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I am a mother with two children of 17 and 18 years old, living in an old summer cottage area for capital region, Espoo. We have two very lovable cats and sometimes chickens in the summer.
In Espoo, we have a traditional two-story timber house with about 7000 m2 of property. For our gests we have separate house, another timber cottage, with running water, small kitchen corner for cold meals, fridge and electric heating. Our house is located by the sea and surrounded by forests and nearby sheep pasture. We eat mostly vegetarian food that we grow at our yard and we eat also fish occasionally. We grow shitake mushrooms and black berries in the garden.
There are several natural trails nearby and also a possibility to take a ferry in the nearby islands. Nuuksio national park is from 30min drive and I love to pick mushrooms there during the autumn. We are located by the sea with a possibility for swimming and fishing. We also have a rowing boat and sup-board at your disposal. We are 40 min by buss from Helsinki city center, small grocery shop and a coffee is nearby and about 15 minutes to the nearest shopping center by buss. You can also borrow our bicycles: there are nice cycling roads around.
We like peaceful and quiet country living, hiking, yoga, skiing, ice-skating, gardening and nature. I’m eager to learn how to take nice nature photos, maybe you can guide me with that.
We are looking for 1-2 likeminded persons, who seek for the peaceful countryside but appreciate the closeness of Helsinki. During the week we will be at work and kids at school so I hope you could take care of the tasks quite independently.
Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
I can teach you different mushroom types at the forest and also several natural remedies and how to use them, as well as how to find water with a willow withe or do other nice tricks with it.
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
- teaching French
- cutting the lawn (we also have a robotic lawnmover, so it's not a weekly task)
- cutting the reed by the seaside
- removing weed from vegetable garden
- planting flowers and plants
- cooking & baking if you like it
- washing windows
- brushing the timber walls outside
- picking berries & mushrooms
Gardening tasks require good physical health.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Finnish: Fluent
Norwegian: Fluent
Swedish: Fluent
French: Intermediate
German: Beginner
This host offers a language exchange
I would like to learn to speak French fluently and I'm happy to teach you Finnish or Swedish
We have about 40 m2, simple timber cottage in our yard, which is completely at your disposal. At the cottage, you will find:
- Internet
- running warm water, shower
- fridge
- basic kitchen equipment (no stove or oven)
- electricity
- electric heating, no cooling is needed in Finland
- bed linens and towels
- traditional Finnish dry-toilet, 10m outside the building, called ‘ulko huussi’ in Finnish
Notice: No smoking nor candle lights near the wooden buildings
Washing machine in the main house and can be used when we are at home. We can occasionally have a warm dinner together at each evening, but I cannot promise that for each evening.
You can google activities near Espoo and Helsinki. We are happy to help you with your special interest.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
More than two
3 - 4 hours a day, 5 days a week
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.3)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)