Join our dog-loving family and help with gardening and DIY in Aigre, France

Details

• 

  Description

  Tony and I (Jenette) moved to France in the summer of 2018 in the beautiful village of Aigre (16140) and we have achieved a lot in that time but we do need some additional help to get the ever increasing ‘to do list’ shorter!
  We are in our early 60’s and 70’s and are active. We both have a love for dogs, we have an Australian Kelpie, Ellie 10 years (16kg) who lives for her tennis balls and 2 Bernese Mountain dogs, brother and sister, Scooby (46kg) and Stella (33kg) who are under 2 and love the outside and chewing sticks! Stella we have had from puppy but Scooby we re-homed when he was one. We also have my Mum who is 82yrs young living independently with us.
  We both enjoy our motorbikes, I passed my bike test this year, meeting up with friends, board games, socialising and travelling exploring the French countryside. We love living in France and enjoy all that it has to offer. We have a large lounge/dining room which is the hub of our home, a kitchen and in the sous sol is our utility/garage area. We also have outside space for a small camper van and we look forward to welcoming you into our home and lives. We are a strict non-smoking family and lead a relaxed lifestyle.

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  General Maintenance
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We live on the edge of Aigre, a 5 minute walk and you are in the middle of a comprehensive village (I call it a town) it offers all amenities; bakers, butchers, supermarkets, bank, restaurants, hairdressers, a newly built medical centre etc. We have the world famous Gautier Cognac House, amongst the oldest cognac houses in France, well worth a guided tour ending with a sampling session and we are in the heart of the Cognac region.
  The famous cartoon town of Angoulême is 40 minutes away where you can view the cartoon murals also hosting the famous Car Rally - Circuit des Ramparts each September. Visit the famous Poitou Charente Donkeys, Poitiers is 80 minutes away and beautiful Bordeaux a famed wine-growing region 2hrs by car. With a local train station a few minutes up the road and the main train station at Angoulême you are not restricted in your travels. The coast is accessible in 90 minutes to beautiful coastal towns and beaches, such as La Rochelle and Royan.

• 

  Help

  Some of the tasks on the ‘to do list’ are:
  Painting an outside wall that we built.
  Building some raised vegetable garden beds (to keep the 2 young dogs off!)
  We have a large task in sanding down, prepping and painting 14 door shutters & 4 window shutters - they are all crying out for some love and attention.
  Hedges to cut
  Trees to pollard
  Compost bins to move
  Wine barrels to cut and make into planters, treat and stain
  Log store area to make so we can then split and cut logs from trees pollarded in 2019
  And so the list goes on……..

• 

  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Beginner

• 

  Accommodation

  We tend to breakfast independently (cereals, toast or freshly baked croissante bought from the boulangerie), but we always come together for lunch and evening meals, which are again freshly made. We also like dining out. We have a twin bedroom with single beds, however bathroom and toilet facilities are shared. We have a large lounge/dining room which is the hub of our home, a kitchen and in the sous sol is our utility/garage area. In the garden we can accommodate a small camper van. We are a strict non-smoking family,

• 

  What else ...

  We live in a rural part of the country, we are on a bus route into Angoulême, but having your own transport would be beneficial. There are plenty of local cycle routes, local attractions, brocantes (in the season) and markets with the largest in the area at Rouillac on the 27th of each month, also plenty of kayaking opportunities on the Charente. We would expect you to be dog loving and to 'muck in' with food prep for meals.

• 

  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

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Feedback (2)