Help with offgrid peaceful paradise near Llanes in Asturias, Spain

Details

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  Description

  I am living off grid in a beautiful stone barn in the middle of 2 hectares of countryside. It's close to the coast but inland. As I write this I hear the birds singing, the river gurgling past and the cow bells clanging in the distance. I'm trying to use natural building materials and permaculture practices on the land to limit my impact on the planet and make it a soothing, peaceful place to be and share time and experiences. Bit by bit I'm creating spaces to bring a bit of beauty and abundance to the place. It's still early days on the project so it's quite basic here. No bathroom yet, though the compost loo has a priceless view! It's bucket baths in front the fire / in the garden or bathing in the river when the sun shines. So natural soaps and sunscreens only please.
  
  I spent a couple of years doing workaway and WOOF'ing on eco projects in Belize, Costa Rica, Canada, California and Texas. It's nice to have my own place and now be the host!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Most of my volunteers have been here for the full culture immersion so we've gone on long walks together with Sunny, visited some of the local fiestas during summer, visited local markets together, visited local sights, spent time with friends, hung out at the beach and had long, deep chats. Really that's my preference. I enjoy spending time sharing stories with other people and creating something together.
  
  I have a background in Marketing, Yoga, Diversity and Inclusion and Coaching. This is a place of deep conversation, no judgement, curiosity and empathy. Really happy to practice yoga &/or meditate together, to play music together, share poetry and introduce you to the local community I've been building up.
  
  I'm happy to share any knowledge I have about working with natural building materials and the land. What I love about permaculture is that everybody has their own interpretation and it has something for everybody, so we are always going to come together and share different aspects of it.

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  Help

  I flex what projects I'm working on based on seasonal priorities, and the skills and interests of volunteers. We'll generally work on projects together. I always appreciate the creativity that comes when we do things collectively! Time flies and it's so much fun to do things in company. They will be projects you don't need to have skills or experience in that we'll develop together. The professional tasks like construction, electrics, carpentry, tree felling, roofs, plumbing I leave up to local workmen.
  
  Here are some of the projects volunteers have helped me with in the past to give you an idea of some of the projects we'll do together whilst you're here:
  * Build a veggie garden with raised beds,
  * Strimming/Weed Whacking the every creeping blackberry bushes
  * Tree planting
  * Firewood gathering and chopping
  * Weeding
  * Mulching the veggie garden
  * Preparing earth plaster
  * Earth plastering inside the house
  * Repointing the stone walls of the house with lime mortar
  * Tile grouting (after I laid the tiles)
  * Putting in a bottle window
  * Putting up shelves
  * Walk Sunny (my dog)
  * Harvesting veggies and prepare meals to enjoy together
  * Making cakes
  
  One of my favourite parts of having volunteers is the new flavours and recipes they bring with them. We've shared some excellent meals together! Preparing lunch or dinner will invariably be one part of the working day, or we'll do it together and learn from each other. Most of my volunteers have We eat well here! I eat a mostly plant based diet with some locally caught fish.
  
  Looking for 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week + sharing meal prep. We'll flex according to the weather, what's going on, mood and opportunities to share and grow! Sometimes I have to work and you'll work alone. Sometimes your work might be walking Sunny and making lunch. If you're a digital nomad or you're here to surf we'll find a schedule to suit your needs.
  
  Please bring clothes and shoes for working in. Sometimes we work with lime, or in areas with thorns, so you should be prepared for them to get dirty.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  I can host you in a tent, or in a cute little van depending upon the season / availability. There is lots of space for a camper van, or your car, if you're travelling that way.

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  What else ...

  I live near Llanes which is a popular place for internal tourism in the summer, because it is gorgeous around here. There are so many beautiful beaches and lots of hikes to do. It's along the camino del norte. We're not far from the picos de Europa.
  
  I have a super friendly and very active golden retriever Sunny who loves belly rubs and long walks. I take him out for a long walk at least once a day and you're welcome to come with us and enjoy getting to know the local area.

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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

  I work freelance/ remotely and have satellite internet. It's not the best for zoom calls / webinars but it works good enough for everything else.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Campervans welcome! Depending upon the size of it you can park it outside the house or at the entrance to the property.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  My golden retriever is very friendly with other animals.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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