Profile information
Host is looking for help immediately
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
27 Apr 2024
Reply rate
89.5 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
11
ID verified
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
We are a young family, originally from Germany, who recently bought 3 hectares of land close to Gijón, with an old house, a barn and a shed we want to reform. Our vision is to create a small permaculture community with a forest garden and some animals (chickens, sheep) which offers space and food for workshops and to experiment with traditional and new low-tech solutions for a more sustainable life, while staying in contact with our neighbours and city people.
We (Julia and Max) both speak Spanish, English and German, our daughter (5) speaks Spanish and German. Julia also speaks Thai.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Julia and me took a PDC (Permaculture Design Course) in Thailand back in 2020 and we are happy to share our, so far, limited knowledge :) and let you take part in designing the shape of our project in an early stage. We can also give you insights on our experience looking for a land and the legal aspects we learned about, take you to a Sidrería, our friends' places, the local hippie market... Max plays Guitar and every instrument available and would love to have around musicians to play with. We are also into food conservation, making combucha, oat milk, bread spreads...
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Currently we have a wide range of tasks to do. On the one hand, we want to proceed with house renovation. So if you are interested in DIY renovating and building, that's great! We want to finish a french drain, install new beams and a pillar... On the other hand, the garden is calling us and we are preparing beds and seedlings soon. Also, its pruning season for our apple trees. Other tasks might involve building stairs to the bathroom hut, a grey water filter, improve fencing, help with chickens and sheep, cutting back brambles, general cleaning and maintenance... but also playing with our 5 years old daughter when she is not at school, and cooking. We can see what fits you best and have a decent amount of variation!
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
There is room to improve our Spanish, and Max' English... and if you are interested in practicing German, we can do that as well.
Accommodation
For the summer months, we can provide tents with everything you need for sleeping provided.
For the winter months, currently we have a room in the house which is half open to a room under construction. It's super basic, not very private and without electricity or heating. Alternatively you could put a tent in the upper barn.
There is a hot outdoor shower and a compost toilet (both with a roof), and a shared kitchen inside. We will provide food, and usually have meals together, especially lunch.
There is also our camper van available, especially for longer stays.
What else ...
We are located in Asturias, a lovely place in northern Spain with some amazing nature. Gijón is its biggest city, capital of surf, and from our place you can go by bike in <30min to the city and the beach. (Way back is more like 40 minutes due to going uphill.) We have two bikes our volunteers can borrow. The bus stop is a ~35min walk away. Around the corner, you can go for a hike to Monte Deva.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Julia works online as well, Max sometimes does, so having a reliable internet connection is vital to us. Video calls usually work. We have a mobile router and an antenna (so far we haven't put it because the router's internal antenna was enough).
Space for parking camper vans
There are some nice spots, however, access with very big vehicles could be difficult. Check with us before planing your trip!
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (8)
In exchange I mainly helped demolish… read more
I wish you all the best and see you soon!
They treated me very kind in all ways and I was part of all the activities they organised.
Julia took me to one of the open air rockconcerts by bicycle and with Max and friends I went to beach.
The work was very divers but the soil too hard to place a… read more
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
In exchange I mainly helped demolish… read more
I wish you all the best and see you soon!
They treated me very kind in all ways and I was part of all the activities they organised.
Julia took me to one of the open air rockconcerts by bicycle and with Max and friends I went to beach.
The work was very divers but the soil too hard to place a… read more
Además el… read more
First of all, thank you so much Julia, Max and Maya for the amazing time we spent together. Being at your place made me feel so balanced. The project is just in it's children shoes, that's why of course not everything is perfect and sometimes little wild but that's what I loved so much about. I had the feeling I could… read more
After a cancelled stay elsewhere I was desperate for a new place and I struck gold with Max and Julia and their daughter Maya. Their place is in an amazing spot in the hills above Gijon, with many fruit trees, meadows and views facing Mount Deva and down into the city. I was instantly… read more
