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13 Jan 2025
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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 renovation work needing to be done. 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 enters his third year of a 'building sabbatical' ;)
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 is now renovating 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. 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.Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Interests
Outdoor activitiesNatureYoga / WellnessAnimalsLanguagesGardeningCooking & foodDIY & craftsPlant carePolitics / Social justiceCulturePetsSustainabilityVegetarian or veganSelf developmentCultural 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.
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.Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Welsh: Beginner
German: Beginner
Greek: Beginner
Xhosa: BeginnerThis 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.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 :)
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 and music, 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 if you have your own vehicle.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Free decent wi-fi connection and a peaceful environment in which to connect / work / create / reflect outside working hours
Space for parking camper vans
If you would prefer to live 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 pretty much essential, as public transport is mostly non-existent.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (1)
La Maison is a beautiful home which is being lovingly restored. We were delighted to have been a part of Reb and Marks journey and feel that we made a difference whilst… read more
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Feedback
La Maison is a beautiful home which is being lovingly restored. We were delighted to have been a part of Reb and Marks journey and feel that we made a difference whilst… read more