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Description
Hello, our home is 300m up the shoulder of the Alaric Mountain, just half an hour from the historical city of Carcassonne in the beautiful Corbieres region of Aude. Our old stone house was part of a domaine and is surrounded by woodland, open bush (or garrigue) and a 2 hectare vineyard. The vineyard had been abandoned for a number of years and we’ve been reviving it for the last few years and in the process of making plans to support the land around us to regenerate. We’ve also been making wine with the help of our vigneron friends for the last few years.
Adi and I work remotely from home and between maintaining or improving the house, working the vineyard, wine making and land management there is always a lot to do so we would love some help with a variety of tasks that suit your skills and interest. Spring and early Summer are a busy time of year for outside work but there are always tasks all year around on the land or in the house.
We’re new to hosting but we love having friends and family staying, meeting new people, cooking great food, music and dancing.
We’re surrounded by nature with stunning views of the Montagnes Noires, across the Aude valley or the tops of the Pyrenees on a clear day from different parts of the land around us. From late June onwards we are in a typical hot, Mediterranean climate surrounded by wild garrigue mountainside full of pine, cypress, cedar, green oak, lavender, thyme and juniper. The Spring brings migratory Nightingales, Eurasian Cranes and Hoopoes, and all year round, there are vultures, Montagu’s Harriers and Golden Eagles, as well as roaming wild boar and deer.
You can step out of the house into the mountain for hikes, listen to bird song, explore the unique biodiversity and watch the stars at night. Within 20 minutes by car you can get to local wild swimming spots like the river at Ribaute and a lake at Taurize or in 60 minutes the coast for beautiful beaches and fresh oysters.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Farming
Culture
Politics / Social justice
Sustainability
Charity work
Plant care
Music
Cooking & food
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Camping
Mountain
Dancing
Beach
Hiking
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Mount Alaric is in the heart of the wineland with many independent, organic and natural wine makers. During holidays and summer months local vignerons hold events, many of the villages hold fetes and events.
There are a number of historical sites to visit including the medieval city of Carcassonne, beautiful village of Lagrasse, Cathare village of Minerve and stunning Cathare castle ruins of Perypetouse to visit in the region.
We speak English and our French is not perfect so would be happy to exchange. Having lived in a couple of countries, travelled a lot with work and coming from London, we also love learning and exchanging with people from different cultures.
Help
We’re looking ideally for people who have some experience in either farming or DIY to help with a variety of tasks such as pruning or helping to fix posts in the vineyard; clearing and stocking wood from the woodland; fixing tiling or painting the bathroom; or even cleaning the house. We do a lot of tasks manually in the vineyard and the land, using agroecological principles which we’re learning to apply as we go.
As we work online a lot, we would also appreciate people who are autonomous and don’t mind doing tasks when we’re not able to. If you’re a digital nomad, we can agree when you’re able to do tasks to fit around your work hours.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Accommodation
The house is big and communal, with a shared salon and kitchen and is connected to fibre internet with wifi throughout the house. We can offer you a well sized private room and a shared bathroom.
We like to cook together most days and enjoy using local fresh ingredients in a variety of styles. Breakfast is casual, lunches are simple and dinners usually freshly cooked. I’m Indian, so you can expect a bit of spice but it’s not compulsory! We eat mostly vegetarian at home, please just let us know any food restrictions or preferences up front. If you prefer to cook your own food sometimes we can work it out between us.
We are 2 km from the nearest village on a gravel road and 4 or 5 km from other villages with cafe / bistro or shops, so it would be ideal for you to have your own transport, but we do have a bike you can borrow and could give you lifts whenever possible. You don’t need a 4 x 4 but expect a dirt track with some humps along the way.
What else ...
We try to live as ecologically as possible, using natural products, saving water and electricity and not wasting food. In the summer outdoor fires are forbidden across the whole region.
Travelers with dogs - please let us know, one of us has allergies and so it depends on the time of year if that can work.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have good wifi fibre connection at the house. The bedroom has sufficient space for a desk or you can use the salon for a shared workspace.
Space for parking camper vans
Motorhomes and caravans will be difficult due to the road to get here, however vans are generally fine.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
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