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Host rating
65 %
Last replied
5 Feb 2024
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Description
We are a family of eight: Mum, 42, teacher, Dad 51, teacher, boys 20, 19, 10, 7 and girls 15, 3 plus our adorable mountain dog Mira 13 months. We live in a huge house close to Koblenz and the Mittelrheintal (15 km) in a little village.
The oldest boys have already moved out and are attending university in Cologne and Mainz, but they visit often.
We share a big passion: LEGO. The basement of our house is like a (messy) museum of hundreds of sets. And this leads to our next big non-profit project: to establish a permanent exhibition with everything LEGO. We have the space in a nearby town and many enthusiasts who are willing to help - will you be one of them?
We are open and interested in new people and different cultures. Mum has worked as an Au Pair in 5 different families during her study breaks -short stays of 2-3 months each- all over Europe and she truly enjoyed it. We also had an Au Pair from Russia in the past.
We don't smoke and we expect no smoking in the house or at the exhibition site, also: not in front of the children!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We want to share our passion for LEGO but we also want you to explore our wonderful region and its cultural sight like medieval castles, ancient Roman border buildings, and so on.
If you stay for at least two weeks, we will pay for the DEUTSCHLANDTICKET for one month which will allow you to use every public transport (except high-speed trains), so that you can travel wherever you want around here for free.
Our older children are also excited to show you around if you are interested, you could also visit them in Mainz and Cologne. If you prefer exploring on your own that's also fine.
With the big family and the non-profit project, we might not always have that much time to show you around ourselves. But we can connect you with people of all ages and interests. If you are into culture, this area has a lot to offer. Dozens of castles are nearby, most of them along the river Rhine, which is just a few minutes away form our home. If you are into nightlife, Koblenz and its 100.000 inhabitants has some to offer, but it is easy to get to Cologne (1.000.000 inhabitants) od Frankfurt (750.000) by train within an hour. If you are into nature and hikes, there are many trails in the area which can be explored by foot, bike or even canoe. And if you are video or boardgame geek, you will find willing companions within our family.
Dad teaches economics, politics and ethics. So for sure there is room for some interesting talks and disussions if you are interested.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
On the one hand we are looking for help at home. Someone who takes care of the garden, can look after the small children when needed, occasionally cooks or even swings the broom. This person should already speak some German to ensure the communication with our little kids.
On the other hand, we are looking for people to support us with our non-profit LEGO art project. We have a 500 square meter room in which a permanent exhibition is to be created. The work there ranges from rough carpentry work to filigree clamping block art.
Update 2023-09-26: The room is cleared. The floor will be painted next. After that, the walls should be painted, not just in one color, but with motifs that match the exhibits. This will be an artistic task that talented workawayers are welcome to take on.
After that, some wooden tables will be built and plasterboard walls will be set up, which delimit the individual exhibition areas.
As soon as the first tables are in place, work begins on creating a large LEGO landscape in one area. There are no concrete templates here, so creatively talented workawayers could also develop with many, many LEGO elements.
We have the space, the material and millions of LEGO bricks. What we lack are lots of busy hands and heads full of ideas. There are no limits to creativity here.
In addition, this project should be accompanied by media. People with experience in photography, video and social media are welcome.
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Dutch: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
Mum is a teacher for English and French so you can expect some (philosophical) talks on language/grammar. However, since we both work full time please don't expect a language school environment. We are both willing to check any kind of excercises you do in your free time as long as our schedule allows it. Our kids 15 and 10 learn English at school and are very interested in practising English. Of course they can also correct your German since they are native speakers but they are not able to explain any grammar to you. Our 7-year-old is very willing to correct any mistakes you make while talking to him. He is very strict but nice in his own way ;-)
Accommodation
Because our big boys are studying in other cities (Cologne and Mainz) , we have two rooms available at home, both large with a double bed, television, desk and internet access. Both rooms share a bathroom with shower and bath. Both rooms are available for individuals or couples.
At the location of the exhibition there is also accommodation in the building with a double bed, desk and internet access. This includes a bathroom with shower and a private kitchen.
If you are into van life, there is also a parking space for a camper van at the building.
Anyone who would like to work on the non-profit exhibition can of course also live in our house and participate more in our family life.
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Food
Of course we will provide you with at least three meals a day. We also happily offer everything you find in our fridge or pantry at any time. ;-)
We love to eat healthy and take time to cook. But due to having two jobs and six kids, we sometimes fall back to quick pizza or pasta. We welcome you to share some traditional meals with us. We are also open to taste your cuisine if cooking is your passion. We are gladly willing to get and provide all ingredients that you might prefer for your cooking or your special diet.
Our family is neither vegan nor vegetarian. If you are, we will provide you with whatever you need for your nutrition.
What else ...
Our home is in Eitelborn where you can catch a bus to Koblenz or Montabaur. It takes about 20 minutes by bus to each city. From Koblenz or Montabaur you can take trains to Frankfurt, Mainz, Köln, Bonn or Trier.
In Koblenz, you can take boat trips on Rhine and Moselle or visit the famous fortress. We also have a strong Roman cultural heritage which is worth exploring.
If you like hiking - the forest starts right behind our house. If you (and we) feel confident about it, you could also take our dog along or some of the kids.
Throughout the year, there are several festivities in all the towns around.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have a gigabit connection at home. The connection at the exhibition site is 100 Mbit. Both connections have no volume limit.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible five weeks you spent with our family. Your time with us has been nothing short of amazing, and we couldn't be happier with the positive impact you've had on our lives.
From the moment you arrived, it was evident that you are a warm, compassionate, and hardworking… read more
