Farmstay at a mountain house next to river beach in Sertã, Central Portugal

Details

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  Description

  UPDATE
  
  Currently we ONLY need help with dog/house sitting.
  If you are interested in this and would like to stay a few days and take care of beautiful but big Frida we would be happy to host you. Frida is a three year old Transmontano Shepard dog who loves people and cuddles.
  
  Also the housing situation changed: for house/dogsitters we offer the renovated house during their stay.
  That means we can only host one person or a couple or two friends or family , since it is a maisonette house.
  
  ME
  I am an artist, translator, writer and studied philosopher living in the middle of the forest with my sweet big dog Frida, who looks a bit like a polar bear. She wants a lot of attention and cuddles, but at the same time she is the best guard dog for this remote area.
  
  THE LAND
  The two of us live on 2 hectares of land with hundreds of olive and fruit trees. This means that the land produces fruit all year round. There are so many olive trees that we press liters of our own olive oil every year.
  
  The land is in the middle of the forest, the nearest small villages are a 5-minute walk away. There are many river beaches in this area. Just down the hill is my favorite river beach, which is probably the nicest place in the area. There are regular concerts, techno parties and film evenings, as well as very good food and drinks, and it is open all summer.
  We are also very close to the Zezere River, which is a river that runs through fjords. The water is crystal clear and there are several beaches where you can swim.
  
  MOTIVATION
  I decided to live in the countryside because I was very tired of city life in Berlin, Germany, and had always dreamed of living somewhere in the countryside outside of Germany. I also had a lot of friends who already lived in the area. I make most of my money doing translation work. This also means that I will be working in an office for a few hours a day.
  
  I have owned the land for almost three years. At the moment, the focus is on renovating the two houses and restoring the plants and trees, as the land had been almost abandoned for forty years when we moved in here.
  
  The longer plan is to develop a land based on the principles of permaculture.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Animal Care

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Pets

  

  Movies & TV

  

  LGBTQ

  

  Culture

  

  Writing

  

  Music

  

  Photography

  

  Languages

  

  History

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Animals

  

  Beach

  

  Hiking

  

  Nature

  

  Yoga / Wellness
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Although we live in a very remote place, there is a lot of cultural activity going on. Just down the hill there is a river beach with a cultural bar and café, as I mentioned. There is also an art association nearby that I go to a lot. There are exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and they even have a choir.
  
  In the city there are several activities and clubs that you can go to. There is also a cinema.
  
  In the area there is a café or my friend. It hosts workshops, concerts and serves only vegetarian and vegan food.
  
  I am happy to show you my knowledge of harvesting, pruning and preserving the harvest. A particularly enjoyable experience is the olive harvest, followed by a visit to the olive press to see how olive oil is made.
  
  But I am also happy to learn if you know other, more or different things, since I used to be a city girl for most of the time of my life :)
  
  The most important thing for me is to bring more life to this vast property and to make it possible for many people to enjoy this beautiful land.
  
  So: Looking forward to hosting you :)
  
  Note: I am a very left wing person who is politically very interested. I will not tolerate any sexist, antiqueer or racist behavior at my place.

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  Help

  I specifically would need people, that
  
  
  -Help me look after the land. This includes harvesting, as well as pulling out weeds or pruning trees or watering. If you have never worked on a farm before, I can show you what to do, and it is easy to learn.
  
  
  -Help with the renovation of the houses. This can include tasks that do not require any special skills, such as painting walls or cleaning, or it can include work such as carpenter tasks or other work, such as building a wooden screen for the compost toilet.
  
  
  As an explanation: On the land you will find two schist houses. One house (where I live) is currently under construction and will be extended slowly. There are several small works that still need to be done on that house.
  
  -In November, I will definitely need help with the olive harvest.
  
  -Help with walking the dog.
  
  In general:
  On weekdays, I usually have to do paid work for a couple of hours. So I will not always be working with you. In general, the daily routine will be a little different than it might be on other work away places. When you arrive, I will discuss with you what tasks would suit you best and what is needed on the farm at the moment. Then, if necessary, I will show you what to do and then you can decide what time of the day you want to do it. Preferably, you would discuss and set a time with the other work aways (4-5 hours a day) to stay during your stay.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  Portuguese: Fluent
  Italian: 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.
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  Accommodation

  In the summer: I will have tents where work aways can stay. There will be mattresses and sheets, of course. You will have your own tent.
  
  Sometimes there may be an option to have a bed in the house (depending on whether family is here or not).
  
  By the way: There is also a pool on the property :)
  
  In winter: There will be room in the big house for work aways.
  
  Food:
  There will be food to help yourself for breakfast and lunch (which can preferably be cooked together with the other work aways). I eat very irregularly during the day, so I cannot and will not always be present for breakfast and lunch.
  
  Dinner can either be cooked together or by the work aways.

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  What else ...

  Note: The property is in a fairly remote location. There is a public transport bus into town once in the morning and back in the evening. (I will pick you up at the bus station, of course.) Down to the river it is about a 25 minute walk.
  The nearest town is Sertã (15 minutes by car) where you can find everything from supermarkets to bars, a park and restaurants.

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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 am happy to host digital nomads for longer periods of time. There is at least one room in the house (maybe one more soon) that can be used for a longer stay. If you work as a digital nomad, we can even come to an agreement that you split your time between helping and your work, or if full time is not possible, we can talk about a very reduced rent. The internet is very fast, it is fiber optic. There is an office (where I work) and another desk that you can use.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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