Share your musical skills and help in my organic garden and house in Alsace, France

Details

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  Description

  NON SMOKERS only...
  I am a former English teacher, environmental activist, living alone in a large historical house in a small medieval town. There are 6 apartments in the house, one of them being a former holiday rental which I am now using to accomodate guests and workawayers. So I need help in maintaining this house and also my organic garden. ALSACE is the German speaking part of France, at the border with Germany and Switzerland. It is also very nice because it has the beautiful Vosges Mountains separating us from Lorraine and sparing us some rain.
  I would prefer a long term helper that is interested in organic farming ; also classical music, because there is a grand piano in my apartment and there are a lot of concerts in the area. And possibly some one tidy and not too lazy...enthusiastic and willing to learn new things. Cyclist are particularly welcome: I am on warmshowers and host traveilling cyclists.There is a bike for guests in the house..
  Rouffach is well connected. There is a train station and the nearest airport: BASEL/MULHOUSE is about 35' away.. FLIXBUS has a stop in Colmar.
  . I am a member of a few walking groups and people active in the heritage field and regional politics, I love to take visitors to visit the beautiful corners of my small Alsace. There is a library next door where you can not only read and borrow books but also take part in many events.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Elderly Companionship

  Gardening

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I prefer to have help from someone from another country or another French region than a cleaning lady, because for me it is a way to enrich myself by getting to know another region or country without leaving my garden to which I have strong bonds . I can also help foreigners improve their French since I was a French teacher in the United States. It is also a way to break solitude although I have quite a few friends and I often organize parties in my vaulted cellar in winter and my flowery courtyard in the summer.
  
  Je préfère avoir une aide de quelqu'un d'un autre pays ou une autre région française qu'une femme de ménage, car pour moi, c'est un moyen de m'enrichir en apprenant à connaître une autre région ou pays sans quitter mon jardin auquel je tiens beaucoup . Je peux aussi aider les étrangers à perfectionner leur français puisque j'ai été prof de français aux Etats Unis. C'est aussi un moyen de rompre la solitude bien que j'ai pas mal d'amis et que j'organise souvent des fêtes dans ma cave voûtée l'hiver et ma cour fleurie l'été.

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  Help

  I am 85 years old and I was au pair in my youth to learn English, German and Italian. So I was doing workaway before it even existed on the internet. I live in a large, historical house, with 6 apartments and a gîte. I also have a vegetable garden at the back of the house, along the city wall.
  So I need help to maintain the house (household, DIY) to do the cooking and the dishes (there is a dishwasher) A help with computers will also be appreciated.
  
  J'ai 85 ans et j'ai été au pair dans ma jeunesse pour apprendre l'anglais, l'allemand et l'italien. Donc je faisais workaway avant que ça ne soit créer sur internet. J'habite une grande maison, historique, avec des appartements et un gîte. J'ai aussi un jardin potager et beaucoup de fleurs.
  Donc il faut m'aider à entretenir la maison (ménage, bricolage ) à faire la cuisine et la vaisselle ( il y a un lave vaisselle) Une aide en informatique sera aussi appréciée .

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Italian: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  I love to speak English, Italian, German which I learned in the country and at university. I can teach you French which I taught in the States a long time ago.
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  Accommodation

  The volunteer is accommodated in a former holiday rental with its own bathroom. I would like somebody who is tidy and makes his/her bed and sometimes mine.
  Le ou la volontaire est logée dans un gîte que je louais autrefois et que ne loue plus. J'aimerais bien quelqu'un qui range sa chambre et fasse son lit.

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  What else ...

  There is a GRAND PIANO in the house waiting for PIANISTS. I invite People WHO DO OVERTIME to concertS , restaurants or museums.
  There are 3 bicycles in the house. I have been an ecologist EVER SINCE THE 70ies..... I like to welcome young and old cycling enthusiasts. I eat vegetarian, although I eat good organic meat from time to time and fish ; I am a wine amateur, although I have reduced my concumption lately. Tasting wine from different areas is another way of traveling and discovering the art of winemakers because making good wine is an art.
  I am also an activist for regional languages ​​(in Alsace there is a Germanic dialect) and I like to involve my volunteers in various events. The Alsace region is rich in monuments and its hills covered with vineyards and the nearby Vosges offer magnificent opportunities for walks, cycling or skying . There is also the proximity of big cities like STRABOURG, capital of Europe, Freiburg in Germany and BASEL in Switzerland (1 hour away).
  I had tremendous helpers, young and not so young, but there were also people who had just come to spend a cheap holiday, without much interest in my militant activities . So I'm looking for people with some ENTHUSIASM and IDEALISM. I can't stand LAZY , MESSY AND DISHONEST PEOPLE;
  
  
  Il y a un piano à queue qui attend des PIANISTES; J'invite les au pairs qui font des heures sup. au concert, et aussi au restaurant, musées etc.
  Il y a 3 vélos dans la maison. Je suis une écologiste militante depuis les année 70..... j'aime acceuillir des jeunes et moins jeunes adeptes du vélo. Je mange plutôt végétarien, bien que je mange de la bonne viande bio de temps en temps, mais surtout j'aime le vin dont je défends le bon usage et la valeur culturelle . Boire, ça s'apprend, c'est une autre façon de voyager et de découvrir l'art des vignerons car faire du bon vin est un art .
  Je suis aussi militante pour les langues régionales ( en Alsace on parle un dialecte germanique) et j'aime bien faire participer mes volontaires à diverses manifestations . La région Alsace est riche en monuments et ses collines couvertes de vignobles et les Vosges toutes proches offrent de magnifiques opportunités pour des promenades à pied et en vélo. Il y a aussi la proximité de grandes villes comme STRABOURG capitale de l'Europe, Freiburg en Allemagne et BASEL en Suisse. ( 1 heure de voiture ou de train) Il y a une gare à ROUFFACH; La ville la plus proche est COLMAR.
  J'ai eu des aides formidables, jeunes et moins jeunes, mais il y a aussi eu des gens qui étaient simplement venus pour passer des vacances pas cher, sans grand intérêt pour mes activités militantes et assez fainéants. Donc je cherche des gens avec un certain ENTHOUSIASME et IDEALISME: Je déteste les gens paresseux, bordéliques et malhonnêtes

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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