Spain
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Welcome to our small finca in the centre of the beautiful Mediterranean island of Mallorca.
We seek mature minded, logical and sociable workawayers that can assist us to keep house tidy, pets happy and offer assistance with whatever task we are in the midst of......
Please note that at the moment we are only taking workawayers at short notice as the finca is up for sale. Once a sale is agreed things can move fairly quickly here and so we do not want to commit to hosting workawayers too far in advance - thank you for your understanding.
We have approx 4 acres, on which we predominantly grow almonds and figs. We also have a few carob trees, and a variety of citrus trees. Having lived here for 14 years we are still in the midst of reforming and enlarging the original house which is about 100 years old. There is never a shortage of tasks that need to be done, even though we have had professional help with most of the building. We have realised that we need some help around the place if I am to stop going grey!
Bob has recently retired from his own marine engineering business and I (Pat) work as a project manager for an event management company that often takes me abroad. You need to love dogs (we currently have 3 boisterous hounds) and cats 4 plus 3 kittens at the moment; plus pigs, chickens and sheep.
Apart from the regular tasks around the finca and house - we say it is like the Forth Road Bridge - the minute you finish dusting/sweeping/mopping you need to start again! - we always seem to be in the midst of some project or other. Our main current tasks are building up the permaculture garden area and filling in the areas around the bedroom terraces.
Basically if you have common sense, a mature attitude and a willingness to help then please contact us. We are about 2km from Sineu, which has very easy train access to Palma and occasional buses to other local villages, and has a multitude of bars, shops and restaurants, post office, medical centre, and one the island’s largest markets every Wednesday.
We are not listed as organic but do not use any chemicals on the land and endeavour to be as Eco and environmentally friendly as possible in all that we do. Our electricity is by solar power, with generator back up for those occasion times that the sun does not shine. Yes - it does rain here, thankfully, as that helps fill our underground water tank, with tanker top ups in the summer. We do have WiFi, though the signal can sometimes be weak.
We can be flexible with days and hours (in the summer ideally volunteer work is done early morning and late afternoon/evening to avoid the heat) but do ask that at least one weekend day is worked so that help can be given to us with any of the heavier, multi-handed, or bulkier tasks.
We are both English, and Pat speaks some Spanish.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for a chat if you would like more information.
NON smokers only please.
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Farmstay
Help in the house
Animal care
We live well away from the main tourist areas of Mallorca. The local area is a good indication of how country life has existed here for centuries; many farmers still use permaculture and bio-diversity methods. The local people are proud of their Mallorquin roots and the culture and language reflects this strongly.
Daily housekeeping tasks such as sweeping and mopping, and grooming the dogs & cats.
Other tasks that we need assistance with (dependent on season) are planting seeds and propagation, felling and pruning trees to provide both firewood and improve crops, general decorating, and lots of little things as well such as assisting with preserve making and planning new herb beds.
July to October time we need assistance with the harvest of the almonds, figs and carobs.
But whatever abilities you can offer we are certain that we can find a task to suit!
We are flexible with the days and hours volunteering but generally ask workawayers to work an active 5-6 hr day x 5 day week; early starts are needed to sort out the animal feeds - and if we have tasks that need to be completed then we appreciate an 'all hands to the pump' mentality! Please note we do not appreciate clock-watchers!
Additionally, we also ask that workawayers keep their own space (bedroom and bathroom) clean and tidy; and assist with the preparation and clearing up of dinner.
In recompense for any extra hours actively worked we often take workawayers to visit other parts of the island, or treat them to a visit to the local pizzeria with a few beers!
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
Depending on who else is staying with us we can usually offer a private bedroom with en-suite shower and toilet - at times it may be necessary to share a bathroom depending if an alternative room is being used. All bed linen and towels (including pool/beach towels) are provided.
Three meals a day are provided; breakfast and lunch are 'do it yourself' (cereals/toast for breakfast; cold meats, cheeses, salad etc. provided for lunch), whilst the main evening meal is a cooked sit-down together sociable time.
Vegetarians can be catered for easily. We try to eat local produce and if you wish to share your recipe knowledge with us we love to experiment.
NON-SMOKERS only please.
We have a library of local guide books and can assist with time off ideas; plus a large library of fiction and reference books to borrow.
We also have a wide selection of CD's and DVD's that workawayers are free to listen/watch.
Please note that we do not consider our environment suitable for children. All of the animals roam freely around the finca, we have areas still under construction/reformation and there is a fair amount of heavy machinery in regular use.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
One
We ask for each volunteer to provide us with 5 hrs active help per day with flexibility to help with bigger tasks; plus assistance with dinner is much appreciated.
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