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Help out around our family in a little village near Bordeaux (France)

France
Favourited 77 times
Last activity: 17 Jan 2023

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Host rating
80 %
Feedback
12
Email verified

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2023

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What's this?

Details

Description
There are 5 of us in our multicultural family. We used to travel with my husband for the professional purposes. Since 5 years we have settled in a little village near Bordeaux (France). We speak different languages and would like our 3 boys to do the same. We would like to spend our dinners together with a workawayer talking french, english or russian together.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Language practice
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We speak french, English and Russian. Our kids learn a bit of English and Russian. If you are interested to learn French we can arrange lessons.
We spend time between our children's hobies (music, rugby, theater), our hobies (sewing, jogging for me, playing music, surfing, tennis and kitesurfing for my husband) and work.
We like spending time in the Pyrénées for hiking and skiing.
Our village is quite small but there is either bus or train to Bordeaux. It takes 30 mn by train to be right in the center of the city. We live 250 meters from the railway station, , so you can move easily.
Our region is one of the best to discover french food and wine. We are within the Graves area, not far from Pessac-Leognan and 45 minutes from Saint-Emilion.
We are located 3 hours way from Spain and we like spending time in "Pays-Basque" and eat tapas in Spain ! At spring and summer time, we like spending week-ends on the coast (Oleron isalnd or Ré island) for biking, surfing and enjoying BBQ with friends.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
- talking and playing with our boys (5, 9, 11 years old)
- cooking
- babysitting
-light gardening, depending on the period
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Russian: Fluent
Accommodation
We live in a 2 floors house of 200m2 in Barsac, Aquitaine. We are right in the middle of the wineyards of Sauternes, one of the best sweet wine in the world !!!
We are going to provide a separate room and bathroom for you.
What else ...
Toulouse is 2 hours by road from Barsac.
Many sight seeing located within 1 to 2 hours of transport.
Coast is nice as well at the Pyrénées, depending what you like !
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 592446476713

Feedback (7)

14 Oct 2017

My thanks to Svetlana, Damien, Maxime, Gabriel and Timeo for letting me stay with them for a couple of weeks. I really enjoyed playing cricket and football with the boys and I hope the English lessons with Maxime and Gabriel were helpful to them. Thanks again, Derek

(Very good )

31 Jul 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Nikki)

Nikki, thank you for your feedback. I appreciate your openness.
I was more than happy with the painting you did. (Not sure that we will have time to finish it in the near future).
I am not sure that I said « thank you » for the dish cupboard you’ve cleaned an arranged with care. (It was not and will probably never look as neat).

I regret that… read more

(Good )

30 Jul 2017

My first week's stay was absolutely perfect. Svetlana was warm, welcoming, and polite. I saw her as a role model; always optimistic, cheerful- a great wife, loving mother, and capable of making Pinterest-worthy dinners every night. And more than that; she made it look so easy to handle all this, a job, and her hobbies as well. She was a pleasure… read more to talk to and open up to.

Before I came she mentioned that I was the first Workawayer to come when the kids were away. She said there wouldn't be much work to do because of this, but we could sew together in the evenings and her husband, Damien, may have some woodwork he needed done. Anything was fine by me; I enjoy learning new skills, and it doesn't usually matter to me what they are. I can enjoy pretty much anything :) She said they were just happy to meet people from other cultures. And when I arrived she told me the first day to not start any work; just get used to the place and adjust. Again, very kind and thoughtful. After she showed me the wood her husband wanted sanded and varnished (easy peasy) and one sunny day I worked outside while she sewed with her window open so we could both listen to music. I was very happy there.

I asked her only twice if she was happy with the work I was doing- once to see if some collected varnish was an issue on the wood, and another time because I didn't feel I was doing enough, but she assured me they just wanted the wood done and then a cabinet re-painted. So I paced myself accordingly to finish by my leave, and did extras around the house just to make myself feel better- cleaned out her dish cupboard, wiped down cabinets, washed dishes, etc. One day as I made her after-lunch espresso she even laughed and said I was spoiling her. I told her she deserved it, and I meant it.

One Wednesday she had me over to some of their friends' house to watch Damien play music with them. My stomach was not feeling well, but I went anyway. Svetlana had to leave for an English lesson and seemed bothered when I asked to leave too, so I stayed. It's not that they weren't a good band; they were better than expected, and Damien killed one part of a White Stripes song on the guitar with a slider... I just had stomach issues and wanted to go home. But I stayed so as not to offend them.

The next day I went into Bordeaux after working on the wood and got lost going back to the train station (my phone is useless in France without wifi), so I let her know that I was taking a hotel for the night. It's the only time I wasn't home before dinner. The next day, I came home and said Salut! to Damien, who responded that he and Svetlana had spoken and felt it would be best if I stayed elsewhere for my last week in Bordeaux. That was all. It was a complete shock, and I didn't know how to respond. I was very torn up almost immediately and started crying, and as it was already evening I went to make sleeping arrangements for the night. There had been no prior discussions with me about any problems; Svetlana had always told me I was doing a great job.

They asked me to stay for dinner and when asked said I could stay for the night since it was already late. Their reasoning, they said, for asking me to leave was that I hadn't been doing enough work compared to other Workawayers. I responded that she had already told me there wouldn't be as much work because the kids were away, which is usually the Workawayer's main job. And that I had done all the work they asked me plus extra. They said they thought I was there more to sightsee than work. I responded that when I stayed home, they encouraged me to go to Bordeaux, and even told me they thought it weird that most Workawayer's didn't explore more (I was also always home early too, save for the one day I missed the train). And that I had chosen Workaway because I wanted to sightsee AND gain new skills. I did not understand their reasoning for asking me to leave, and they didn't seem capable of explaining it. When I tried to continue the discussion in order to clarify things, I was told that we were finished talking and that that would be the end of it. They then asked if I wanted to go to a concert with them the next day. Confused, I said that hadn't Damien just told me to stay somewhere else for the rest of the week?? And they acted as if I were ridiculous for finding this confusing and Damien said well, maybe I could stay now, though Svetlana did not seem happy about this.

I was up all night, incredibly upset. I'm not sure if they were offended that I wanted to leave Damien's practice, or upset I missed the train that Thursday, but I can think of no other reasons they may have had for telling me I couldn't stay. I was worried that they would change their mind, again, and in the morning tell me I had to go. I felt unwelcome, like a burden they didn't want, and I had no idea what I'd done wrong. I was already up around 5:00 AM and took the first train out of Barsac. I ended up paying several hundred Euros for a room for the week, which I hadn't budgeted for. But I was most certainly no longer welcome in their home. Svetlana had suddenly become cold and removed towards me, and the whole situation left me disheartened and so, so confused.

It was my first experience staying with people from an online program, and it will be my last. I have hosted people myself from other online platforms, and have always had great experiences and still talk to many of them frequently. I would never treat someone like I was treated, with this out-of-the-blue 'Can you please leave? Nevermind, you can stay.' mentality in the space of a few hours, especially without giving a sound reason.

Mostly it just hurt my feelings. The money I can make back, but I lost a little faith in people with this visit. I had felt very close to Svetlana; we had went dancing for hours, talked about cute boys, good music. She introduced me to delicious healthy food that I'd have never tried on my own. And I felt like out of nowhere I was suddenly no longer welcome. I had thought I'd found a friend in her, but when I left I only felt betrayed, confused, and very sad.

I was not going to leave a review, because I really, really loved that first week with them. But I feel that others may need to be warned that, out of nowhere, and with NO prior mention of any issues, that they might ask you to leave, just as they did with me.

(Neutral )

26 Jul 2017

Where to begin? First of all, I think i should start by apologysing for the delay in leaving this feedback!
This was my first workaway experience ever and the first visit in France. I've spent 4 weeks with this amazing and talented family and it was really like an immersion in French life.
I keep so many wonderful memories about my time there… read more

(Excellent )

View all 7 feedbacks

Photos

One of our son, 5 years, trying to surf in Bidart - Pays Basque !!!

Skateboarding in Bordeaux

South West of France can also be cold sometimes ....

Our house !!!

Feedback

14 Oct 2017

Left by Workawayer (Derek) for host

(Very good )

31 Jul 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Nikki)

(Good )

30 Jul 2017

Left by Workawayer (Nikki) for host

(Neutral )

26 Jul 2017

Left by Workawayer (Maria) for host

(Excellent )

16 Jun 2017

Left by Workawayer (Elisabeth) for host

I have spent 5 weeks by this enjoyable family. In the moring i have brought the kids to school and in the evening i helped to prepare food, during the day i had time for myself. After school or while the weekend i often played with the boys football or rugby. During the weekend the family did a lot of trpis, it was always possible for me to… read more

(Excellent )

12 Jun 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Elisabeth)

Elisabeth has successfully accomplissez a difficult « mission » - to survive in the french-speaking environment without a full understanding of our langage. She helped us to bring kids to school, to prepare a food. She accompanied boys with patience in their favorite sport game – rugby. Elisabeth, many thanks for your help and hope that your stay… read more

(Excellent )

4 May 2017

Left by Workawayer (Natalia) for host

C'était une très bonne expérience !
J’ai passé 3 une semaine avec la famille. D'habitude par les matins je laissais les enfants dans l'école (Timeo et Gabriel) et après je cuisinais pour le dîner, j'ai profité beaucoup de faire cela. J'ai eu la chance de faire ce qui me plaît plus. L'après-midi c'était pour moi. J'allais à un cours de langue… read more

(Excellent )

8 Mar 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Natalia)

3 weeks went so fast!
Natalia is always enthusiastic to learn something new.
Happy to play with kids as well as to try new recipes (written in french).
She is easy-going and neat.
We wished Natalia would stay longer with us.

(Excellent )

11 Apr 2017

Left by Workawayer (Michał) for host

I've spent 5 really nice weeks with this family, they helped me get to know the neighborhood as well as Bordeaux, I could always count on a piece of advice. Giving lessons and spending time with boys was a pleasure for me :)

(Very good )

10 Apr 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Michał)

Michal helped us essentially with language lessons (English & German) of our boys. Being experienced in teaching kids he was able to adapt his method to 2 different levels. He often took part in outdoor games (Foot and rugby) as well as inside activities. He showed a capacity to look after our oldest son during weekend. Thank you for your help… read more

(Very good )

24 Jan 2017

Left by Workawayer (Robert) for host

Really nice family with 3 great kids. Decently close to ammenities and the city of Bordeaux. They are very welcoming and make an effort to introduce you to people and involve you in their day to day life.

(Excellent )

19 Jan 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Robert)

Robert is our first workawayer. It was a great experience for all family members to ‘travel’ to Australia without leaving our little place in the south ouest of France. Besides his exceptional talent for cooking Robert is somebody you can rely on. We will recommend him without hesitation.

(Excellent )

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Help out around our family in a little village near Bordeaux (France)

Profile information

Host rating

Feedback

Email verified

Badges (1)

Find your perfect host

Availability

Details

Description

Types of help and learning opportunities

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Projects involving children

Help

Languages spoken

Accommodation

What else ...

A little more information

How many Workawayers can stay?

Hours expected

Feedback (7)

Photos

Feedback