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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
5 Mar 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 3 days
Feedback
30
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Description
UPDATE February 2024
I'm back in action... since last posting I am now mumma to gorgeous Silvan, 4 years.
I got caught in Australia for much of the pandemic, Melbourne, the most locked down city in the world, quelle chance!
Anyhow. We haven't been back for so long. The place is wildly overgrown. Blackberries and nettles everywhere.
Mostly this has not overwhelmed me too much. It is actually encouraging to see the force of nature.
The animals enjoy it.
First day back, looking out my studio window onto what was my veggie garden, a baby deer curled up.
Bats still flying about at night. owls hooting. insects galore.
The positive of being away is time for reflection. Perhaps even greater appreciation for what is here.
Silvan is homeschooled.
We are busy clearing the land, brambles, fallen trees, strimming and chain sawing are valuable skills.
hugelkultures, and preparing soil for planting.
Look forward to new meetings.
UPDATE APRIL 2021
Hi all, I'm on pause from taking exchanges at the moment due to personal circumstances. Will update again when refreshed ready to go. Thank you !
UPDATE SUMMER 2018
hello everybody, just to let you know, I'm not currently teaching my weekly yoga or circus classes as I am focusing on transforming the grange for winter habitation. Still plenty of opportunities for your own training and to participate in random and organized 'jams'.
UPDATE WINTER 2018/2019
Hi there all, I am looking for someone to house sit over winter. Needs to be someone responsible and able to use own initiative living remotely on a small holding. Don't hesitate to get in touch and we can talk possibilities if you think it might be something for you.
I live on 10 hectares of land at the foothills of the Pyrenees in a small hamlet of 8 houses with my property bordering a wild forest including chestnut, ash, oak, acacia and cherry.
During the summer months I teach weekly classes in Acroyoga and Iyengar yoga and have an outdoor aerial rig where i teach tissu and trapeze. Part of my project involves transforming a grange to create a living space for myself and a big, light, warm, welcoming place where we can practice all year round yoga, circus, music and numerous others creative activities. I grow most of my own fruit and vegetables and collect hazelnuts, walnuts, mushrooms and wild herbs from the forest. I cut my own wood. much of the wood used in the construction has been harvested from my forest and cut using my friends mobile saw mill. I have 10 goats, 4 sheep, 5 ducks a dog and a cat and friends graze their 3 horses. Foix is 12 minutes by car. there are spare bikes and wifi if you have your own computer. For accommodation there is one caravan or camping in tents.
As my title says I am into simple living. I have no running hot water. To wash i have an outdoor fire bath or i heat my water on the gas and take a bucket bath outdoors. I enjoy and take pride in eating fresh food from the garden and prefer to be creative with dishes with what i can source locally than going to the supermarket.
i am big on 'hugelkulture' beds and love to see a good layer of mulch in the garden.
I am working on a solar shower and the run off will be filtered by a reed bath with the overflow going to my duck bath and then vegetables. i am careful to use only natural products for washing and cleaning.
It is great if everyone can participate in cooking and daily tasks of maintaining the space such as sweeping and general tidying. If you are not confident in cooking don't worry, it is a great opportunity to learn as all the ingredients are so fresh and tasty you can't go wrong and we will help.
Current and ongoing projects include; construction; laying a floor, insulating with sheep's wool, installing windows, stone work and lime rendering. Installing a grey water filtration system with reed beds. vegetable growing, land clearing and forest work. longer term projects include mosaic and mass rocket stove.
I am Australian and speak English and French. I live alone but with locals often dropping in, friends staying and other helpers about.
any questions do not hesitate, i look forward to hearing from you.Types of help and learning opportunities
Art ProjectsHelp with Eco ProjectsGardeningDIY and building projectsBabysitting and creative playCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Help
construction; laying a floor, insulating with sheep's wool, installing windows, stone work and lime rendering. Installing a grey water filtration system with reed beds. vegetable growing, land clearing. cooking.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: FluentAccommodation
caravan or camping.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
5 hours / 5 days per week
Feedback (17)
Actually I expected working more with the animals and doing acroyoga. Anyway she was attempted to go… read more
Feedback
Actually I expected working more with the animals and doing acroyoga. Anyway she was attempted to go… read more
Cat was very kind and helpful. Indeed she wanted to help me to be fine. For example she… read more
I worked mostly in the garden and it was physical and satisfying.… read more
Ryan stayed with me for more than a month over winter and in that time we did an amazing amount of work particularly in the forest. I found Ryan to be very practical, strong and capable and at the same time very respectful and sensitive. He is a… read more
Its the perfect place to relax and be in contact with the nature, forget about all the stress of the city...get healthier in body and mind!
The delicious meals of Cat made me feel very good with my body; sleeping in the caravan was so great because of the contact with the… read more
You can feel really good at her place. The animals are so cute, they all seem to love humans.
The… read more
work can be diferent all days. Foix is a nice town, you can go making hitch hiking is to easy.
Cat… read more
We sleep in the caravan ans was really cosy. We have good time toghether, working, cooking, doing Yoga, going to the city also, for a tradicional dance festival. About the work, we did exactly what the description says, help layering the floor,… read more
I was left to work fairly independently some of the time, which was nice, but shared lovely meals with Cat and even got to go to two acro yoga classes she gave!
It was lovely staying in the caravan, and I'd be… read more