free time. She also spent time in her room upstairs or in the conservatory, chatting online with friends and family. She had so much to do that sometimes she stayed up very late, forgetting to go to sleep. This however did not interfere with her work.
Spending free time together was also very pleasant. She has a very broad interest into many different subjects and wanted to know all about some of my hobbies like Scouting and how I have made my old house fossil free and energy plus. Together we visited a local museum and a very pleasant last day sightseeing before taking her to the bus to her next destination.
Eight days were only a relatively short period but left a lasting memory. We wish you good luck in all your endeavors and hope your stay with other hosts will turn out to be equally satisfactory for all.
Hartelijke groeten uit Zuidwending,
Paul en Monique
I spent eight amazing days with Paul and Monique. I had been contacted by Paul through Workaway, himself seeing that I was in the area. Paul offered to host me and to engage in a cultural exchange among which helping me improve my Dutch was key. I met the couple for the first time virtually via WhatsApp. They were very warm and convivial leading
… read more me to agree to be hosted by them. When the day came to begin my time with them Paul drove all the way to another part of Groningen to pick me up from my previous host's place.
Paul is a very relatable and open person. He is passionate about several interesting topics of which sustainability, volunteering, amateur radio, scouting, and music are just a few interests of his. He has lived a very adventurous life and is therefore able to respect others and adapt himself to varied circumstances so that he gets along very well with people of different backgrounds and nationalities. He has a 'can-do attitude' and actively seeks to improve himself, both of which I admire; ‘I've never done it so i think i can!'--was a quote he used regularly. Additionally, Paul is the kind of person that loves to share what he knows with others. Goodness did I learn a LOT from Paul. He showed me videos and picture presentations of his home project over the years, talking me through the stages and being patient enough to answer my questions. It was very lovely to see the different installations and the progress of his and Monique’s hard work. I was also given a tour of his radio (hobby) studio, after which I was shown images of his intentions to install his radio antenna, and the journey and many lives that it has lived prior to ending up in his driveway. What’s more, Paul showed me example DIY models he has taught the youths that he coaches at a school in the area to build. It was after he gave me a presentation of scouting that I took action and signed up to be a scout leader and volunteer when I return home--‘I've never done it so i think i can!'. Thank you so much Paul for sharing ideas, knowledge, and your many projects with me. I enjoyed the stories of your life and travels. Thanks also for the Dutch newspapers and magazines you gave me to read in order to improve my Dutch language skills.
Monique is a lovely person with an interesting sense of humour. I learned several new Dutch words thanks to Monique. She even joined me in reminding Paul to 'spreek Nederlands en langzaam' to me. Moreover, I also discovered an artist and designer in her, the person responsible for the fine details and aesthetics in and around the property. I got first-hand experience in landscaping through the task I did and because of Monique. Thanks Monique for providing feedback, correction, and advice.
One thing I am very grateful about when it came to staying with Paul and Monique was their principle and dedication to their own side of the bargain. In other words, they spoke Dutch to me consistently and did not become wearied when I did not understand certain words, phrases or sentences used. On the contrary they would readily repeat themselves, translate what they said, slow down for me, and continue speaking in Dutch at my request. And that’s not forgetting creating a homely environment for me. They also encouraged me and praised me for my efforts. Moreover, from Paul and Monique I learned several aspects of the Dutch culture that coincide with my own upbringing, i.e. hard work, diligence and consistency, as well as conservation of resources.
As for the work, it is varied and interesting, and one is able to pick from a list of tasks based on your strengths and preferences. In that sense the couple are quite flexible. I worked mainly on the landscaping aspect of the tasks and had a lot of fun doing it.
Besides work I went on several interesting weekend outings, including:
(1)A visit to the Agricultural museum/ Museum Collectie ter Borg in Ommelanderwijk with Paul. I really enjoyed the exhibition, got the chance to engage with the friendly locals, several of whom spoke to me about the changes and development that have taken place in this part of the Netherlands. I even participated in a lovely music session over coffee with a group of senior citizens after the exhibition. A very memorable experience indeed.
(2) A guided tour of Veendam with Paul.
(3)A tour of Appingedam with Paul and Monique on the last day of my stay. I was treated to a nice dinner, thanks to Monique.
Besides these tours with Paul and Monique I also cycled to Oude Pekela as well as Veendam. In the process I enjoyed beautiful scenery which added to the joys of my stay with the couple.
Bedankt, Paul en Monique voor alles. I learned so much from you both and had fun volunteering at you place. I wish you both success in your many projects and endeavours.
All the best,
Maranatha
Vom Workawayer (Jan Willem) für Host
What attracted me to Paul and Monique’s profile was that I felt it would be a genuine experience of life in the Netherlands and provide an opportunity to develop my language skills. I first met Paul and Monique over a video call not long after I signed up for Workaway. Having never done before or anything similar, I was quite nervous to meet them.
… read more They immediately put my mind at ease, and I felt that we were a great match.
Up until I arrived, we stayed in regular contact ensuring that everything required was ready, and Paul even gave me some great advice on how to set up my cellphone and use the local trains! Once I arrived, Paul collected me from the train station in Veendam (this was amazing), and I was then introduced to Monique upon my arrival at their home. They were both so friendly and explained to me their desire to ensure I felt at home and if I needed something to just ask. This made me feel so comfortable and set the scene for what was to be an amazing stay!
Accommodation and Food:
Their house is situated in Zuidwending, a truly lovely part of the Netherlands, and their home is a fantastic place to live. The food was excellent, and I was well-fed at all times. Paul even introduced me to some Indonesian-style food and spices that he picked up from his time in the navy. While Monique introduced me to some more traditional but amazing food and i even showed her what a chip buttie was.
Work:
The work was very rewarding and kept me fit. I was asked to help out with projects around the house such as tree pruning, gardening, and I also helped at the local community center (more on that later).
Cultural Exchange and New Skills Learned:
Paul is heavily involved in multiple community activities and other hobbies, which I gladly accompanied him on. I visited the Repair Cafe (https://www.facebook.com/RepairCafeVeendam/) , Irish music nights (where Paul played), recorder classes, and a concert (where he teaches and plays). Finally, I helped at the local community center and attended a couple of great nights playing billiards. Getting involved in the local community was a major highlight for me; everyone I met was so friendly, and I felt like I could return in a number of years and still be invited back in like I never left!
Monique was interested in improving her English and was more than happy to help me learn Dutch. Be it that my pronunciation was terrible, but it provided some great laughs!! Thank you for persevering with me!!
During my stay, I also learned a lot about the sustainable practices that they had installed over time within their home (water catchment systems and solar energy to just name a couple from a very large list). I also gained skills in gardening and even gave tree pruning a go.
I could go on with so many other great memories and experiences, but overall, this experience far exceeded any expectations I had. I would highly recommend any Workawayers that have an opportunity to stay with Paul and Monique to take it and get as involved as I did. You will not be disappointed!! I was genuinely sad to leave. Paul and Monique, I hope to see you again sometime soon; thank you for everything!
Bedankt, or Moi (as they say in Groningen)
Jan-WillemDu kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Host für Workawayer (Jan Willem)
Jan Willem, a Dutch Kiwi who doesn't speak Dutch (yet) surprised us when he wanted to come to us and we had an excellent first impression in a video call. Clear messages, well-kept promises. What a joy to have JW in our home. We told him to act as if he was at home and that's just what he did. Not shy to open a cupboard preparing breakfast or
… read more rummage through the shed looking for tools or fixing up an old bike to use during his stay. Eager to please, very considerate and even asking for recipes of the (sometimes very spicy) meals he obviously enjoyed. Lots of hard work done, countless hours in the garden, washing windows, helping in the house, volunteering at the local community center. Sometimes accompanying Paul for billiards or an Irish session, enjoying a day sightseeing in rural Groningen. Almost five weeks flew by and we all could easily have enjoyed five more.
Jan Willem we hope your following WA jobs will be as good for you and your hosts as this one was. Have fun on Terschelling and who knows you might visit us for a weekend in August. You are welcome any time!
Hartelijke groeten van Paul en Monique
Vom Workawayer (Carla) für Host
I spend 8 days in Paul's and Moniques house to help them to storage a 10 tons delevery of firewood. Since the first contact about workaway and later on with a video call I felt very comfortable with them. Paul picked me up in Germany what have made the arrival easy for me.
On my first day Paul show me their house and explained me all the
… read more eco-friendly project they have achieved already or still work on. Monique had to work, that let to the situation, that I spend a lot time with Paul and less with her. The work was exhausting but it was a lot of fun and let to some nice coffee-breaks with good conversations as well. After we storaged all the wood, Paul was taking me sightseeing through the province of Groningen and showed me a lot of beautiful places, like the old city Appingham and the Northkap (Ein großes Dankeschön dafür nochmal an dieser Stelle). After the work I had time to do whatever I wanted to do, for example I went to vendam by bicycle. Paul also offered me to accompany him as he went to the grocery or had a billiard evening in a community house. There I got to know some cool people my age.
We had evenings with good food and took turns do to cooking.
All in all it was a really interesting week and I am happy to went to the Netherlands for that.
The only thing I sadly have to critice is that I got some problems with the communication with Monique and there were some tension that I didn't felt comfortable in the end. This is why I sadly can not give them the best rate, even if I had a good time with Paul and Monique in general.
Liebe Grüße und viel Glück bei all euren zukünftigen Projekten!
CarlaDu kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Host für Workawayer (Carla)
Carla answered our last minute request to help stow away 10 tons of firewood into the shed. We had good communication on WA and WhatsApp and we agreed I'd pick her up from the Leer railway station. Initially she thought we'd need only a couple of days but was quite flexible when it turned out to be a full week. She is very punctual, hard-working
… read more and more than once even wanted to continue after more than 5 hours of hard work!
We enjoyed working together, exercising my German more than her English (sorry... ) and preparing veggy meals. In the weekend we found the time to do some sightseeing. In all it must have been quite an exhaustive week for Carla but she just kept on going, all smiles... WOW!
Thank you very much for your help and pleasant company Carla! I hope your plans for future WA trips will work out just as good for you and your future hosts. Vielleicht einmal auf Wiedersehen?
Paul
Vom Host für Workawayer (Julian)
Julian was with us for almost all of August, the first 2.5 weeks together with his friend Mathieu. Together we did a lot of hard work which I couldn't have done without their help. Some jobs I had been postponing for a number of years, like building the filter basin for the rain water collection system and now all of them are done! We are very
… read more pleased with their help and apparently the young men liked to help us. Julian was the somewhat quieter of the two, maybe a bit shy to speak English but this improved once his friend had left.
Together we found out there are differences in times and diet between Dutch and French customs. We ended up on a good compromise, adapting dinner time as much as we could and the lads cooking their own lunches. During working hours we always worked closely together and in the weekends I sometimes took the young men sightseeing. We did a 'tour de Groningen' and a 'tour de Drenthe', visiting an old windmill, a 'hunebed', some nature reserves near the Waddenzee and Dwingeloo and we had some drinks and snacks along the way.
Outside working time and these sightseeing trips we didn't see the lads much. They preferred going out to a nearby recreation area with a little lake or staying in their rooms. Both were very considerate with Monique who has to work and sleep at odd hours, making no noise when at home. As their main goal was to improve their English I would suggest to spend more time together outside working hours also. I did get a chance to practice my French a bit so overall we are quite pleased with the result.
Julian thank you for your time and effort! We wish you and Mathieu all the best with the rest of your studies and hope you'll have some more good Workaway experiences next year. Enjoy what's left of your holiday, you've earned some rest ;)
Paul & Monique
Vom Workawayer (Julian) für Host
I stayed 4 weeks at Paul’s and Monique’s house as a workawayer. The job was overall gardening and cleaning. I had to make a path with rocks, remove weeds and clean windows, gutter, chimney and so on. This was hard job but at the same time interesting. Paul has a lot of eco project and I participated to some of them: collect the rain water with a
… read more filter to use it in the house, collect the rain water in a recipient to the garden. Most of all I was with Paul for the work, he was there to explain me the work and if I had a question. He was always there for me. Monique is also nice and funny. I had a lot of fun with both. Sometimes we were drinking in front of a fireplace outside, it was cosy. This was a good experience for me and I could practise my English a lot.
For the accommodation I had a bed with two places, the house is clean, and the house has some automatic system like the light.
For the meal, Paul and Monique cook well, all the plates were yummy (they preferred Indian food). I shared typical French food with them. there are open with new food experience.
Most of my free time was used to go to the lac near the house (8 min by bike). I also went to Groningen (a small city) by train.
I recommend this workaway for sure, don’t hesitate to ask. Paul will show you the house (video call) and he will answer to all the questions.
Merci pour tout,
JulianDu kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Host für Workawayer (Mathieu)
Mathieu helped us with a number of jobs for 2.5 weeks (together with his friend Julian). Mathieu is a hard worker and happily did anything we asked even though several jobs were physically quite demanding. One of his objectives was to exercise his English (which is already pretty good) but I also got a chance to try a bit of French (which is not
… read more as good yet...). We shared all our meals and had to adapt a bit because French and Dutch customs are quite different. We met somewhere in the middle. We enjoyed the meals he prepared occasionally. In his spare time he usually went out on a bike to a nearby recreation lake. The sightseeing was fun, we did a tour of rural Groningen one day and had an unexpected guided tour in an old windmill. Another day we toured around Drenthe visiting some 'hunebedden' and a nature reserve. I'm sure Mathieu had a nice change from his everyday studying and liked the experience. We recommend him to any other host! Merci bien et peut-être au revoir?
Paul & Monique
Vom Workawayer (Mathieu) für Host
Monique and Paul are a very kind couple. I stayed here for 2.5 weeks and I enjoyed it. The accommodation is perfect and the house is very clean. The internet is very fast. The house is located near lakes, and a supermarket which you can easily reach by cycling.
Here, I have done a lot of manual work, varied and that’s something I appreciated.
… read more For example, we have build several things like a water filter, also cutting stones and woods, gardening, some painting, fixing bikes,… There is a lot of work to do here, so you will not be bored. Another point is that Paul is very flexible on the hours. For example, You can work more one day, to work less an other. So you can schedule your week as you want !
During some of our free time, Paul drove us for some site-seeing ! He is a perfect guide because he knows a lot about his environnement and history. So we had a good mix between work and fun.
Concerning Monique, she doesn’t speak English as well as Paul does, but she is always trying so we had a lot of fun with her too.
Thank you again for this WorkAway experience! It was a great one and I will for sure repeat it next summer! I hope the water filter will work And maybe we will see again one day.
Au revoir,
MathieuDu kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Workawayer (Izan) für Host
Paul y Monique me acogieron en su casa desde el primer momento. Fue mi primera experiencia con Workaway, y la repetiría una y mil veces mas.
Los trabajos en los que ayudé en la casa, fueron muy variados; desde limpiar los cristales del bonito conservatorio que tienen en la casa, ayudar con los trabajos en el jardín (que fueron la mayoría), hasta
… read more montar una silla que Paul había comprado o quitar las hierbas de la entrada a la parte trasera de la casa, con lo cual el trabajo no se hace nada monótono.
Monique, es super agradable y se encargo de limpiar siempre rápidamente mi ropa y en tenerla lista; ella suele salir a trabajar varios días a la semana por lo que la mayor parte del tiempo la pase con Paul.
Un día me llevó a visitar Groninguen (la capital de provincia), otro fuimos a la playa, y también me llevaron a comer una rica cena en el Restaurante Chino del pueblo de al lado, por lo que aunque no es una posición pagada, a esta familia no les faltó ser serviciales, ofreciéndome de todo en los días que pase con ellos.
Paul me arregló una bici, con la cual en mis tardes libres visité los pueblos de al lado (Veendam y Nieuwe Pekela). Como veis, de mi primera experiencia no puedo decir nada malo, de mi estadía en esta casa.
MONIQUE Y PAUL, ESPERO QUE VOLVAMOS A VERNOS ALGÚN DIA. ❤❤Du kannst nur Workawayer mit aktiver Mitgliedschaft kontaktieren.
Vom Host für Workawayer (Izan)
Izan is our first Workawayer. What a joy he is to host! He was most willing to do any job we offered and even came asking for more several times. Of course we were happy to oblige... He is a hard worker and takes pride in doing the work in the best way possible. He is very considerate and easy going so blended in into our home effortlessly. He is
… read more always smiling and good-spirited.
Izan's English is limited (hence only 4 stars foor communication) but he certainly does his best and is eager to learn. He has no problems at all with food or drinks and happily tried everything we offered. He even prepared some good tortillas for us!
Unfortunately he had to return home early due to family circumstances. We were all very sad as we still had many more plans for the remaining time together. Izan we hope the circumstances will improve soon and look forward to hosting you some other time again. Hasta la vista!!
Paul & MoniqueJoin our family and help us renovate an old water tower in Gouda, Netherlands
Looking for help with art, marketing, organization and other creative projects near Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Wir haben festgestellt, dass es in deinem Profil weniger als 3 Fotos gibt. Für das neue Gastgeberprofil-Layout empfehlen wir dir unbedingt, mehr als 3 Fotos zu haben, damit sich dein Profil optisch hervorhebt.
Bitte nimm dir einen Moment Zeit und suche ein paar schöne Aufnahmen heraus, die zeigen wie es bei dir aussieht und Lust auf einen Aufenthalt bei dir machen:
Bitte logge dich in dein Workawayer-Konto ein, um diesen Gastgeber zu kontaktieren, oder
melde dich hier an!
Experience sustainable living with eco-friendly projects on a 1905 house in Zuidwending, Groningen, Netherlands
Niederlande
Wenn du nicht EU-Bürger bist und die Niederlande besuchen möchtest, um dort zu arbeiten, zu studieren oder als Volunteer tätig zu sein, brauchst du das entsprechende Visum. Um mehr darüber zu erfahren, solltest du dich vor deiner Abreise von zu Hause an die Botschaft in deinem Land wenden.
Sprachpraxis
Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten
Seniorenbetreuung
Unterrichten
Gartenarbeiten
Heimwerker- und Bauarbeiten
Zubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die Familie
Hausarbeiten
Handwerkliche Arbeiten
Hilfe mit Computer /Internet
Tischlerarbeiten
Kochen & Backen
Heimwerken & DIY
Zeichnen & Malen
Gartenarbeiten
Geschichte
Sprachen
Karitative Arbeiten
Kultur
Events & Sozialleben
Selbstentwicklung
Nachhaltigkeit
Darstellende Künste
Musik
