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Description
I have an old village house in central Portugal. It has a two terrace garden with olive trees apple tree and a massive fig tree . The house has a modern studio extension and three bathrooms . The old part of the house has two double bedrooms . The large cellar has the beginnings of a printworkshop . I am trying to improve it whilst continuing my work as an artist so I’m hard at work in both the house and garden.I’m in my 60s active and healthy . I have a rescue dog Charlie who is 13 and he’s super friendly and fun. My children are all grown up but often visit the eldest Enda is a musician and I have a daughter who is an artist another daughter is studying drama and two sons who are carpenters. We’ve had this place for 20 years and the whole family love the area and had great summers here as children . I’m trying to return the place to its former glory . I hope to offer artist in residencies in future. The thing I love most about my home is the views of the mountains and the starry nights , the birdsong is lovely , you can hear owls at night . It’s on the edge of a national park. The village is a little remote but comes alive in the summer and it has its own river beach so it’s great for swimming , there are waterfalls to swim in also as well as great walks .It’s a hiking area with several trails along the levadas .
Types of help and learning opportunities
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Beach
Fitness
Events & social
Sustainability
Pets
Culture
Photography
Plant care
Languages
Music
History
Gardening
Drawing & painting
Carpentry
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Animals
Architecture
Books
Art & design
Hiking
Water sports
Dancing
Mountain
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I’m Irish and I’m learning Portuguese my neighbours are Portuguese but there’s quite a few nationalities in this village . You’ll meet Dutch , German , French , Spanish , Norwegian and Danish speakers and quite a few English . I can share art skills , cooking skills and sewing skills . All crafts are valued here . I hosted volunteer workers in a remote area of Ireland when I ran an art centre and I always found it an enriching experience . I love meeting new people .
Help
I need help with the garden with basic weeding and maintenance and painting and decorating . It’s really hilly here so just carrying stuff up and down to the car would be a big help! There’s no vehicle access to the house as in this village it’s all cobbled alleyways and steps . Luckily I’m only 60m from the road where I park my car on the edge of the village . I need people who have experience cleaning, gardening and painting walls , and DIY would be a bonus . I’m also turning my lovely cool cellar into a print workshop so Id love help with organising that . Some of the time I’ll be working with you and some of the time I have to work on my work and you’d need to be able to work independently . But mostly I’m here so I can answer questions and offer guidance . I’m happy to share my skills and to exchange knowledge. . If I’m away for a couple of nights I hope you might be able to mind Charlie to walk and feed him but I’m not planning to be away much .
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Beginner
Portuguese: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
I’m trying to learn Portuguese and I can offer English lessons . I m a qualified TEFL teacher .
Accommodation
I offer a twin bedded room with a fan for two people travelling together or a double room for a couple . Bathrooms are separate but there are three. Regarding food I can cook or if you prefer you can cook . If you have barbecue skills I’d love to learn that! In Ireland we don’t get much opportunity to barbecue! . I’m interested in building a pizza oven if you have any experience in that .In the summer we eat outdoors as the nights are beautiful and there’s a lovely breeze on the veranda . For breakfasts you help yourself . Our main meal can be at lunchtime as it’s hot here in the middle of the day but I’m flexible . I’m mostly vegetarian but I’m easy going . I can also just do a big food shop once a week and you fix your own meals . I have a good well equipped kitchen . I provide all bedding and towels etc and there’s fibre broadband/ Wi-Fi at the house but it’s not super fast . I have a tv but it’s only got Portuguese Channels . I’m not techie at all so I’m sure it can do more than I use it for . I also have a few DVDs ( this makes me a dinosaur I know) .
What else ...
Time off there’s great mountain hiking here I’d really recommend the Mata Margaraca forest and nearby villages with swimming spots , river beaches , waterfalls . There’s a couple of buses a day to the nearest town Coja and the large town of Arganil is 30 minutes away. If you want to head off for the weekend the beach is an hour and a half away by car . Having your own transport is a great help here. I’m happy to drop you to Coja and occasionally to Arganil . I have a bike that can be borrowed but please be careful the roads are windy and locals drive too quickly sometimes . The village has various classes and events going on and a market the first Saturday of every month which is a real goody thing. There’s a very social bar in the esplanada and there will be festas and feast days over the summer and occasional live music .
House rules just respect the peace at night . People here still work the land even when elderly , it’s not a hobby it’s a way of life and they are / have to be , quite self sufficient so they go to bed early and get up early , weekdays they are in bed by 9 pm ! especially in the summer . It makes sense to follow this yourself or at least be super quiet after 9 pm . No smoking in the house and I’d prefer non smokers . Weekends are your own and you do what you like sunbathe walk read chill at the river beach , go travelling . Week days you can work your 5 hours in one block and have afternoons free or do three hours in the morning and two late afternoon. Do be prepared for heat, the sun is very hot here . You need hats, suncream, sunglasses and strong shoes for gardening/ trekking , gardening gloves also ( I have a few pairs) old clothes for painting in , I have some but you might need more or overalls.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
If you need to work online I have basic Wi-Fi here . There’s even faster internet at the esplanada in the village and people often work on their laptops there and there’s a cafe bar there too , it’s quiet enough . If you need to plug in at the esplanada they have a small charge for using their electricity I think . Coja has a great air conditioned library with free Wi-Fi that’s also very fast as does Arganil. We can make a plan at the beginning of your stay as to how to work around each others schedule . Communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings so please speak up if anything bothers you and I will do the same. I’m not looking to host big groups there will be two or three people at most here so groups aren’t suitable to apply . It’s hard work but hopefully satisfying to see the difference you can make . I really appreciate the help and the artists coming to do residencies will appreciate it as well. Ideally I prefer a mix of sexes and skills but please be prepared for physical work in the heat so you need to be fit and able , flexible and happy to work without constant guidance . I can give lifts once or twice a week to the local town and occasionally further afield or collect you from the bus in Arganil if you miss s connection or are too late for the local bus to the village . I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here and have a great time., you are very welcome.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Charlie
Charlie is a lively friendly rescued border collie cross, he's 13 years old but after a hard days sunbathing he likes to go on long mountain walks and he can really run fast when the mood takes him. He doesn't like water and barks at swimmers to warn them of the danger he thinks they are in. He's super easy going otherwise and a pleasure to be around.
Photos
