Help create a cultural project for musicians and writers in rural Galicia, Spain

Details

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  Description

  My husband Jones and I are reforming a traditional Galician stone house in Northwestern Spain, where we will be hosting musicians, artists, and writers who want to immerse themselves in the rich culture of Galicia. We aren't a business. But we are in the process of pursuing nonprofit status so that we will be eligible for grants to help us take Galician artists to perform in other parts of the world. We just returned at the end of June from taking 5 musicians to the US to perform at a major jazz festival.
  
  We live in a small aldea that seems suspended in time, where many people still work the land using traditional methods. We are surrounded by wild, green nature -- many people have told us it makes them think of Middle Earth. There are wild horses, jabali (wild boars), free-roaming cattle, owls hooting through the night. Even an occasional wolf.
  
  We live here with our Australian Cattle Dog, Hazel. We have a YouTube channel about the culture of Galicia and will be shooting episodes occasionally. We have a rich array of friends -- some English-speaking and living in Galicia because of the Camino de Santiago, but mostly Spanish/Galician people from all walks of life.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are Americans who have been living in Spain for the past 4 years. We live in a rural aldea that is a quintessential galician village. The people here speak Spanish or galego. It's a very unique and ancient culture that retains seasonal rituals that predate Christianity. The people are hard working and hard playing. They like to eat well -- local, fresh, seasonal. The wine, like the food, is great.
  
  We would be especially excited to have visitors who can help us around the property who are also musicians (jazz, blues, rock, Americana, singer/songwriter, folk, traditional, world music), writers, artists, or photographers. We won't turn away non-artistic types! The very most important thing to us is that you are genuinely interested in and respectful of this wonderful culture and its people, and committed to treading lightly on the land and all its inhabitants.

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  Help

  We have many projects we wish to pursue, from basic things like cleaning out barns, painting, roof repair (I'm talking about patching from inside the attic, not climbing on the roof!), and planting a garden -- to larger projects like the installation of a recording studio. We also have some terrible tile in our kitchen and we are exploring the idea of using tile paint over it. We have three interesting out buildings that we want to eventually put floors in...but a lot has to happen to prep these places. We are interested in incorporating solar energy into our projects.
  
  We have already done a ton of work on this house, and it is totally liveable. We have a local contractor/general builder, a carpenter, a stone mason, electrician, plumber, etc. All of these people live nearby and are ready to help and advise us when needed. We have given them plenty of work, and sadly (LOL), I'm sure we will continue to do that for many years to come. But there are many things we can do ourselves -- well, together with a little help.
  
  I am a very experienced musician and writer, my husband is an internationally known fine arts photographer, so if you are interested in these things, we may be able to share our skills with you. We also have concerts at our house and have recording capabilities. So if you want to write music together, or alone, or jam, the odds are good we can record it free of charge.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  Galician: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I'm always looking to improve my Castilian Spanish.
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  Accommodation

  We offer a private apartment big enough for one or two. It is on the 2nd floor with no elevator, so you must be comfortable with one flight of stairs.
  
  We normally buy simple, healthy seasonal, local food. We can eat meals together if you enjoy that, or we can give you groceries to prepare your own. The bakery truck comes 6 days a week with fresh bread and other baked goods. There's also a fish vendor, and a fruit/vegetable truck.

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  What else ...

  We are friendly but more on the quiet side, we are both thoughtful creatives who love the outdoors. We love animals, especially dogs, but our dog doesn't like other dogs. We are not religious and are not interested in exploring anyone else's religion or politics, although we do enjoy deep conversations over food/wine.
  
  There is a small bar 5 minutes from our house that serves a little food, there is a small town with a store, banks, and a couple of restaurants a 10 minute drive away. We are surrounded by hiking trails. It will be easier to enjoy all that the area has to offer if you have a vehicle, although there is a bus stop a 5 minute walk from the house.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  We have StarLink internet connection, it is quite reliable.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have room for a camper/motorhome. We can talk about how to make this work. I say that because I've never done it before and I don't know what it entails.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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