Catsitting and enjoying nature and culture in Voorschoten, Netherlands

Details

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  Description

  I live with my 9-year-old daughter and our cat, Simba, in the west of the Netherlands, close to cities such as The Hague and Amsterdam. Our second-floor apartment is in a quiet neighborhood in a small town, with lots of greenery around and great views of the skies. I have had various professions during my 'working years' (lawyer, translator...), but at the moment I divide my time between spiritual practice, caring for my daughter, and traveling the world.
  I would love to find a kind person to look after Simba (and my plants!) when I'm traveling. There's lots to do in the area both for nature lovers and for city-loving-folk. Easy access by public transport and I also have an e-bike you could use.
  I like clean and tidy; I hope you do, too ;-). The apartment has a comfortable double bed, a bathroom with sink and shower and a separate toilet, and a kitchen with a stove, dishwasher, washer/dryer and oven/microwave. Also balconies on both sides of the building, so always a good place to sit outdoors come rain or shine. Simba is fairly solitary but also likes to come and snuggle up from time to time. I think he'd enjoy the company of a friendly carer.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Animal Care

  House sitting
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  Interests

  

  Pets

  

  Sustainability

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Self development

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Photography

  

  Gardening

  

  Writing

  

  Animals

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Mountain

  

  Beach

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Plenty of museums, at varying entrance fees (sometimes free). Most people speak English, so that could be a bridge into learning some Dutch. National festivities include King's Day in April and Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) in December. The world famous tulip gardens (Keukenhof) open from mid-March to mid-May.

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  Help

  What I would like you to do:
  Obviously feed the cat and scoop out the litter box daily, and change the litter once a week if I'm away for longer than that.
  Water the plants. Play and snuggle with the cat if he wants to.
  ... and that's really it :-). I will make sure that the place is clean when you get here; I would appreciate to find it in a similar condition when I return.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  German: Intermediate
  French: 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

  The neighborhood (and the whole country, really) is very safe. Only people with a key can enter the building. My apartment has a large, comfy double bed.
  Smaller shops like green grocer's, bakery and cheese shop are five minutes walk away. Supermarkets are 10 mins by bike or 20-30mins walk, most of which through lovely parks. Workawayers are only requested to feed the cat, clean the litter box and water the plants. This should be less than an hour a day. The rest of the time you can do whatever you like. This means I only host workawayers when I myself am away. So I ask that you take care of your own meals, but of course you can make use of pantry items such as oil and spices.

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  What else ...

  Please keep doors within the apartment open so that the cat can roam around freely day and night. Once you get here, I'll show you how to let him out when you're home and when you're out. Please be considerate of neighbors in terms of noise. There are containers near the street for waste, I'll show you how to dispose of it.
  For nature lovers: check out Meijendel (dunes and forests), the beach at Wassenaarseslag, or De Horsten (royal estate open to the public).

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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

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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