Experience our sustainable off-grid life in Vila do Mato, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  🌿🐱URGENT 🐱🌿
  
  🌿 URGENT: Cat & Home Sitter Needed – Central Portugal (20 Aug – 6 Sept)
  
  Unfortunately, our wonderful cat sitter has had to cancel at the last minute, so we're urgently looking for a reliable person or couple to care for our home while we're away.
  
  Come and experience life in our peaceful off-grid home in the heart of central Portugal, surrounded by nature. It's the perfect place to slow down, relax, read, create, or simply enjoy the quiet.
  
  We're looking for someone who:
  
  - ❤️ Loves cats (we have 6 friendly rescue cats)
  - 🚗 Is a confident driver (essential)
  - 🌱 Will happily water our veggie gardens and other plants regularly
  - ✔️ Is reliable, responsible and committed for the full stay
  
  🌿Dates: 20 August – 6 September🌿
  
  We'd love you to arrive a few days before we leave so we can show you everything, introduce you to the cats, and help you settle in. If you'd like to stay a little longer afterwards, you're very welcome to remain once Seb has returned home.
  
  If you're looking for a peaceful off-grid experience and know you'll be able to commit to these dates, we'd love to hear from you as soon as possible.
  
  🌿🙏🌿🐱🌿🐱🌿🐱🌿🐱🌿🐱
  
  Sebastien is from France originally and lived in Switzerland then Indonesia where he met Felicity from Uk. We moved to Portugal 5+ years ago with our original cat Odin traveling around in a truck searching for the dreamland, we found it and now work hard to maintain our shared vision.
  
  Would you like to live in our beautiful off-grid peaceful paradise we have helped create with nature?
  Would suit Independent, practical people who love being in nature away from the chaos of urban life.
  
  GENERALLY...We are looking for some hardworking enthusiastic people to mcome help with our land as we just a couple . it not a business it s just our home.
  WHAT WE WOULD LIKE HELP WITH...
  
  * Weeding .. a very relaxing meditative task
  * Maintenance around the pond area
  * Upgrading the caravan glamping area
  Like paint wood, ect
  * Vegeteble garden need work at thé moment.
  *Make automatic drip system for vegetables.
  * Build new compost box

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Light maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Fashion or beauty

  

  Events & social

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Gardening

  

  Astronomy

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals

  

  Dancing

  

  Beach

  

  Nature
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Volunteers will have the opportunity to Learn & connect with nature and live sustainably and off-grid in an alternative lifestyle in a peaceful rural environment in the countryside away from the busy noisy polluted rat race of modern society.
  
  The seasons vary but you can learn about the various trees and fruits and nuts, pruning & harvesting,
  We have ancient olive trees that we harvest to eat and produce olive oil that you can pick in November and watch the oil extraction process in the local mill.
  Some fruit we produce we make into alcohol where you can see the process in the local lagar.
  
  Learn about some permaculture techniques & gardening, Various food preserving techniques, or forage for wild foods in the forests. Seb loves finding mushrooms!
  
  Learn about the culture here in Portugal and pick up the Portuguese language from the friendly villagers, or improve your French or English with us!
  
  There is a lot of wildlife that visits the gardens where you see evidence of wild boars & Listen to the abundance of birds & frogs singing.

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  Help

  We're looking for people to get involved with us to maintain our farm, 5.5 hectares of lush terraces and enchanted oak woodlands. We'd appreciate help with the ongoing care that's needed to manage this beautiful land.
  
  We have done most of the hard graft in clearing bushes and brambles but there's still lots to do. Trees to be felled.,wood to be chopped. ..or love to be given in pruning various trees and general land management.
  
  Our organic vegetable garden has been recently redesigned & now supplies us with delicious homegrown food! Weeds always need removing and depending on the season some veg/seeds may need planting.
  
  The land is very diverse and we feel very lucky to have found such a special place with so much potential to create different areas within this Quinta.
  
  We are looking for enthusiastic hands-on practical & creative people ideally with skills and knowledge we can all share.
  
  
  Tasks can be physical but always enjoyable, especially in the idyllic natural environment and sunny climate.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This 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.
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  Accommodation

  We have caravans or a tent, if you are traveling in your van or camper we have plenty of level space to park up under the olive trees next to the lakes.
  
  we offer lunch and dinner prepared by Sebastien who is an amazing qualified French chef.
  Meals are delicious wholesome, healthy & mostly vegetarian.
  We will provide breakfast and there's some basic equipment in the caravan if you wish to cook for yourselves.
  
  There is a compost toilet and a funky shower block that has intermittent hot water.
  All our water is pumped from the well, which we filter or we visit a local spring.
  Please be conscientious about water consumption if coming in the summer as it is limited in Portugal, We have fresh water pools if you just wish to cool off in!
  
  
  Any questions please message us.
  Look forward to hearing from you.

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  What else ...

  The valley where we live has a lively alternative crowd of dwellers, aswell as welcoming locals.
  There is a big river close by where you can swim or fish if you have a rod, the village is a 10 min walk and has an active cafe and bakery both with free wifi. The nearby towns have local markets and amenities,
  Sierra Estrella mountains are not so far and there's lots of beautiful walks in the surrounding nature.
  There are numerous river beaches around and the ocean is an hour's drive. Porto is 2 hrs away and there is a train station " Carregal do Sal" and a bus station close by in neighboring towns "Tabua" & "Oliveria do Hospital"
  
  We can provide a mountain bike and we go regularly into town if you want to visit.
  There are lots of trees that provide shade where you can do yoga or meditate in a peaceful environment.
  
  We would ideally prefer to host a couple or friends who are travelling together. Solo travellers are also welcome.
  Non-smokers are preferred during the summer season due to high fire risks.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have plenty of flat land to accommodate any size living vehicle with great access for bigger trucks.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  we have 6 cats so NO DOGS sorry, if you're travelling with your feline then they are potentially welcome :)

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  odin, chilli, baloo, tigz, manga, maia..

  yes, we have 6 cats!

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