Enjoy French village life in charming Quillan, France

Details

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  Description

  Micheal and I are a retired American couple living in Quillan, a small town of about 4000 residents, in SW France.
  Our household consists of myself (71) and my husband, Micheal (73). We manage to stay busy most of the time, though we also enjoy sitting and talking on our balcony or by the fireplace in the living room. I love to garden and try to grow some my own vegetables. Cooking is another favorite activity of mine, and wine is my favorite beverage. Micheal is an avid reader. He is a former art teacher and sometimes dabbles with 3-dimensional art. We both love music and enjoy dancing at local fetes. We have taken our workawayers to a wide variety of places and activities in this area, which is rife with castles, market towns, prehistoric sites, medieval villages, and more.
  
  Micheal and I have traveled extensively in Europe since 2005. We love the cultures and slower lifestyle of many European countries, which is one reason we make France our home for most of the year. We have enjoyed having workawayers from all over the globe both here in France and at our home in Central Texas. We are still friends with most of them, and have even had a reunion with several workawayers who were at our house together.
  
  For accommodations we offer a guest suite with a double bed. The bedroom has access to a full bath. Our common areas consist of an open living/kitchen/dining area. In the house we are purchasing, there's a large garden. We have full household fast internet and TV in the living room.
  
  Since retiring, we are not early risers and enjoy a pretty relaxed schedule. We do not require set hours of our workawayers so you'll be able to work whenever it suits you, unless something requires coordinating with a helper. We are not big breakfast or lunch eaters so we provide whatever you'd like to eat for those meals and ask you to prepare them at whatever time you'd like to eat. Normally we eat the evening meal together. Sometimes I cook; other times the workawayers will cook. We can work all that out once you arrive.
  
  We are purchasing a property on the Aude River which needs quite a bit of work on the house and taming the overgrown garden. We need help for all phases of construction, painting walls and shutters, plus help in the gardens. This will be ongoing for some time as we are just starting. We also need help sorting the items that the seller left, and organizing nearly everything! If you have an eye for decorating, that, too, would be helpful. Interior is outdated, and there's lots of wallpaper everywhere! Cleaning the house is also something we'll need.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  There are numerous opportunities to explore this area of France, which is famously the home of the Cathars, a religious group that was wiped out in the 14th century. There also is the lore of Mary Magdalene's presence in this area. The incredible castle of Carcassonne is 45 minutes away.
  Our town has all amenities within walking distance. There's also a local bus that can take you any direction. Time permitting, we like to take our workawayers to the various points of interest, such as Rennes-le-Chateau, the Galamus hermitage, the Tautavel man museum, the Grotte de Niaux. Limoux is the closest larger city and it's where sparking wine was discovered - yes, really - not in Champagne. Ideally located, Quillan is just 90 minutes from the beaches along the Med, and to ski stations in the Pyrenees. This is an excellent region for hiking, bike riding, fishing, and white water rafting. There are two weekly markets, and others nearby. During the summer, there are night markets on Thursdays and some Fridays. Frequently festivals take place on the Square, right in front of our house!
  
  There are lovely views of the mountains from all directions. Quillan, itself, has so many natural amenities, including a fishing lake and a swimming lake. It' is a small tourist destination and boasts lots of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. White water rafting is available, as is hiking in many directions.
  
  Limoux is a 30 minutes drive from here, and Carcassonne is 45 minutes away. We are happy to show you the sights that interest you. All around our area are festivals with live music and dancing venues. Also, this part of France has many vinyards where you can have a degustation (tasting) for free. Whatever your interest, you'll find plenty to explore and enjoy in this area. There is a local bus that runs to Perpignan, Carcassonne, and onward in all directions, in case you want to spend a few days exploring another town/city. Look up the Aude, the Pyrenees-Orientals, and Arriege Departments tourism website and you'll be regaled by all the options for things to do and see.
  
  I like to think of workaway as an investment in the future - future understanding of other cultures for both the homeowner and the workawayer. I have hosted approximately 90 workawayers, both in Texas and in France, plus Micheal and I have been workawayers in Germany and Austria. Thus, we can appreciate what it's like to come into someone's home, try to get settled and establish a working relationship in a relatively brief period of time. We have made many friends worldwide through this program. In fact we have had "workaway exchanges" where a workawayer has come to our house and then we have been workawayers at theirs. That was a truly great experience for all parties. We hope you will feel the same about your experience as a workawayer in our home.

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  Help

  The property we have purchased has 2 homes, and a large, overgrown garden all along the Aude River. The decor of one home is outdated and needs refreshing. We might strip some of the wallpaper - we haven't decided yet. We will paint some walls, and shutters. Currently it's cluttered and some of the remaining items could be organized and/or removed. Everything is functional in this house, which has 4 bedrooms and a full bathroom, plus a separate WC. The full bathroom has fitted carpet on the floor, which I want to remove and to install tile. The kitchen needs some assessment and possible reconfiguation. There's a small "office" that I'd like to convert to a full bathroom. This house needs a good cleaning, and the furniture and wood floirs needs to be waxed. Some curtains will be replaced.
  
  There are two garden spaces: one is ornamental and the other is for vegetables and fruits. Both are overgrown and need loving hands to get them into shape. If you love to transform gardens into beautiful, productive spaces, then you'll derive much satisfaction from taking on this inviting space. Locally it's called "the secret garden."
  
  I like to think of workaway as an investment in the future - future understanding of other cultures for both the homeowner and the workawayer. I have hosted approximately 90 workawayers, both in Texas and in France, plus Micheal and I have been workawayers in Germany and Austria. Thus, we can appreciate what it's like to come into someone's home, try to get settled and establish a working relationship in a relatively brief period of time. We have made many friends worldwide through this program. In fact we have had "workaway exchanges" where a workawayer has come to our house and then we have been workawayers at theirs. That was a truly great experience for all parties. We hope you will feel the same about your experience as a workawayer in our home.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  English, French
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  Accommodation

  The home in which you would reside is either our current residence on the square in Quillan or the home that requires decor updating. There are 3 bedrooms available: 2 with double beds and another with 2 single beds. There's a full shower/bath room on this level, plus a separate WC, which might be shared with other workawayers, if we have more than one. The front terrace is covered and overlooks the garden, and there's a balcony overlooking the river. You can catch your fish dinner just standing there!

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  What else ...

  This is a fantastic area to explore to relax. So, this is an interesting place to spend some time - not touristy. Instead, experience the genuine small town French life. Having a car would be a great benefit, though not required. We have 2 bicycles which you are welcomed to use, and we often take our workawayers exploring with us. We are "tourists," too!
  
  If you arrive via air, you can arrive in Toulouse, Carcassonne or Perpignan. We will pick you up from the airport or guide you about taking the bus here. If you arrive via bus, there's a station in Quillan, and Limoux and we will pick you up there. There's train service to Carcassonne. Let us know your thoughts and we can give you some guidance regarding transportation options.
  
  If you do have a car, there's parking available at the property.
  
  Some of our workawayers have preferred to work all their weekley hours in 3 days and then take several days away to explore. This is perfectly fine with us. We are flexible about when you work.

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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 high-speed internet, and a work space (small desk). I have a printer/scanner/copier with WIFI connections. The workawayer bedroom is somewhat removed from the common area so it's quiet and private.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  There is some public parkng for campervans.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  If your dog is well trained, friendly, and doesn't get on furniture, then you are welcome to bring it.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  25 hours/week-

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