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9 Oct 2024
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Description
Bonjour! We are Eyal and Tia, with our cats Caramelle and Magic, and dog Louvabelle. Our home on a forested hill above farmland offers ever-changing views of the Pyrenees. The bright, double-volume living room opens onto a terrace, pool, and garden.
In our free time, we host Shakespeare and poetry readings, and creative workshops for personal growth. These earn no income, so we need your creative, DIY, housework and gardening help to create a comfortable and stimulating environment to pursue this dream.
We work hard but enjoy relaxing with yoga, walking, cycling, swimming, sightseeing, events like the Marciac Jazz and Madiran Wine Festivals, and skiing in the Pyrenees. Restaurants, markets, wine farms, galleries, museums and horse riding are nearby. Within 1 to 2 hrs by car are climbing, skiing, river rafting, spas, caves, and beaches.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
CULTURAL, LANGUAGE AND SKILLS OPPORTUNITIES
- Local events include music, dance, food and wine festivals, and flea and farmers' markets.
- Experience wine tasting at several vineyards in the Madiran wine region.
- There are classic car rallies, art and photographic exhibitions, walks, seminars, etc.
- We want to learn which music you like and are happy to share our favourites.
- Play drums, keyboard, recorder or guitar in our music room.
- Learn computer, internet, and programming skills from us, and share your knowledge.
- Books and films include comedy, classics, drama, sci-fi, thrillers, philosophy, self-help, etc.
- Play board games such as Scrabble, Catan, Backgammon, CashFlow, and cards with us.
- Learn to make lovely, healthy vegan and vegetarian meals, such as fresh hummus.
- Gain or enhance skills in painting, woodwork, and other DIY tasks through our projects.
- Practise yoga with us or attend classes with an excellent teacher nearby.
Help
SKILLS
You'll love being with us if you are creative, appreciate beauty, are physically active, and:
- Enjoy using and improving your DIY, building, stonemasonry, decorating, gardening, IT, or admin skills.
- Have cared for a home and are happy to clean bedrooms and bathrooms for family and non-paying guests.
- Value punctuality, can follow a schedule, and clean up after yourself (your room, bathroom, tools and equipment).
And we'll be your most appreciative pupils if you can also teach:
- Yoga, French, dancing, drumming, keyboard, recorder, guitar, singing, or art.
TIMING
- Volunteer arrival/departure day is Saturday (arrive p.m; leave a.m.).
- Preferred stay is 3 weeks; minimum is 2 weeks, including a 5-day trial.
- Hours: Approx. 5 hours per day 5 days per week, plus help with all meals you eat.
SCHEDULE
- We wake at 06:30 and do yoga at 07:15. Coffee/breakfast is at 08:00, followed by chores and projects at 09:00 and Lunch at 13:00. Unless we arrange an afternoon session, you are free until evening chores at 18:00. Dinner is at 19:00 and then we relax with music, board games, reading, movies, TV, etc.
- You can sometimes arrange to skip dinner and its chores to go out instead, or to do extra hours one day to free up another day, as long as the house is quiet (toilette, etc. finished) by 22:30, Sunday to Friday. Saturday eve may be late, as may Sunday morning! Sunday eve we retire early to rise fresh on Monday.
- On weekends, help is only with meals you eat. You can relax at home or spend a full day or the weekend exploring the mountains or a nearby city.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Hebrew: Fluent
Afrikaans: Intermediate
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
LANGUAGE PRACTICE - We share most meals with volunteers, with interesting wide-ranging conversations. - We speak English at home but are keen to improve our French. - Tia speaks English natively, some French, Afrikaans, and Hebrew. - Eyal speaks Hebrew natively, is fluent in English, and is learning French. - Tia has a BA in English and French, a BA Honours in Poetry, and an MA in Creative Writing. - We can teach English vocabulary, grammar and writing. - You can participate in our amateur Shakespeare and poetry readings. - Enjoy reading, writing and translating poetry from English to French or vice versa. - Enjoy sci-fi, classic and foreign films or series in English and French or with subtitles.
Accommodation
ROOMS
We prefer couples or friends who can share a bedroom and bathroom. Our room and two guest rooms each have a private bathroom and there is also a separate WC. A garden cabin can hold up to four people, who use bathrooms in the main house. You might change beds depending on guest configuration.
FOOD
Our meals are tasty, healthy, and filling, mainly vegan or vegetarian with organic, low-gluten, low-sugar options when possible. We enjoy salads, fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, and grains, with some dairy, fish, seafood, poultry, meat, and regional desserts, cheese, and wine. We adapt for genuine allergies but not for picky eaters.
We practise intermittent fasting, eating only lunch and dinner, but breakfast is available if that makes you happier. :)
FACILITIES
- 12m x 6m outdoor swimming pool (open May to November).
- Laundry on Monday, ironing and packing away by Wednesday.
- Musical instruments include a keyboard, recorders, electronic drum set, Cajon, etc.
- Many walks and cycle rides are possible; you can borrow our bicycles at your own risk.
- The Chemin de St Jaques—the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela—passes nearby.
IMPORTANT NOTES
- The property is unsuitable for children (unfenced pool, rough terrain).
- No smoking anywhere on the property (non-negotiable).
What else ...
TRAVEL INFO
- Our house is 2.5km from Maubourguet centre (car 7min, cycle 12min, walk 30min).
- There is no public transport between our house and Maubourguet.
- We have extra bicycles and secure parking for your bicycles.
- You can rent cars from airports or local rental agencies, and we have parking spaces.
- Car time to airports (mins): Lourdes 36, Pau 52, Biarritz 110, Toulouse 118, Bordeaux 122.
- Shuttles run from Lourdes Airport to Lourdes & Tarbes: tlp.aeroport.fr/page/navettes-bus.
- Trains run from other airport towns to Tarbes Station, then buses to Maubourguet.
- On Saturdays, we can help with lifts to and from Tarbes Station or Maubourguet.
- Compare ways of getting here and click through to providers: rome2rio.com
- Compare train and bus routes and book tickets: trainline.com
- Local bus timetable: mestrajets.lio.laregion.fr/horaires
- Get travel insurance before you join us. See workaway.info/links-insurance.html
COVID-19
You agree to:
- Show us proof that you are fully vaccinated against Covid.
- Be willing to wear a mask whenever we wear masks.
- Heed pandemic conventions: social distancing, hand hygiene and, if necessary, quarantine.
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 fibre connection.
Space for parking camper vans
Our driveway can hold a small van without blocking the garage or the carport.
Can possibly accept pets
We love animals, but compatibility with our pets is essential. Our property borders are porous, so we cannot guarantee your pets' safety. Pets must not eat human food or beg in the kitchen or dining room.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Approximately 5 hours a day 5 days a week
Feedback (36)
I was so glad that I share those two weeks with another volunteer! We had a lot of fun together and we made a good work… read more
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(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
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I was so glad that I share those two weeks with another volunteer! We had a lot of fun together and we made a good work… read more
We had enriching conversations and they made me feel very welcomed.… read more
Allison… read more
And her lemon meringue pie is to die for! No, really, you might as well… read more
We enjoyed conversations with them at meal times, including sharing our different musical tastes. We learned about some Dutch musicians that we hadn't heard of before and enjoyed watching them on YouTube together.
Teun and Tamara are both creative, practical and… read more
I learned plenty of "life hacks" from Tia and also her advises to visit… read more
They are very friendly, open-minded and intelligent. And I've really learned a lot from them (not only in terms of housekeeping, but in general, their worldview). I felt like I was… read more
Evan came to us as a last-minute Workawayer, so we could not plan to use his best skills of writing and music, but he did some good work in our garden, shaping hedges, cleaning up flower beds of cannas and irises, and weeding the vegetable patch. He loves cooking, so was happy to lend a hand in the kitchen and even to take full responsibility… read more
La conversation intelligente, et une excellente cuisine. C'est un bon endroit pour rester! Eyal et Tia sont… read more
They are not only highly experienced in restoration and renovation; they are also great cooks who enjoy taking time over meals and can transform simple ingredients into tasty, beautifully presented dishes. They were also good-humoured, considerate guests who adapted to our lifestyle, making it… read more
We enjoyed interesting conversations about her life in Argentina and her experiences… read more
She was courteous and patient during a time that we were exceptionally busy with work, which we really appreciated.
We enjoyed interesting mealtime conversations with Ida Marie, and also had fun spending time with her away from the house, such as the day we went to the mountains, rushing ahead of the… read more
The first conclusion is that 2 weeks isn't enough.
They are such rewarding, inspiring and intelligent people.
They have a daily shedule from monday-friday and Tia helps you trough the first week. The following time you always knows what to do and then it feels like home. In your… read more
He attended to all his tasks with care and took pains to finish things well, which we deeply appreciated, but he also knew how to… read more
They are both very warm and open people who shared so much with me. I was happy to help them renovating some rooms and doing gardening work.
Tia made such healty and delicious food for us! And I loved joining them for yoga every morning. I had many opportunities to take a bike… read more
The work is well structured and easy to follow. If you have specific skills you will be given work to suit it. If… read more
She is a brilliant cook, putting creativity and love into her food. She enhanced our normal healthy meals, which are pretty tasty… read more
The location is beautiful, as is the house and Tia and Eyal, who were excellent company. We had some great conversations, good food, wind down dvd evenings. I was looked after very well (including treated to a lovely… read more
LOVE! Viola
Workwise, they were willing… read more
As guests, they were courteous, responsive and helpful. They happily ate unfamiliar foods, tried yoga for the first time and came… read more
Eyal and Tia have beautiful… read more
They were excellent company at mealtimes - both deep… read more
We so much enjoyed your company, as well as appreciating your skills in yoga and graphic design and the variety of other things you were able to do for us. Your calm demeanour and courteous, sensitive, willing approach made it easy to live with you. Your joy and creativity were… read more
