Traditional French potager, other projects and co-create something beautiful for the future in Cancon, France

Details

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  Description

  We are Reb & Mark, an Irish/Welsh couple who moved to France in 2021. Together, we are co-creating La Maison du Coeur Calme ('the home of the calm heart'); a special place for retreats, trainings, gatherings. There is simply rather a lot of hard physical work needing to be done around the property. Mark is more than your average DIYer, but Reb is unable to help in the way he needs, especially whilst I keep our business going to keep a little income coming in, while Mark attends to managing the property, land and renovating the buildings, as well as his own work.
  
  What we really need are physically fit people who are happy to dig / weed / chop wood / help with other physically tough work. It’s often dirty, may be either hot or cold and wet, but we can ensure a warm welcome and comfy bed!
  
  We are incredibly fortunate to live in a large old French house (built c. 1860) with a small amount of land, a mixed fruit orchard (mostly prunes, being near Agen), a field, a couple of barns. Mark converted one barn into a training and retreat venue last year and has renovated the second as a gite. He has just completed the renovation of an apartment in the ground floor of the house as extra accommodation for participants. The village is small, friendly, in between Bergerac, Bordeaux and Toulouse and the area is largely agricultural, with no buses, trains or any other form of public transport, so it is essential for any prospective workawayers to have their own transport. Our village is known as the 'Capital of Hazelnuts'!
  
  In the village, there are many amenities for one so small: two little supermarkets, pharmacy, post office, bank, petrol filling station, four hairdressers ;) , tabac, butcher, small but excellent restaurant, traditional Monday morning market, tiny cafe and more besides.
  
  Our two rescue cats are rather timid but loving and after a couple of days, they welcome visitors warmly.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Animals

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Plant care

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Culture

  

  Pets

  

  Sustainability

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Self development
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We will welcome you to stay with us in our home and share what we are learning about 'la vie francaise' with you. In addition to the genuinely gorgeous village and local community, we are also delighted to talk multiple brains, neuroscience, NLP and more into the evening over a home baked pizza (outdoor oven) and glass of wine. We believe we are constanty learning and evolving, so we look forward to learning with and from you and enriching our lives as a result. I am also happy to pass on anything I can about preserving (jamming, chutneying, pickling, bottling, making kombucha etc) if that's of interest. Whilst Mark is the extrovert, we both love company and will be genuinely grateful for your part in our journey.

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  Help

  Physical help with digging / weeding / planting in the veg garden etc. No previous gardening skills are required, although any experience is very welcome! It's a big veg patch / potager and although some crops have been planted, it would be great for it to be fully productive.
  There are miles of hedges to be trimmed, the orchard to be mowed (December to April) / pruned (Winter) / harvested (mostly August/September) and always loads to do around the property. Please be aware this is non-glamorous, hard, often dusty, heavy physical work.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Welsh: Beginner
  German: Beginner
  Greek: Beginner
  Xhosa: Beginner

  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

  A private bedroom and bathroom in our 1860's maison de maitre. We're happy for you to eat with us - Reb is vegetarian, Mark's an omnivore, so both will be on offer, generally home cooked from scratch, made with seasonal local ingredients and love. Physical work requires soul food, so you'll be well-fed and watered :)

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  What else ...

  In time off, we can recommend a number of local attractions, from sights, historic sites, cities, wine tasting, and much more. We tend to be fairly quiet people, but have good local friends and are relatively non-materialistic. However, we have tv, two cats who keep us endlessly entertained, open fires, a fire pit and the most gorgeous countryside around with lovely people around. There is plenty of room for your own vehicle.

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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

  Free decent wi-fi connection and a peaceful environment in which to connect / work / create / reflect outside working hours

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  Space for parking camper vans

  If you would prefer to stay in your own van, rather than in the house with us, that's also fine. Having your own vehicle (car or camper van) in such a rural area is essential, as public transport is non-existent.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Fleurie & Milou (mother & daughter)

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