Help us with building a strawbale house in Cretas, Spain

Details

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  Description

  Help us with building a sustainable, eco-friendly strawbale house. Located in the rural region of the Matarraña, Teruel, known as Tuscany of Spain. Completely off-grid (solar energy and water from a nearby source). The surrounding area is ideal for hiking, biking, motor rides. We live right across a beautiful National Park, called Els Ports. The little, medieval villages are ideal for exploring and enjoying a nice lunch, tapas or just a vino. We are close to the Terra Alta, a famous wine region, where you can go to a wine tasting. We are a Dutch couple, Eric and Ingrid, and are here since June 2019. Eric is a former chef, who loves to cook for people. He also had his own construction company for the last 12 years. Ingrid is the one who does mainly the background type of work like managing the finca, finances, website, social media. We both like to work tidy and clean. We are good-natured and with humor. We also love to play games and enjoy a good glass of wine.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Our area is exceptionally exciting for people who love nature. There are many hiking trails, mountain bike trails. Horse back riding is also a possibility in the surrounding mountains. We have a beautiful nature park at our doorstep (Els Ports) where you can go hiking, rock climbing or just simply enjoy nature. We also have the Via Verde (a subverted railway), a beautiful bike/pathway through the unspoiled mountains. There are also numerous natural swimming pools in the rivers crossing our region. There is also a big lake, where you can swim, hire a paddle boat or fish.
  As said before, we live completely off-grid, which means in our case that we are solar powered, and we are not connected to the mains, for electricity, sewer and water. We transport water from a nearby village, and we collect rainwater for showering, washing machine and dishwasher.

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  Help

  We would like to invite you to come and help us out with the build of our house and the many chores around our finca. Initially for one or 2 weeks, and when the feeling is mutual, we can extend for a longer period.
  
  Build of the house:
  * rendering the walls inside and outside with lime plaster
  * building a rainwater catchment embalse
  
  Maintenance of the finca:
  ♡ help with the olive harvest (October/November/December)
  * building a chicken coop
  * sawing wood and filling the wood supply sheds
  * and many more jobs
  The jobs on the finca are only available if there is no work to be done on the build of the house. This has priority above all else.
  
  We would basically need help 5 days a week, starting at 9 and finish at 3 PM (lunch and coffee breaks included). Days off can be scheduled around your needs. Help with preparing diner is greatly appreciated.
  We expect our helpers to start and finish a task, with a little guidance from us, but as independent as possible. You need to be motivated and enjoy working on the land and with your hands.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  German: Beginner
  Spanish: Beginner
  French: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  We have a independent bedroom, with electricity and wifi, warm and cold water, sink, and private shower.A separate outdoor dry/compost toilet where you have a fabulous view. We can also host people that bring their own accommodation, like a campervan. We have space enough and reasonably flat terrain, that you can park almost anywhere. We provide you with a spacious, private bathroom and a non-flushing (compost toilet). We also have excellent WIFI-connection. So for digital nomads, we can make it work for you too.
  We will do all the shopping and provide you with lunch (home-made bread) and diner. As Eric is a former chef, the diners are always highly appreciated by our guests! We also have a dishwasher, that means no chores of doing dishes! We are not vegetarian/vegan, we appreciate a good piece of meat, however for vegetarians we can make an alternative (and we always like to learn new recipes)!

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  What else ...

  Travelling will be easiest by car. The nearest bus will stop in Arnes a couple of times a day or 15 kilometers away in Valderrobres or Calaceite or Horta de San Joan (more regular). If you have a bike with you, you can get around with that, the roads are doable, especially if you have an electric bike. The villages are all medieval, rustic villages nestled on top of the hills. If you are a wine lover, the Terra Alta starts only 500 meters away from our finca as we are on the border with Catalunyua.
  
  A little about us:
  Eric is the man who will supervise but also work alongside you as he is in charge of the build of the house. He is a former chef who enjoys cooking for guests and has more than 10 years experience as a self-employed builder.
  Ingrid is in charge of the maintenance of the finca and the driving force behind the scenes. We both enjoy this new life style (we have been here since June 2019) and would not go back to Holland!! We have a big dog, Boaz, he is very sweet, good natured handsome fellow who loves to play with you. He is still young, 2 years old, he was only 3 months old when we arrived here. He accepts other dogs after a good introduction.
  We prefer non-smokers, not only because we don't smoke ourselves, but also of the fire hazzard that is a very real possibility here.

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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 a very good WIFI connection and we would love for digital nomads to hook up with us.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a 3 hectare olive orchard where you can pretty much park anywhere. The terraces are pretty big and mostly flat with incredible views towards the mountains of Els Ports (nature park)

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This is under the restriction that your pet is used to other pets and can behave in a social way. We have a fenced area.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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