France
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We are a gay couple living in Normandy. We are setting up a small holding and doing our bit to live sustainably. We are looking for an animal-lover to help us with daily chores in the garden, around the house, and dog care.
Patrick teaches the Alexander Technique, vocal and breathing technique. Joo is an acupuncturist, who teaches yoga, qigong and meditation. We both work locally and internationally. We have two very loving dogs. Long walks on the beach (or in the forest on a hot day) are one of our daily highlights.
We have a small woodland, fields for hay-making, an orchard, veggie patch. We have bees and soon there will be chickens. This winter (2020/21) we have a long list of projects outdoors: we plan to dig two wildlife ponds, plant a small woodland, build a chicken run, and put up fencing - along with plenty of on-going gardening and maintenance for the current woodland and gardens. Indoors, we have on-going DIY at our holiday rental property (painting, basic carpentry).
We love to cook. Food and meals are a joy for us. We do not support large scale agriculture and husbandry. As much as we can, we support local organic farms, or grow our own. Although we do eat some meat and fish, we are mostly vegetarian. When we do eat meat, we try to only eat meat that has been humanely raised and slaughtered. We do not support the use of pesticides.
Our property is spread out over 7 acres of peaceful French countryside. We feel incredibly fortunate to have this space and we want to share our experience of growing this into something which helps people. We are quite a distance from the nearest shops and there are no local buses, so you will need a driving licence if you wish to travel on your free days. We do have bicycles available for your use.
If you have read this far and are interested in helping us in our daily life, please read on.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
Animal Care
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
We are happy to share what we teach: Alexander Technique, Breathing Coordination, vocal technique, meditation, acupuncture... You would be welcome to attend weekly yoga & qigong classes held here.
Obviously we would be sharing our experience of setting up a smallholding and of living sustainably.
We are well-connected to the local community, with French students coming for classes every week. We have good relationships with our neighbours all of whom are French, so it will be a great opportunity for those who want an immersion in French language and lifestyle.
We are also well-connected with the holistic healing community in the area, so you would have the opportunity to connect with that circle if you so wish.
The values of inclusiveness and tolerance are very important to us. We are a same-sex, mix-race couple living in deep French countryside. We have been very warmly welcomed into the local community and this is one of the most wonderful aspects of living here.
We are both bi-lingual English and French. Patrick speaks some German and Italian.... Joo speaks some Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and Bahasa Malaysia.
We would love to host people who share a similar philosophy in life, and who care about nature, people and animals. As we both work locally and internationally, we often need some help around the house, around the garden, and with the dogs. We hope you will be able to help with dog care, cleaning and gardening. For those who enjoy cooking, DIY, want to explore the joys of a small holding or help on any of our sustainability projects. we would welcome your involvement here too. Ideally you should be able to drive and have a driving license. You will have use of a car and bicycles. The house is non-smoking.
English: Fluent
German: Beginner
Russian: Beginner
Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner
Chinese (Cantonese): Beginner
You will have a private bedroom with ensuite shower room. Meals will be shared together in the family kitchen & dining room.
We are situated between Coutances and Saint-Lô. We have local villages nearby with all essential amenities (pharmacy, bakery, butcher, convenience store, post office). The area is a very popular tourist destination for WW2 landing beaches, Bayeux & Caen (Norman history, Bayeux tapestry, William The Conqueror museum), Mont St-Michel, St Malo, Avranches, Granville (birthplace of Christian Dior)... the beach where we walk the dogs most days is Montmartin-sur-Mer, voted one of Europe's top 40 beaches. The local area is also popular for its local produce of seafood, andouille, cider, calvados and cheese.
Nearest train stations are Saint-Lô, Coutances, Granville and Caen. Nearest airports are Caen, Dinard or Rennes. We are 75 minutes from the ferry terminals in Cherbourg or Caen.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Two
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
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