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Still here for now but property is now on market. Looking for somebody fit and capable to help me get things back in order, and give me a little more time to tackle what needs to be sorted in the house.
PLEASE, BEFORE YOU ASK ABOUT VISITING US - read our profile and make sure you know exactly where we are.
You come here as guests, not slaves, we take a lot of trouble to make sure you are comfortable. We know that situations can change, sometimes at very short notice, but tell us!
But first check that you do actually want to come here!
That said we really enjoy having such interesting guests to stay!
Please be aware this property is off grid, running on solar, currently trying to get back up system up and running again. There are things you cannot run here, like hair dryers or electric heaters, but there is an efficient woodburner in room. If weather is fine during day hopefully we have enough power for our needs.
I am English Jeanette(63) living in the Alentejo region of Portugal. This is in a quiet location but not remote with a 1.3 hectare smallholding Set in an olive grove. We are near to a lake but water level is very low, but at last we are getting some rain.
We have a recycled and experimental approach to growing vegetables, but currently most of gardens shut down.
We have some disabilities but strive to overcome these issues through innovation. We encourage others to come and learn here, not just about growing food but about themselves and what they can achieve as human beings.
We love music, arts in all its forms, nature, we were professional photographers covering socio documentary and local events.
myself - I went to the university of life (which I still attend on a daily basis) and have worked in many fields from Horses, small animal veterinary nursing, floristry, farming, both agricultural and animal, was for 26 years a teacher of oriental dance for adult education, a qualified reflexologist, plus we had a business prior to leaving UK providing education and installation of small scale renewable energy projects. We are off grid here but did have a normal household regarding power supply so a chance to learn about this too.
We have 3 cats and currently 2 loopy dogs of our own plus sometimes others who come as visitors.
We have chicken for eggs (sadly not free range due to predation).
We are located near Ourique (in Beja district not the Ourique near Lisbon), 10 minutes from the main North/South main road systems and 5 minutes from the train station linking Algarve and Lisbon. We are 1 hour north of the Algarve.
PLEASE it is of utmost importance - if you decide to book a visit with us but have a change of plans do let us know as soon as possible, we also have to make plans for your stay to be comfortable here and others may be turned away who could have enjoyed the experience! Thank you!Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco ProjectsGardeningDIY and building projectsAnimal CareFarmstay helpGeneral MaintenanceHelp with Computers/ InternetCultural exchange and learning opportunities
Visitors can exchange ideas, language, culture. This is a unique part of Portugal to visit ecologically and historically, being everything from near desert to coast, productive farming to steppe reserves. Nature is predominant, fantastic for birdwatching and many different fauna and flora to learn about. Stargazing is fantastic here as we do not have street lighting close by, being in an ecological zone.
We are Solar powered and used to teach this subject in UK where we had a small business in the field of renewable energy and sustainable building. We are currently revising out energy system.. will be installing more panels of different types, and when we can afford to buy another controller to integrate this with our current input to reduce our use of carbon fuels for back up power and for pumping water.
We can share our experience in creating a diverse food system, from composting to zoned areas, raised planting and unique ideas in ground cover to prevent moisture loss and soil erosion.
We have a large collection of music from around the world, have loads of books, sorry only in English, from novels to history to how to build a composting loo.....love the arts in all its forms, and of course our passion for capturing the everyday situations and changing light through our love of photography....Help
Not under the Tuscan sun but......If you are thinking of leaving the nine to five rat race and think a little place in the country would be nice, then come and 'try before you buy'. Learn if you really have what it takes.
We do not have a huge amount of tasks as we are trying always to create a system which helps us manage in a more friendly way to ourselves and the environment. Friends who have stayed here recently have helped clear weeds, prepare ground for planting, planting out, harvesting in the Olive season. There are many small projects to keep us all amused. This is not high intensity working but finding a level that suits everyone while getting jobs done. Sometimes a bit of muscle helps but we do have lots of experience of getting tricky situations sorted by using a bit of focus first.
Be aware we do have lots of bugs and creepy crawly things around, most not dangerous and the spiders are more afraid of you, we also have snakes and sometimes scorpions. If you are allergic to stings please bring medication you might need for this, also check you Tetanus jabs, this is important as you will be working with the soil.
We DO NOT have set timetables here, we ourselves work every day as this is a working holding with livestock and plants which need some care every day. If you need a strict timetable then maybe this is not the place to stay. We try to accommodate people who need specific times off, sometimes for study etc...there are times when it is all hands to the deck, at others there will not be much to do usually because it is too hot.....we try our best to take care of our guests to the best of our ability.
Some guests have found this is a good place to practice meditation. When we have adverse weather conditions, especially heat in the summer, there might be long spells when you need to amuse yourself. We have a good range of books, video, music CDs and DVDs available. We have upgraded the internet for our guests to be able to use. Car hire is not available in our local town but easily available elsewhere if you need to have greater freedom to get around. Buses and Trains go to Lisbon and Algarve.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: BeginnerAccommodation
We offer a studio room set up for 2 people. It has its own shower room with toilet, separate entrance from our own house in a quiet location (except for frogs and birds). We provide cooking facility and fresh garden produce if available
There is room here for a camper van and or a tent if somebody is hiking their way around.
Our Students who have stayed so far assure us it would be possible to make up a third bed but we think the room is more comfortable with just 2...
Due to our own strange working hours we do not cook for our guests. We have managed, with help, to enclose the terrace and create a dedicated small kitchen space .
We would prefer to host non-smokers, this is partly due to elevated fire risk and issue that have arisen with people smoking in the guests room. If you must smoke please you must respect the rules and not smoke inside the room or in the outbuildings.What else ...
It is a good idea for visitors to have their own transport (car hire?) as there is very limited access to public transport in the near locality. There are buses, taxis (Ourique) and trains (Funcheira) nearby .
Our house is located in a quiet valley, with 2 other homes nearby. The nearby farms are not habited so little opportunity to practise Portuguese language skills there.
You will need to be able to amuse yourselves in your spare time. We limit our travelling around due to our own very small budget. When possible guests will be able to come with us for visits to Ourique (normally twice a week) or further afield with us when we are able to.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (8)
He was great with our dogs,… read more
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He was great with our dogs,… read more
I learned a lot from Jeanette about the farm work and enjoyed the walks with the dogs very much. My own accommodation, with a small terrace that was perfect for my 3-week stay, rounded it all off.
It was a great experience on a beautiful place… read more
Absolutely loved sleeping under the mosquito net , waking up with the chickens at dawn and putting those awesome ducks to bed every night.... Learned a lot about gardening and seed transplant, loads of food provided to stuff up the main fridge, lovely walks with Misty the… read more
John and Jeanette are a very nice couple who have a vast amount of knowledge and experience to exchange in everything from plants, vegetables and animals to local knowledge and their own experiences of living in the beautiful Alentejo region for over 10 years. They are also amazing photographers! Ask to see their work… read more
We really hope she will come back and visit again
Accomodations are very good for individual and couple use. There is a self contained abode that I found perfect for my short stay at the farm.
The farm itself is a… read more
If you return to Portugal again would love to have you back, will make sure we get in loads of Daddies Sauce first!