Learn about gardening while sharing ideas, knowledge and practical experience in Cologne, Germany

Details

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  Description

  Hey there!
  
  I live in a 270 year-old house with a barn, garden, well, two garden huts, a small meadow and some animals.
  
  The property covers about 1900 m² and is located at the edge of a small village, directly next to forests and fields — lots of space, peace and nature, but also many interesting corners and small projects.
  
  The location is rural and peaceful, but still reasonably well connected (bus stop 1 km away).
  
  Distances:
  
  • Neunkirchen-Seelscheid – 3 km
  • Siegburg – 15 km
  • Bonn – 25 km
  • Cologne – 35 km
  
  Perfect for hiking and mountain biking through gently rolling landscapes with light forests, little villages, wide meadows and small valleys with streams and ponds.
  
  You can also enjoy cultural excursions along the Rhine and in Cologne and Bonn:
  cathedrals, churches, museums, Rhine boat trips (for example to the Drachenfels, the Loreley or Remagen), concerts and clubbing in Cologne until the early morning.
  
  I am happy to take you out on one or two excursions depending on how long you stay and also help you plan activities. There are many beautiful places to explore in the area – together or independently.
  
  ⸻
  
  One important thing to mention: life here is fairly simple and rustic. The house is over 270 years old and definitely not a perfectly modernised place. Rooms are rather small, there is no central heating and some of the walls probably wouldn’t suffer from a new coat of paint 😉
  
  That said, guests and friends usually describe the atmosphere here as cosy, relaxed and pleasantly alternative. While the house is admittedly a little rough around the edges in places, people also often compliment its warm atmosphere, character and somewhat eclectic style 😉
  
  So if you are looking for luxury, this is probably not the right place. But if you enjoy old houses with character, simplicity, nature and a slightly alternative atmosphere, you will probably feel quite at home here.
  
  ⸻
  
  For the next weeks and months, I am mainly looking for friendly, reliable and reasonably practical people who would enjoy helping with a variety of projects around the house and property.
  
  At the moment, the main priority is renewing the fence posts around the little meadow (about 55 metres of PVC-coated welded wire mesh fencing and around 30 posts), so this would be particularly suitable for someone who enjoys physical outdoor work and doesn’t mind handling tools. 💪
  
  There are, however, also other tasks such as gardening, household help, sorting and organising the barn, and various small DIY and maintenance projects.
  
  After two very unfortunate injuries last year, I am mostly back on my feet again, but between a full-time teaching job, correcting papers, rehab sports and physiotherapy, there are currently slightly more projects around the property than energy and time available to tackle them all alone 😉
  
  Some projects are physically demanding, others are calmer and more creative, so there is usually a good balance, and not everybody is expected to do the same kind of work all the time.
  
  ⸻
  
  I am a teacher of French, English and German, and if you are interested I would be happy to offer one or two hours of German lessons per week.
  
  For many years I hosted language students and travellers who came to learn German with me. We often explored Cologne, Bonn and the Rhine region together. All of them left very positive feedbacks and many of them stayed in touch afterwards.
  
  ⸻
  
  I’m a humorous and curious person, with a bit of silliness and the occasional dose of sarcasm — and I’m not always able to keep it to myself. I enjoy a good laugh and usually manage to remain kind and positive, even though, given the current state of the world, that isn’t always easy.
  
  Spending a lot of time with young people probably helps me stay quite young in spirit – for better or worse 😉
  
  I value openness, mutual respect and tolerance, and I try to contribute to that in my everyday life.
  
  Being both German and French, I’ve often been told that I combine a German dry sense of humour, logic and Rhenish directness with a French zest for life, a love of good food and savoir-vivre.
  🌍🇪🇺🇩🇪🇫🇷🏳️‍🌈
  
  ⸻
  
  The household also includes a rather large older dog, Karl, who is very friendly, remarkably people-oriented and always happy about attention and company, so this place is probably best suited for people who enjoy being around dogs.
  
  Even my friends who normally consider themselves “cat people” make an exception for him, as he is genuinely sweet — emotionally somewhere between an affectionate old soul and an overexcited kindergarten child 😉 but also well behaved and easy to get along with.
  
  That said, the animals are generally not allowed upstairs into the guest area, so you will still have your own quiet space and retreat.
  
  ⸻
  
  You will probably fit right in here if you:
  
  • enjoy nature and/or would like to get to know Cologne, Bonn and the Rhine
  • appreciate friendly and honest communication
  • enjoy hands-on tasks
  • can tell one screw from another
  • have a practical mindset
  • are able to work independently
  
  ⸻
  
  Please write a short message telling me:
  • who you are
  • where you come from
  • why you would like to come
  • what time period would work for you
  • whether you would bring a pet
  • what kind of experience you are hoping for and what you enjoy doing
  
  I look forward to hearing from you! 😊

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Plant care

  

  Fitness

  

  Camping

  

  Beach

  

  Dancing

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Sustainability

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Pets

  

  Movies & TV

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Music

  

  Languages

  

  History

  

  Gardening

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  As a language teacher (French, English, and German) and former interpreter and translator, I enjoy cultural exchange with travellers. If you like, I can also support you with learning German or with English or French, depending on where you come from.
  
  Over the years, I have gained quite a bit of hands-on experience in practical work, including construction and eco-friendly building methods, woodworking, working with stone, and general DIY projects. I also spent some time working with a roofer, which gave me additional insight into construction work. And after a year in a tree nursery, I picked up some things about gardening as well.
  
  I am always happy to share ideas, knowledge, and practical experience.
  
  Architectural and creatively minded people are also very welcome, as the next few years will bring larger structural and ecological changes to the property. Ideas, perspectives, and thoughtful input are always appreciated.
  
  Due to two unfortunate injuries last year, I am still not quite back to full physical strength, but I can still accompany you to some beautiful places —
  Perhaps a boat trip to the Drachenfels, where Siegfried defeated the dragon, or to the Loreley, where Rhine boatmen were enchanted by the singing of the Loreley maiden?
  Or perhaps a trip into the city: Sitting on the Rheinboulevard, watching the Rhine flow past and looking across to Cologne Cathedral — from the “Schäl Sick”, the “wrong side” of the river, at least according to old Roman left-bank perspective. ;-)
  
  However, I can still be helpful when it comes to planning trips, exploring the region, or discovering lesser-known places nearby, and I am always happy to share recommendations and ideas.

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  Help

  About 4 - 5 hours per day, 5 days per week
  
  (or flexible by arrangement — it is also possible to combine workdays and have more free days if you prefer).
  
  At the moment, and for the next few weeks or months, I am looking for one, two or maybe three people who would like to help me with things like:
  
  • sorting and organising the barn
  • renewing the fence posts around the little meadow
  • gardening and general outdoor maintenance
  • mowing the lawn once or twice a month
  • weeding the yard (the price to pay for not using chemical products…)
  • household help and everyday tasks around the house
  
  The work is practical and varied, and not everybody is expected to do the same kind of tasks all the time. Just tell me a little about the kinds of things you enjoy doing, what you are reasonably comfortable with and what is perhaps less your thing — there is usually a good mix of projects around the house and property.
  
  If you enjoy hands-on tasks and can tell one screw from another, you will probably fit right in here.
  
  For those who would like to stay a bit longer and take on more projects, there is plenty more to do: painting the garden fence (self-made, eco-friendly paint), preparing the planting beds, building a large winch campfire tripod, small building tasks (like installing a window sill), preparing firewood or setting up the well pump.
  
  Let’s just say: it’s not exactly easy to get bored here. Projects have a habit of appearing the moment you keep your eyes open… 😉

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  I understand Italian fairly well, but I don’t really speak it. It is rather Italianised French with Italian endings (that are mostly wrong… 🙄😉) My approach: Learning a language is always a good thing!
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  Accommodation

  You will have your own room.
  
  Available options:
  
  • two rooms with a bed (one with a single bed (1,10 m x 1,90 m) and one with a double bed (1,60 m x 2,00 m))
  • the attic with a sofa bed and a space for two persons above the attic (a small loft with a roof light above the attic that can be used as an additional sleeping space, currently not organized)
  
  Kitchen and bathroom (with bathtub) are shared.
  
  Wi-Fi available (50 Mbit/s).
  
  Food and accommodation are provided.
  
  I provide the groceries. Cooking can be done together or individually, depending on mood and preference. You are welcome to participate, but nothing is obligatory :-)
  
  By the way, the local drinking water from the Wahnbach reservoir (Wahnbachtalsperre) is excellent.

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  What else ...

  Dogs or other pets are welcome as long as they are vaccinated, friendly and get along with my animals:
  my dog (male), a tomcat, a rooster and two chickens.
  Bringing a dog is generally possible. A female dog would be no problem, and a male dog could also work depending on his temperament, as I have a male dog at home.
  Bringing cats would unfortunately not work at the moment, as I have my daughter‘s cat here, which has a heart condition and additional cats could cause stress for him.
  The property is fully fenced so that your dog could run freely as long as it doesn’t hunt my cat or eat my chickens 😉

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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

  50,000 Internet Wi-Fi. – could be upgraded to 100,000.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Campervans could stand in the yard or in the driveway.

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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?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Ursula, Mathilda und Friedrich

  

  Gary (3 years)

  

  Karl (10 years)

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