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Host rating
65 %
Last replied
6 Feb 2024
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Details
Description
This is a rural property 10 minutes outside of Lagos in the beautiful Algarve region of Portugal. Your hosts are Janaka and Giulia, a 35 year old Australian Photographer and a 28 year old Italian working online in Sustainable tourism and teaching yoga. We have 2 rescue dogs and one rescue cat. We love slow living, and working towards sustainability. Our interests are yoga, photography, free diving, gardening, travel, vegan/vegetarian cooking, music, sustainability and more.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will learn what it's like to live on a rural property with the vision to create a sustainable life here. If you are interested, you can learn photography from Janaka (host) who has been a photographer for 20 years. Giulia (host/Janaka's girlfriend) has a masters degree in sustainable tourism and is also a certified Yoga teacher so you can learn from her. Additionally in the summer months Janaka is a freediver/underwater photographer and so he can teach you free diving skills. If you are interested you can learn about vegan cooking and nutrition from Janaka.
We live in a beautiful part of the Algarve region - just 10 minutes drive from the ocean - so you can go every day if you wish.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Our home is a 6 acre property where we have 30 citrus trees, fig trees, grape vines, almond trees, carob trees and more.
We are looking for help around the land with the following tasks:
GARDENING TASKS:
Prune Orange Trees
Clear blackberry vines.
Cut down/uproot Bamboo
Cut grass using whipper snipper/mower.
Renew / restart vegetable garden (Abandoned for a year or so).
Renew Green House (needs some new plastic on top/weeds/blackberry vines removed, soil turned over).
Someone with knowledge of vegetable gardening or permaculture would be greatly valued, as we have limited knowledge in this area. We would like to get the vegetable garden providing most of the households vegetable needs. The soil is very fertile and spinach/kale/beet is already popping up out of the ground unassisted/unplanted by us.
ARTISTIC TASKS:
Paint the outside of camper van in garden in an interesting design.
Painting of new sign for front gate of property.
BUILDING/DIY TASKS:
Fit out camper van (there are 2) into comfortable sleeping area for more workawayers.
Both camper vans are empty/have been stripped and are ready for fit out.
Repair previous campervan/caravan area into nice functional space for workawayers.
Creating of Wooden Deck/Platform for group eating area.
Redo fencing areas.
Finishing construction of Chicken Coop (80% complete).
Building of simple platform/deck around camper van using wooden pallets for workawayers.
Patch bottom of pool with fibreglass repair kit and repaint bottom of swimming pool (to get ready for summer for workawayers to swim in!)
Use scrap wood to create simple furniture - tables/chairs etc for around the land.
Create outdoor shower area.
Create outdoor composting/dry toilet solution.
Restoration/support of roof support beams for outdoor pool shed.
Create outdoor kitchen/dining space in pool shed space.
Install locks on windows.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE TASKS:
Clear out woodshed and reorganise.
Cut old scrap wood into useable lengths for fireplace.
PLUMBING TASKS:
Run/repair extra water/irrigration lines into vegetable garden once complete.
Plumb outdoor shower area once built.
SEWING TASKS:
Trim and hem/sew curtains to appropriate length for windows.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
Janaka is Fluent in English and has basic Italian and French Giulia is Fluent in Italian and English and has basic to intermediate French.
Accommodation
There are several options available:
We have a private bedroom on the second level of the house with a queen bed inside.
We also have an additional self contained apartment attached to the side of the house with a bedroom, living room, dining room and bathroom - this would only be available to those with specific construction experience.
Once the camper van's have been completed, these will also be available for long term workaway stays.
Additionally, there is 6 acres of land, and we have multiple tents available should you wish to stay outside if our available bedrooms are already taken by other workawayers.
We are a vegan/vegetarian household, so we would ask that if you are staying in the main house, no meat is permitted. If you are staying in the apartment, or cooking outside, then you can eat meat.
Meals are not provided at this stage, but once the vegetable garden is up and running everyone is welcome to eat what is grown on the land too.
What else ...
Nearest beach is 10 minutes drive. Public transport is a 10 minute walk (bus route) that will take you into Lagos in 15 minutes. Nearest town is Odiaxere (5 minute drive / 30 minute walk - which has supermarket/banks/pharmacies/bars/restaurants/etc).
We love slow living and paying attention to nature and the seasons and adapting to it.
We enjoy the occasional good bottle of red/white wine.
We are non smokers and request that if you are a smoker that this must only be done outside.
No drug use on the property.
We are looking for people interested in contributing to the building of a sustainable land.
The Algarve region is extremely beautiful with lots to see and no end of stunning beaches. We swim even now in the. middle of December on sunny days.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have six acres of land with access to park camper vans. We can offer electricity and fresh water to the field where you will park your van. No outside toilet facility is provided so you would need to manage your own waste responsibly.
Can possibly accept pets
Possible that another dog is welcome, but the personality must ensure that they will get along with our own dogs (very friendly).
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
3 hours a day, 5 days a week
