Help needed at my beautiful off-grid Quinta in Central Portugal

Details

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  Description

  In the mountains of central Portugal I live in a remote south facing beautiful off-grid Quinta with several original rebuild slate stone houses and barns, together with my dog.
  I am in my early 60 and left 10 years ago a busy former world behind to live a sustainable life. Out of the city, back to nature, enjoying the land, fresh air and the wild life around. Deer, foxes, wild boar, birds and my bees are just a few of the animals who share their land with me. As there are no streetlights anywere around there are great starlit night skies!
  One of my passions is taking care of the land, Mother Earth. I value the peaceful tranquillity of the land and like to share this space with like minded people, who also want to leave there busy lives for a while, help out, and have a nice joyful, perhaps even a healing time.
  Maybe it is important for you to know that the old cultivated land, the forrest of Oak/divers trees on the Quinta and the houses are untouched by the big fires in October 2017. For the last years cleaning the forrest and reforesting has been done and is still one of the main projects that is still going on. Planting new trees (re-afforestation) is happening mainly in wintertime when there is enough rain for the young trees to grow. I am replanting also from my own little tree nursery.
  
  I am facing a Nature Reserve forrest that looks pritty much untouched with mainly native trees which is very special in this country.
  In springtime on the Quinta there are many wild flowers around. Everywhere new Pines, Oaks, Chestnut, Cork Oaks, other trees and bushes like flowering heather are coming back, Nature is very resilient :-).
  I am part of a beautiful community, and there are activities organized like music, film nights, reforesting, markets, etc.., lots of fun, and helping eachother out, connecting people.
  
  Keywords; my lovely dog :-), animals, sustainability, gardening, reforesting, trees, vegetable gardens, permaculture, Eco system, team work, music, bees, meditation, humor, fun, Buddhism, communicating, connecting with people, exploring and open for new things/ideas, singing, dance, flowers, philosophy, innovating ideas, reading, photography, positive thinking, cooking, Healing Tao, Thich Nhat Hanh, Art, community, Martial Arts, hiking.
  
  Keywords property: Remote farm in nature, old agricultural terraces area, mountains, silence, permaculture, off-grid, sustainable, eco-farm, solar energy, vegetable gardens, Nature, composting, grey water system, gardening, Oak forrest, chopping firewood, pruning, wood carpentry, forestry, beehives, little river with waterfalls, wildlife, birds, adventure, central Portugal, Healing land, Minerals.
  
  Just to let you know, I am not on facebook or any other social media. Hope you appreciate and respect this kind of privacy I have chosen consciously. I have Internet: WiFi.
  
  Cooking and meal preparation will be shared amongst those confident in cooking :-).
  Some DIY, painting and construction around the house has to be done in the season(s) depending necessity.
  All skills welcome!
  
  NOTE: I would also very welcome Couples who would like to help out, who can help independently, and have a big feeling of responsibility, have knowledge of watering gardens and live on the countryside. This may also apply to house sitting.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I offer a place to experience the alternative way of life. Learn about many ways of Off-Grid living. The beautiful land and Quinta feels very quiet and peaceful, it may give you more than you could think off. Meet other people who live in the same circumstances, other off-grid family's and artists. Be your true self (ore find it :-)), it is all possible here at the Quinta!

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  Help

  I would like to have help with:
  
  * Farm sitting
  * Carpentry
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Revitalising the land
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Preparation and maintenance of vegetable gardens
  *️️️️️️️️️️ Reforesting / forest management
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Preparing firewood. (Chopping and splitting wood)
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Maintenance of the compost facility (What to do and how to use it)
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ General Maintenance help on buildings, like wood treatment, small repairs, cleaning etc..
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ Maintenance of cultivated lands.
  * Helping in the house(s)
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ …… and dog-whispering, vegetarian cooking, etc. etc. ....
  *️ Cooking : your input in cooking is very welcome!

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  German: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I would like to learn, practice the Portuguese language and share English or Dutch.
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  Accommodation

  I have a beautiful little guesthouse with one double bed (140x200cm), shower, kitchen, compost toilet, wood burner, with a little terras, located next to the main house.
  
  In exchange of your help, I provide accomodation and vegetarian food. Or, if you like, you could also now and then could make your own food in the guesthouse.

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  What else ...

  The nearest village is a 25 minutes walk through nature (10 minutes by car). It has a little hotel with café/restaurant/mini supermarket. The café/restaurant has free Wi-Fi. Once a day a bus is going to the nearest town(s).
  I am part of a nice and inspiring alternative community in the nearby valleys with artists, craftsmen, therapists, musicians, farmers, writers etc. Twice e a month there is a eco market, and in 2 larger towns not so far away, a weekly big market is organised.
  Events (music, art, dance, movie, workdays, walks, workshops, etc.) are organised by the community.
  There are walking tracks close to my Quinta and in the National Nature Forrest and beautiful villages nearby. Close to my village is a big waterfall, nice for walks or meditation. The mountains around offer lots of possibilities for picknicks, walks, and swimm.
  From the nearby village it is another 20 minutes walk to the next village that has a nice Esplenada with a café and a river pool, or you could take the local bus to the nearest town, which leaves early morning and returns in the end of the afternoon.
  A small city, 1h.15 drive away, is very beautiful to visit, has nice restaurants, bars, national music events and theatre.

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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