Language and cultural exchange in Medoc, North of Bordeaux, France

Details

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  Description

  I live in a rather old house in the Médoc, North of Bordeaux, in the southwest of France. There are many vineyards, but also many fields, forests, and a few marshes. This region is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Gironde estuary to the east. It's not a very populated area; there are mostly small villages and a few larger towns.
  In my 19th century house, I've opened a guesthouse about 20 years ago. The house is surrounded by gardens; My partner is living with me here and together, we try to improve this peaceful place. We like to go for walk along the estuary or get a change of scenery by the ocean or in the pine forests. It's a small region with varied landscapes!
  
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  J'habite une maison plutôt ancienne, dans le Médoc. C'est une région au Nord de Bordeaux, dans le Sud-ouest de la France. En dehors des vignes, relativement nombreuses, on trouve beaucoup de champs, de forêts, quelques marais. Cette région est bordée par l'océan Atlantique à l'ouest et par l'estuaire de la Gironde à l'est. Ce n'est pas une région très peuplée, il y a surtout des petits villages et quelques villes un peu plus importantes.
  Dans ma maison, construite en 1856, ont été aménagées des chambres d'hôtes il y a une vingtaine d'années. La maison est entourée de jardins .Mon ami vit avec moi dans cet endroit et nous essayons ensemble d'améliorer ce lieu de vie.
  Nous aimons marcher le long de l'estuaire ou changer d'air à l'océan ou dans les forêts de pins. Le Médoc est une presqu' île avec des paysages variés !

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Music

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Culture

  

  Self development

  

  Writing

  

  Plant care

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Photography

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Dancing

  

  Beach

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Medoc is a touristic region , especially near the Atlantic ocean and you will have the opportunity to meet people from other parts of France or from other countries when there are guests in he house; you can also meet local people who live nearby. Then you can practice French with other people if you wish to. I like very much other languages and can help you to talk French if it is not your mother tongue.
  
  I do not have much time to travel and like meeting people from everywhere to know more about the place they live and about themselves, about their culture.

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  Help

  In Spring and Summer I need some help in the garden : weeding certain areas, watering if there is no rain, and cleaning. Usually brambles and ivy have to be removed in some parts of the garden.
  There might also be some DIY to do, it all depends on the time of the year, on the weather and/or on my current needs or your skills.
  
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  Au printemps et en été, j'ai besoin d'aide au jardin : désherber certaines zones, les nettoyer et arroser s'il ne pleut pas. Il faudra généralement enlever les ronces et le lierre à certains endroits.
  Il y aura peut-être aussi du bricolage à faire : tout dépend de la période de l'année, du temps qu'il fait, des besoins du moment et bien sûr de vos compétences.
  En ce qui concerne les repas, il y a des périodes où j'ai le temps de cuisiner 2 fois par jour et d'autres où vous devrez plutôt faire vos propres repas (je fournis bien sûr la nourriture) mais nous aurons l'occasion de manger ensemble et partager nos expériences! J'aime beaucoup cuisiner( plutôt végétarien mais je m'adapte) et j'aime bien quand vous cuisinez pour nous la cuisine de chez vous.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  German: Beginner
  Italian: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  My mother language is French and I can help workawayers who would like to learn or improve this language. I can speak English (not perfectly, though) and at school I was taught Spanish and German(. I would like to improve them) I can understand Italian, more or less, but don't really speak it, though I would love to!
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  Accommodation

  Most of the time you will have your own bedroom in the guest house, with your own bathroom on the first floor. . If they are all busy, you may have another small room downstairs that opens onto the garden. (the bathroom is to share with me probably) And if you are coming in summer with someone, if nothing is available, it can be a big tent in the garden(with 2 bedrooms) and you may have to share the bathroom .
  
  As for the meals, there are times when I have time to cook twice a day and others when you may cook your own food because I am not available; (I will supply food of course) but for sure we will share meals together and we will share our experiences!
  My children are sometimes staying here for a few days (they are 35, 32 and 24. We mostly eat vegetarian food but are open to any type of food. We like sharing our recipes with other people and love tasting new things.

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  What else ...

  You can use a bike here, or I can take you to the nearest town where I go for buying some food or shopping and you can take a bus or a train from there to Bordeaux, very nice town (UNESCO) or to the beach in summer; If you like riding or walking, there are many paths and roads in the area to discover nice landscapes, most of them not very far from my house.
  You can cycle, walk or run to the estuary . The ocean (beaches) are at least at 30 kilometers away. (30 minutes by car)

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Grisette

  Squiffy

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