Help us out in the garden and around the house on the gentle slopes of Meuse, France

Details

• 

  Description

  We live in a large 100-year-old house in a tiny village without any amenities. There’s no bus, no shop, and no bar. The nearest shop is 6 km away. Given these circumstances, it’s essential that you’re self-reliant and have your own transport.
  
  The surroundings are beautiful. It’s perfect for hiking and cycling. We’ve spotted around 30 different bird species in our garden, and the nearby woods are home to foxes, deer, badgers, and wild boar. The nights here are pitch-dark and silent.
  Our house is located next to a war memorial, and the area is full of World War I monuments and cemeteries.
  
  We (63) and (58) both work from home for our employers, Monday through Thursday. My husband loves making music, is always in a good mood, a great cook and the handyman around the house. I work a lot in the garden, am also a good cook, speak five languages, am volunteer in a language project and enjoy hiking in nature, spotting birds and butterflies.
  For both of us, respect for nature and all living beings is very important. We strive to keep our ecological footprint as small as possible.
  
  We need real help with all the work that needs to be done here. You'll work 5 days a week, including at least 2 of the following: Friday, Saturday or Sunday, as these are our days off so we can work together in the house and in the garden. We do expect that workawayers keep their room clean, do their own laundry, leave the room tidy when you go, and take part in regular , smaller household tasks like cooking, doing dishes, or cleaning the sink, etc. We don’t always eat together, by the way due to our work schedules. We often take a walk of an hour during lunch time. You are invited to join us if you like, so we can show you around.
  
  Will we be welcoming you soon to our beautiful home with swimming pool?

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
• 

  Interests

  

  Animals

  

  Books

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Events & social

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Van life

  

  Self development

  

  Charity work

  

  Carpentry

  

  Plant care

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Dancing

  

  Nature

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You can learn about vegan and healthy cooking, about gardening and all kinds of DIY things. You can pratice your Dutch, French or English language skills. You can learn the basics of playing the piano or the yukele or more advanced if you already know how to play these instruments. Futhermore, if you are interested in birds, flowers, butterflies or plants we can tell you a lot about this. Maybe we can practice our German and Spanish with you.
  We live next to a very impressive and unique historical monument from World War I. We gladly take you there and tell you about the history of our village.

• 

  Help

  ** In the garden
  Our garden is half a hectare and includes a pond. There’s plenty to do, such as: pruning trees and shrubs, mowing with the ride-on mower, tidying up, digging and weeding. Some of the easier things (such as weeding, tidying up) you will do without us, during our working hours, the others under our guidance.
  
  ** In the house
  There’s also lots to do indoors: tidying, cleaning, (helping with) vegan cooking, and working in the kitchen.
  
  ** Home projects under our support
  You can help us with the building of a woodshed, making a path, maintaining the pond, creating a bird nesting house for the pond and making winter shelters for bats and ladybugs, as well as insect hotels for the summer. We also need to repair a fence. Inside, there's sanding, painting, repairing and organizing to take care of. All of these things will be done with our assistance.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  German: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
• 

  Accommodation

  We can host a maximum of 3 people. We have one double room with a private toilet, shower and sink and one single room (with shared toilet and shower downstairs).
  We have a big garden where you can relax or meditate and a pool for cooling down.
  
  Because of our work, we’re not always available to join in for every meal. But we always make sure there’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. When the weather is nice, we enjoy eating outside.

• 

  What else ...

  It’s perfect for hiking in the woods and cycling. We have a small/medium and a bigger mountain bike you can use. Or you join us during our lunch walk to explore the surroundings.
  
  We prefer non-smokers. No smoking in the house.
  
  We live vegan.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  You can park next to our house. There is electricity and water. If no chemicals are used, you can empty grey and black water.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  My animals / pets

Website Safety

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback (1)