Help create a vegetable patch and other home projects in Cuiry-lès-Iviers, France

Details

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  Description

  Hello! I'm Caroline. I'm 65 and live here with my American partner, Hal. I grew up in the UK and have 3 adult children who live in The Netherlands. I've recently moved from Rotterdam, The Netherlands to a tiny village in the Thiérache area of Picardy, northern France. So I've swapped the big city for country life.
  
  The area is gently rolling countryside with arable fields and a lot of dairy cattle. It is very underpopulated here. Narrow country roads with small pretty villages. My village has an old fortified church and a big chateau. The air is unpolluted and the night skies are totally dark except for the moon and stars, no light pollution! At night there is total silence. During the daytime the silence is interspersed with birdsong and the usual agricultural noises. For people who love country life and to walk or cycle this is a great area to be. And of course it's a lovely place to experience living in France and French culture and language. I believe that permaculture/regenerative agriculture is the way to go.
  
  In Rotterdam I was running a multicultural community garden based along permaculture principles. I love cooking and nature. I speak English, Dutch and rather rusty French. There is a very poor public transport network here so it would be essential to have your own car unless you are prepared to get around by bike. The nearest supermarket is 7 km away, the nearest baker 6 km. When possible I prefer to cook with organic produce. Most of my cooking is whole food plant based but I also use some eggs, cheese and fish.

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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

  This is a multicultural home! I have a foot in 3 countries. I am British by birth and go over to the UK regularly. I have lived in The Netherlands for more than 40 years and have now chosen to make northern France my home. My partner is an American who has travelled the world. For someone who wants to practise their English, or someone who wants Dutch speakers around this would be a good option. Most people in the area speak only French, so if you're out and about you'll get total French immersion! If you are a French speaker I would love an opportunity to practise my French. In my professional life I've worked in multinational environments and am interested in all that our beautiful planet has to offer.

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  Help

  I have recently moved to Northern France. The house and garden aren't huge but there is lots to be done both in the house and the garden. I want to create a vegetable patch, create a herb bed, dig a pond, re-design the garden along permaculture principles/make it more eco-friendly, make compost bins, create a dead hedge, build a long bed from bricks and mortar for alpine plants, general garden maintenance. Create a composting toilet. Help with inoculating logs for growing shiitake mushroms. There is a big (old) barn door that needs repainting and woodwork that needs attending to, possibly repair some cob walls in the barn. Inside the house there is wallpaper that needs stripping off and painting work to be done. The front dooor needs to be re-painted inside and out. I want to put in a new (simple) shower room upstairs, so someone with (reliable) plumbing skills may be able to do that. At some stage I want to convert the attic into more rooms, so somebody with building skills may be able to help with ideas/plans. Also general maintenance projects around the house. I love cooking, but it would be fun for someone who enjoys cooking to introduce me to new recipes/cooking skills.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I would love to be able to practise French with a French speaker. I would also really enjoy helping someone improve and become more confident in their English or Dutch.
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  Accommodation

  I have one double bedroom available for Workaway guests. This would be ideal for a single person or a couple. At this stage there is only one shared bathroom in the house and a separate toilet. The bedroom is upstairs and the bathroom and toilet are downstairs. I will be doing the cooking unless we agree differently. I will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am able to cater for dietary requirements as agreed beforehand, providing it's not too complex. I'm afraid that there won't be enough room in the fridge/freezer for your own ingredients. You will be able to make your own coffee and tea during the day.

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  What else ...

  During your time off there is plenty to explore in the area. Lovely places to walk or cycle. Pretty villages. The cities of Laon and Reims are beautiful and within an hour's drive. Epernay, the centre of the champagne growing area is an hour and a half away. Paris is about 2 hrs 40 minutes by car and under 3 hours by train.
  There is plenty of space to be able to sit out in the garden and eat outside when the weather is good. It is important that we respect each other's space. Also that we all have respect for the locals. Hal and I sleep downstairs. He goes to bed quite early so important that we're respectful of that while moving around the house in the evening. We have one big living room and also a table in the kitchen. We have wifi, but internet reception in the village and surroundings is poor. We have plenty of English language books, lots of permaculture and gardening books. There's enough space to put down a yoga mat, make music, lie in a hammock outside or whatever. Hal would love to play chess and we'll both enjoy interacting with you.

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  A medium sized camper could be parked in the drive.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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