Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Feedback
-
Email verified
Details
Description
You are welcome to stay with us in Genovtsi next to the woods (0m) and close to the town Gabrovo with 55.000 inhabitants (11km)! We are a German couple from Leipzig and start to settle in Bulgaria. Samdi (*69) lives most of the year here. I (*76) come up to 3 months a year to be with him and spend most time in Leipzig with my two kids (*2005 and *2007), where we live in a community on a trailorpark. I have a freelance job as a social worker and the kids go on a free school. We love to make our own choices ;).
We bought the land with its 3 buildings in 2019. Samdi has always been attached to Bulgaria and knows the land and its people and faces all themes with his basic Bulgarian with ease. I was infected by the Bulgarian virus soon enough 6 years ago and love to be in the calm and natural environment just for ourselves, with friends or neighbours. Of course we give a lot of energy in maintaining the buildings, the barn and the house of bricks and the one made of clay. This year we started gardening, step by step. Still the wilderness knocks on our door constantly. Sometimes we just knock back. But in fact, all the various and plenty works are inspiring! We are experienced as craftsWOmen but often we are learning by doing, doing the things that want to be done in our own rhythm.
Samdi is a heart- and helpful person you will not forget. He loves building work, good books, good company with a Cabernet Sauvignon or a home made rakia with a neighbour. Not to forget that he is a passionate meat eater. We are quite different in these matters, so you will also find veggie focused cooking and ways to say no to the rakia offered everywhere. I keep the survey. Once I started to give myself into a job or a project I find it hard to stop. I am into books too, play my violin folk or classic, love clay work and crafts, yoga, meditation, go for walks, edible plants and herbs. We both care for a good work-life-balance and have a spiritual but non-dogmatic approach towards life and the experiences we make. Corona we face with a non-fear but respectful attitude. Last but not least we live with two male dogs, who are wonderful creatures but awkward with other male dogs. Female doggies, not in heat!!, are mostly welcome, just as goats or sheep or horses. This Summer we quite surely will take on puppies from a neighbour dog.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are quite close with our Bulgarian, English and German neighbours. Beside the good company, there is a big exchange of ideas, help, material and connections.
Gabrovo, the next town, has a lively nice center, a few museums. It is known for its humour. Bulgarian traditions can be get in touch with in Boshentzi and Etara, 2 museum villages nearby. The more touristic, old, beautiful capital Veliko Tarnovo is worth being visited, but also Tryavna, a little smaller but a center for fascinating woodcrafts. The rose valley on the other side of the mountains should be nice, not yet visited by us though.
Not to forget the nature. The big trail E4 through the Stara Planina passes nearby.
Chiflik with hot and healing water springs is 1,5 h by car from us.
We are in the middle from Sofia to the Sea and from the Dunav to Plovdiv, so there is no way not to pass by ;).
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We would be so glad to have helping hands in caring for this wonderful place! We are open for your inspirations. If you are arty, feel free to leave your personal footprint. Basically, there is still land to clear, dry stone walls to build, walls to create, floors to lay with wooden boards, the last roof to renew, gardening.
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Bulgarian: Intermediate
French: IntermediateThis 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.
Accommodation
Accommodation is definitely simple. The barn is been made a liveable space with a lot of charme and we have rooms in the 2 houses. Since this year there are water pipes bringing us cold water from a mountainspring. For hot water Samdi built a solar heater. Further we have a dry toilet, in- and outdoor kitchen and a highly modern washing machine and a fridge.
We have to find out who sleeps best where. Same with cooking and eating, what suits best in the constellation of people, their preferences and inclinations.
What else ...
Gabrovo can be reached by train or bus. There are also local busses passing in Gatchevtsi, the last 4 km no choice: uphill walking. Or we pick you up ;).
We start the day after a good breakfast, deal reasonably with temperatures and personal energy and love sitting around a nice fire in the evenings. The doggies want to be walked. You can contribute and enrich our time together with your abilities, your experiences, strength, knowledge, your humour and passions.
We would like to find out how we create a good balance of developping the place and feeling good as we are new hosts.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximal 4-5 Stunden am Tag, 5 Tage die Woche
