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Last replied
8 Jan 2025
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Description
This is us. Our little nest in a big world. On the edge of a sweet French hamlet, in a green valley. Phil is based here most of the year. Then Vanessa, her young son Eli, and our parents often come for a break from the UK when they can. Phil will be here to greet you. The others you will likely meet during your stay.
This is a small community hamlet of mixed French/English speakers and to nurture good community relations we regularly socialise together. You won't just be with our family but will be a part of the hamlet too. And beyond the hamlet... you will be part of our wider community of lovely people (you get to meet most of them at either the Sunday market or the local beer brewery). Social life here is very busy. Friends are passing through every day...
The setup is over two houses, with gardens, woodland and fields. We have a large barn used as a workshop/store; a herb garden, a large vegetable garden, a berry patch, ducks, geese, a dog and all the visiting wildlife (boar, deer, badgers).
The work right now is establishing systems and putting in basic infrastructure. There is a lot of work to do but it is varied and we do it to our rhythm.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
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
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We love having adventures and you would be welcome to join us on our adventures.
Caving: I am currently exploring the Cthulhu cave - its a 27km fault of incredible rock.
Climbing: Loads around here. We are members of the local indoor wall too.
Exploring: Every Thursday we do a full day trek. (unless its raining then we go to the spa :)
Our region is home to Rennes-les-Chateaux (origin of the Dan Brown Da Vinci code)
Bugarach (the famed UFO mountain)
Alet-Les-Bains (Where Nostradamus lived)
Cathar legends of buried treasure
and much more!
There are isolated valleys, swimming in rivers and lakes, dancing and relaxing in hot springs. The landscape here is pretty wild. And when we are not adventuring in search of lost treasure, we will be having BBQ's in the sunshine. The valley has alot of parties/events in good weather that we participate in (incase you wondered about our costumes in the photos - thats not our every day dress)
We are a pretty mix-European bunch with plenty to share and learn from eachother.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We have various projects on the go and so there are opportunities for you to do lots of different things.
Gardens
1. Building stone raised beds.
2. Making compost tea and other healthy brews.
3. Weeding, weeding, weeding.
4. Building a small canal to channel water into a water basin
5. Re planting the veg garden which has been dug up and started again fresh this year.
6. Trampline area: clear out all the old wood and debris so we can level the ground.
Fowl
1. Occasional mucking out the coop and feeding/watering.
2. Egg collecting
Woodworking
1. Gates to construct and install
2. Fencing to be checked and mended if needed
Camp Field
1. Building a compost toilet
2. Cleaning up the field to use as a camping ground
Vehicle Restoration
The Landrover Defender 'Wolf' is getting a new axle. You can help me figure out how to re-assemble it.
Events
Currently no events been planned
Ruin
1. Installing shuttering along the top of the barn wall and then mixing and pouring concrete. The materials are all there.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Portuguese: BeginnerThis 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 in a comfortable, small mobile home converted from an old Russian army radio communications truck We took the truck on a road trip into West Africa a few years ago. Now it is stationed on the edge of a field looking into the sunrise. It has one double bed, lights, a fridge, sink and radiator and is suitable for a couple. Phil's house has a shared bathroom.
All your meals are with the family and you have open access to the kitchen in Phil's house plus WiFi (unfortunately there is as yet no signal in the Zil - perhaps you can figure out to to get a signal to it). The Zil has a gas stove so you can also cook in private if you feel the need.
If you are vegetarian/vegan or have special dietary requirements (or you don't like our cooking!) you are welcome to prepare your own meals in our kitchen with the ingredients we have available. I can do vegetarian cooking (mainly curries and Italian) and if your vegan I am up for experimenting a little more :)
For food - we can provide you ingredients for you to make your breakfast in the Zil (or join us). I can provide the Lunch which is our main meal. And then in the evening we tend to snack on leftovers or cook up something quick.
If you have your own camper it is possible to find you parking space. We have a basic camping field.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Our internet connection is very fast - indoors only. For example a previous guest was an online English teacher and used the internet for video-stream teaching. However, quiet space is not always available - in which case we would need to work something else. Some notice is therefore needed to make arrangements.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a flat grass field with decent access. There is no power on site. We would like to build a compost toilet on site. The field is sheltered and has a stream running down one side of it. It gets plenty of sunshine. It has limited phone reception and no wifi. It is 5 minutes from the house.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (12)
I love this man and his family, from the first moment he was super friendly and fun. He showed me his favorite places and introduced him to his friends, great people. I had the opportunity but above all the luck to be able to live in his Russian truck for two weeks in which I worked in the garden and approached the carpentry. Two… read more
He is funny. He cracked us all up with his dry cutting sense of humor. His dead-pan comments. His incisive observations. His jokes are delivered in a wonderfully thick Italian accent that is heavily weighted by his incorrect grammar making him a gem to listen to.
Silvano… read more
Although I am writing this review so many months later, it still sometimes feels like I was there yesterday :)
I remember how I arrived just two days before a big wedding party and got thrown into the whole community right away and we did the wedding decorations, got… read more
During her time here she was always ready to help. Eager. Infact she felt that the work load was not… read more
We did so much I don’t even know where to start with. From the mountain hikes, the caving (which was a lot of fun you have to try it) to beautiful days at the beach or a lake… read more
Anna is the most wonderful woman. She won over all our hearts in our community. With her kindness, fun, humor, gentle nature.
The sort of jobs she had to perform here included grounds work in the fields and gardens (cutting and clearing… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
I love this man and his family, from the first moment he was super friendly and fun. He showed me his favorite places and introduced him to his friends, great people. I had the opportunity but above all the luck to be able to live in his Russian truck for two weeks in which I worked in the garden and approached the carpentry. Two… read more
He is funny. He cracked us all up with his dry cutting sense of humor. His dead-pan comments. His incisive observations. His jokes are delivered in a wonderfully thick Italian accent that is heavily weighted by his incorrect grammar making him a gem to listen to.
Silvano… read more
Although I am writing this review so many months later, it still sometimes feels like I was there yesterday :)
I remember how I arrived just two days before a big wedding party and got thrown into the whole community right away and we did the wedding decorations, got… read more
During her time here she was always ready to help. Eager. Infact she felt that the work load was not… read more
We did so much I don’t even know where to start with. From the mountain hikes, the caving (which was a lot of fun you have to try it) to beautiful days at the beach or a lake… read more
Anna is the most wonderful woman. She won over all our hearts in our community. With her kindness, fun, humor, gentle nature.
The sort of jobs she had to perform here included grounds work in the fields and gardens (cutting and clearing… read more
It is a very social area, with friends always popping in for a drink and a chat, everyone made me… read more
Amy is simply wonderful. So easy to get on with. My impression from early on is that she was like family. Very… read more
Meeting all the lovely people in LesT and the surrounding area as well as all the BBQs, the hiking trips, the caving, canyoning,… read more
I am not sure how to begin. Lea is incredible. From when she first arrived. A person with so much talent, force and intelligence. She inspired us all with her sharp intuitive mind. Knowledge. Humour.
As a host I can say she was capable of any job I threw at her. Mixing cement, laying stone walls. Cooking. Cleaning. Gardening. Working with a… read more
I was exciting to go because I knew it would be a great time, but really, each day it's been more and more… read more
But firstly, as a worker. She is great. Independent thinking, but works in a team. Fun, hardworking and will put in extra hours to get a job done. Seriously, I came home one day and She had moved and stacked a giant truck load of wood that we were… read more
We stayed in Vanessa's yurt because there was another guest in the Zil. It was ideal living out in the woods where we could hear the… read more
Riley did the blueprint for our solar system (Nice work - sorry the parts did not arrive for the assembly). Maddie tackled the overgrown gardens… read more
