Quiet country life at my forest farmhouse in Châtelus-le-Marcheix, France

Details

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  Description

  Hi! I'm Jade, I'm full of energy and happiest outdoors, building and gardening.
  
  Three years ago I bought a house in the forest near my parents that they had dreamed of for thirty years, and I've been slowly bringing it and its' lands back to life ever since.
  
  I'm a carpenter by trade, so I'm always building or mending something. Away from the tools I love cook, with a passion for outdoor fire cooking. I'm also very interested in learning new recipes and styles from around the world. I like to sing, I play a few instruments, and enjoy reading and drawing — the house is a creative, easy-going place. My little fantasy land if you like.
  
  There's a friendly dog here too, and we spend most of our days outside. It's peaceful up in the hills and mountains, so this suits people who genuinely love the quiet French countryside rather than anyone after nightlife or a crowd. If you're looking for rural France, this is just about as authentic as it gets.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Culture

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Camping

  

  Mountain

  

  Cycling

  

  Sustainability

  

  Writing

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Carpentry

  

  Art & design

  

  Animals

  

  Nature

  

  Hiking

  

  Outdoor activities
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You'll get to know back-country France that even most French people don't — a small, simple, honest farming community, unbothered by trends. I'm a native French and English speaker, so I can help with either, and I'm always happy to keep working on my Spanish if you can lend a hand.
  
  I love to play music and sing, so if you're musical we can explore that together - I'll show you my homemade banjo.
  
  And there's plenty to discover locally — trips out to the farmers' markets and car boot sales "Brocantes" or just hanging out in the village bar are all part of life here.
  
  My family also live nearby, so I should expect you'll see some of them.

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  Help

  I'm welcoming people who love being outdoors and doing practical tasks. Also useful: web programmers and social media aficionados. The main tasks are:
  - restoring the lands around the house
  - the vegetable patch and the garden
  - making beautiful outdoor spaces around the house
  - helping with the cooking
  - light cleaning inside and around the house
  - walking my friendly retriever
  
  DIY, permaculture, gardening , cooking experience are welcome but not needed, just a willingness to get stuck in. There's a wide array of projects in and around this house to be done. Bring a laid-back attitude and you'll have plenty of time left over to explore nature here and swim in the natural lake with sandy beach a short walk away.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I am native and fluent in French and English, and can help you with both should you wish it. I myself am always interested in improving my Spanish - or any other languages you may speak in fact.
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  Accommodation

  Your own guest room with double bed and shared or private/shared bathroom.
  
  Breakfast and lunch are mostly light and easy — local bread, fruit, cheese, coffee, that sort of thing, and dinner is more of a proper cooked meal when we all sit down together. I love to cook, but your culinary experience is very welcome too, I love learning new recipes from around the world. I eat everything, but if there are veggies etc around, we'll accommodate to that.

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  What else ...

  I can pick you up from the local train station or the nearby town when you arrive.
  
  In your time off there's plenty to enjoy close by: the village has a bar and a beach on the lake, and endless countryside to explore on foot — perfect if you're a nature lover. We'll head into the towns when the need arises, such as the food shopping, but honestly this is a rural French countryside experience, out in nature, and that's the heart of it. I can also sort out some bicycles if that suits you.

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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

  I have fibre access to the internet herte, so no problem for remote working.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Parking on the side of the road infront of the house is sufficent for a campervan but not a big motorhome. It's a very quiet country road so little to no traffic. Water via a hose is available for filling tanks but no electrical supply

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  Can possibly accept pets

  My dog gets on with most dogs, she's pretty happy go lucky.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Alaska

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