Come into the wild mountains of Southern France

France

Favourited 1011 times

Host rating
Feedback
21
Last activity
14/09/2019
Reply rate
60.0 %
Average reply time:
within 48 days
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2019

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Description
Oscar and I enjoy life on a hilltop situated in among untouched forests, streams, waterfalls, mountains . Our very friendly goats, dog and our cats are all free and part of the happy family. We even have the neighbor's cows and a huge bull staying with us at present. We are looking for a happy person who would like to join us for a while and play with and help learn to read my 7 year old son.
We live in a large medieval and very romantic and drafty stone farmhouse with 4 open fireplaces, just like out of a medieval fairy tale. We like to live life fully, deciding every minute of the day what we would like to do next.
He's not at school by the way.
Be prepared to use the local hot springs to wash, a hitch hiking distance away, or to heat water on the fire and stand in a bowl. You have your own half of the house with its own kitchen, bedroom and sitting room.
We love creating art, enjoying your visits, exchanging stories and ideas, dreams and experiences.
My personal passion is about 'saving the Earth's life from humanity with a new watch I've invented and want to 'publish' sometime soon.
The net version is all but ready to go.
Now I need an application creator to come stay for a few days.
If you know how to program with html or create an application ... then please come quickly,
Type of help
Gardening
Building
Babysitting / child care
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Help in the house
Language practice
Art project
Help with Computers / internet
Teaching
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Learn how to make your own house with things you find. Learn to be creative with what you have and be positive.
I built my house myself, cutting down trees for the beams and dragging them through the forest and rebuilding the old stone walls.
Help
Playing with my 7 year old boy who's great. Making chapatis and making the fire. Cooking tasty meals, spending time with our animals, plants and flowers and marveling at life and the Universe.
Help is welcomed to cut and collect firewood, simple dry stone walling.
Come join us in discovering every day, full of surprises and inspiration, loving nature and every creature on our miraculous Earth.
Your first challenge is getting firewood and tending your own fireplace. Our style of living is simple and rustic.

Irving and Oscar

We are very happy to receive families with children.
Languages spoken
very good french, english (mother tongue)
Accommodation
We have a big house with plenty of guest beds, a communal room with it's own fire place and it's own kitchen.
What else ...
2 hours help a day
plenty of guest beds available
basic vegetarian food supply

Our home is easily accesible via hitch-hiking from our closest town Couiza
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
2 hours

Photos

5 years ago while married to Juliane

Local Sunday market drum circle

Come inspire Oscar to count and read and write, please!

A hitch away at Rennes les Bains 24/7

My room where you are welcome just like this wonderful recent visitor

Show all photos

My best friends who are free as the wind and also love staying round the house

A recent photo with a super visitor whom Oscar loved to play with a lot.

I am so lucky to have found this medieval hamlet taken back by nature. Come share.

At the Sunday market 3 years ago -Shatzi Juliane Oscar Me and Georgie .

Guest area, with fireplace, kitchen and old stone sink in the corner.

Stone arches I built to look original. Sometimes goats come in to say hello and see if there's anything to pinch.

Come help finish the roof. The beams are up, now the chevrons, volige and tiles.

This is where you might sleep.

Feedback left by and about host (21)

06/08/2018

Left by Workawayer (Kadi & Sten) for host

Irving was so nice to host us only for a week in mid June. I will always remember the moment we finally arrived to his medieval fairy tale house after some wandering around in the nearby picturesque area and how he appeared to the window. The true King of his Castle. To describe the place through words is in my opinion impossible. The Corbiere… read more

(Very good )

23/08/2017

Left by Workawayer (Manal) for host

Such a unique experience with Irving and Oscar !! Irving is a very inspiring man and such a beautiful and positive soul and I was so happy to have shared a short but unforgettable time with him and Oscar in their amazing house. Thank you Irving for sharing your stories, hopes and dreams with me and please know that this time shared with you helped… read more

(Excellent )

14/12/2016

Left by Workawayer (Nesrin) for host

I spent one week at Irving's magnificent house, with him and Oscar, the goats, cats and lovely Andando. Irving is a splendid person, immeasurably creative and happy to share his knowledge. He always kept pointing out tasks to do and it's like it never stops, but you can always choose the tasks you want to do and leave what annoys you. There's only… read more

(Excellent )

06/11/2016

Left by Workawayer (Ginny & Richard) for host

We spent 1 week with Irving and his goats and cats, and we've had the pleasure to meet Oscar and Juliane. It was a unique experience which has enrichened us enourmously! For that we want to thank you once again, Irving! You've taught us many new things, but you've also inspired us in so many ways.
If you're a Workawayer who is looking for a… read more

(Very good )

08/10/2016

Left by Workawayer (Bálint) for host

Irving is a wonderful person! You could not wish any better host than him. He is always cherful and he wants to teach you as much as he can. When we arrived to his house, I felt like in a fairy tale. The house is really beautiful in the very beautiful mountains. It was a pleasure to be there, to see the goats, to get to now Irving and Oscar. Thank… read more

(Excellent )

16/08/2016

Left by Workawayer (Mélie) for host

J'ai passé un très agréable séjour chez Irving, sage présent, accueillie comme à la maison, merci! J''ai aussi passé de bon moment de jeu avec Oscar, fait de belles ballades, retrouvé le rythme slowlife si bon... Oui, que du bon!

(Excellent )

20/06/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Helene)

We were very happy to have the pleasure of Helene's love and enthousiasme. She's a super,super cook and she was a wonderful playmate with my 5 year old son. We wish her well and hope she will continue to share the same joy she shared with us,all thanks to wonderful Workaway.

(Excellent )

11/05/2016

Left by Workawayer (Helene) for host

Irving and Oscar are wonderful people!!

Never arrived at his timeless lovely paradise place like this. Nowhere dirty plastic transmission poles or fences, not even in the beautiful house. I imagine myself 600 years back in time live, while the time is just gone here. Fourtou, France near very high in the mountains, I med my friend. I mean real… read more

(Excellent )

07/01/2016

Left by Workawayer (Scott & Kayla) for host

This was our best workaway by far to date. Such a positive relaxed atmosphere. Irving, Oscar and the goats really made us feel welcome and at home on their amazing mountain top. We enjoyed helping Oscar with his studies he is a ball of energy. The girls had a great time being free on the wonderful hillside. They are very thankful for the music… read more

(Excellent )

18/12/2015

Left by Workawayer (Cristina Magdalena & Jose Ramón ) for host

We spent a few days here with Irving and Oscar this summer. That days were very special.The house is beautiful and the enviroment too. We've enjoyed so much the days we shared. Also, our daughter enjoyed playing with Oscar. The goats, the silence...it was a very good experience.

(Excellent )

14/10/2015

Left by Workawayer (Jess) for host

Beautiful and warmly built place perfectly hidden in the magnificent mountains, with lots to explore and space and the right pace for peace. Interesting and inspiring conversations to be had with both Irving and Oscar! Very much enjoyed my time here, many thanks and lots of good wishes!

(Excellent )

05/09/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Mathilde Skarsem & Daniel)

Info notice: Workawayer cancelled stay or there was a no show at the last minute

(No show)

08/10/2013

Left by host for Workawayer (Susanne)

Zsuzsa and her daughter Marie are wonderful people who enriched our lifes with their stay at our home.
Zsuzsa integrates very well into the daily life and always looks
out for jobs to do. She kept the kitchen immaculatley and loves helping to keep the house look clean and orderly. Together with another helper we carried lots of construction… read more

(Excellent )

29/04/2013

Left by host for Workawayer (Kate & Michael)

Kate and Michael are exceptional people. Those two lovley people stayed with us and we were hoping they would never leave.
Both of them are eager to learn and to discover, they always look for how they can help you best and are happy to work hard. They are independent minds and love life and live every day with a positive attitude. In particular… read more

(Excellent )

20/04/2013

Left by Workawayer (Kate & Michael) for host

This is a paradise on earth that we will never forget. We learnt the important lesson that you really can live your dream using improvisation, creativity , love and a little magic! We can't thank Irving, Juliane , Oscar, Gary, jasper and the Goats and chickens enough for giving us the welcoming warm home at just the right time. We love you guys… read more

(Excellent )

02/09/2012

Left by Workawayer (Jody) for host

My workaway experience with Irving, Juliane and Oscar in the mountains was amazing. They live in a beautiful paradise amongst the trees. Hitchhiking to Esperaza for the Sunday market was great fun and was a good way to meet some more people! Jasper the dog is the most loyal dog, joining you on little walks in the mountain. Afternoon bathing in the… read more

(Excellent )

11/07/2012

Left by Workawayer (Johanna & Freya) for host

Thank you for everything. It was a very exciting time.
We hope you're doing well and Oscar is still improving his football skills :-)!

(Good )

18/05/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (lenard)

Fantastic Lenny!!! A wonderful stay. A sensitive beautiful soul always willing to help and a good quick and creative worker.
You'll be very privileged if he comes stay with you. He's an angel in army boots. Enjoy the planet Lenny and do pass by again one sunny day, we'd be so pleased to hear of your journeys.

(Excellent )

18/04/2012

Left by Workawayer (lenard) for host

I learned so much here. So much more than I thought I would. I was so warmly welcomed into their home and felt like part of the family. Especially when little Oscar would help me eat dinner :)

The land, the goats, the jasper, the bell tower, the NEW land! The afternoon adventures! This has been hands down one of my favorite workaways.

Thank you… read more

(Excellent )

22/03/2012

Left by Workawayer (Zane) for host

Just returned from the paradise up in the mountains, far from the civilisation where happy hippies live happily surrounded by the magnificent nature and love. If you dare to see the proof of the truth you knew deep in your heart that happiness does not need much and material world is just an illusion, come to meet Irving, Juliana and Oscar.… read more

Irving is an artist and you can feel it in every corner of the house - it is magnificent, I loved it so much! And when else you will have a chance to live in the house probably built in 13th century which still keeps this spirit of a medival home.

Come, even if you are used to the comfort, because open fire heating and bringing water from the spring and washing yourself in a hot termal waters one a week gives you some spiritual comfort instead of comfy life you are probably used to.

We came with 2 kids in the end of the winter and inspite of quite cold nights half of the time and lack of typical modern comfort in many senses we enjoyed this stay a lot and it remainded my childhood summers at my grandparents in the countryside - modest and rustic life enjoying simple things.

We came just in the middle of "forest saga" with our hosts being very much in it and we hope this story turns out with minimal losses. Also paradise has it's problems, so human ...:)

What we did here.. Andis brought wood from the forest which is heavy job in the most direct sense, but very much appreciated by the hosts, because fire is life as you know.. And we started our own project building sauna. We did not finish it completely, but I really hope taht soon all visitors will have a chance to purufy their bodies and souls sitting in a hot steam and looking to the stars through a window given a s a present by Irving's friend.

The food is as simple as life here and meat is a luxury. Sometimes we shared the meals, sometimes not, many times I cooked for everyone and Irving and Juliana were thankful for that.

And the surroundings - it is fantastic, these mountains, Sunday hippie market and dinosaur musee in Esperaza, warm termal waters in Rennes-les-banns, beautiful springs just 3 km walk from the house, dozens of tiny villages, not mentionig mysterious mount de Bugarach where we climbed to book a place for 21st of December 2012 (ha, ha) and more and more.. thanks for inviting us for this incredible experience!

(Excellent )

29/09/2011

Left by Workawayer (Daniel ) for host

My time iherewas indescribable, but I will attempt to convey my experience as best I can. Irving, Juliana, and Oscar are perfect examples that it is possible to live your life on your own terms. Not only that, but to live full of happiness. Everyday was an adventure. We moved stones when the weather was cool and relaxed in a nearby stream during… read more

(Excellent )

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Host ref number: 15922179514d

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