Unique stay in the steep mountains of Rjukan, Norway

Details

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  Description

  Hi future workaway's!
  
  We are a family of four, Jan-Tore (40), Monica (42), Alfred (4) and our cat, Salah (3). In January 2022 we moved from a busy life in Norway's capital, Oslo, to a small farm at Rjukan in Telemark.
  
  Jan-Tore is the family's somewhat introverted handyman. He is an academic with a master's degree in history, and he currently works at the Rjukan library. He loves gaming, carpentry projects on the farm, and his future wife's cooking.
  
  Monica is the extrovert of the family. Currently works in a kindergarten in Rjukan. Loves to chat and meet new people. But manages to moderate herself, otherwise Jan-Tore would have run away long ago ;) Loves to cook, tend the vegetable garden, talk to the animals and pamper guests.
  
  Alfred is 4 years old and very determined. He loves reading children's books, going to the swimming pool and eating rice porridge. If you want to play with him, you have a friend for life :)
  
  Salah is the forth member of our small family. He is his own boss as cats often are. But he really likes to cuddle on his own terms. Loves to catch mice, sleep in our bed and get cuddled by cat-loving guests .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
  
  We value the idea of ​​leaving as little of a footprint on Mother Earth as possible. That doesn't mean we don't value modern life, but we try as much as possible not to buy more than we need, reuse as much as possible, and buy second hand where appropriate.
  
  On the farm we have two houses were we offer accommodation. We also have goats (not milk goats) that graze on infield pastures, and Icelandic chickens grazing outdoors around the farm. In early march we are expecting between 4 to 6 goat kiddings :) They are the cutest animals when they are frolicking, bouncing, and playing around in the barn :-D. We usually let them out to the pasture in April, when they are big enough.
  
  We also grow vegetables for our own use. We try our best to use the principles of regenerative agriculture. As of now, we have a small greenhouse, some large homemade pallet collars, and a field where we grow vegetables outdoors. Our farm is located at 450 meters above sea level, so it can be challenging to grow some vegetables, but we are still in a learning process.
  
  We absolutely love to live at our farm. We are surrounded by nature, mountains and animal life. The seasonal changes are dramatic, and sometimes challenging. Life as a small farmer doesn't make you rich, but the constant challenges make life so much more interesting and rewarding.
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  Rjukan is a small city with 3000 inhabitants. The city has the status of an UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique industrial history. The Norwegian industrial workers Museum is a really interesting museum where you can learn a lot about the history of Rjukan. A must see! If you are into hiking, and you should ,Tinn municipality and the surrounding areas offer world-class hiking and outdoor recreation areas. Including Norway's largest national park, Hardangervidda, and one of Norway's most popular mountain hikes, Gaustadtoppen. The center of Rjukan is only a 6-minute drive away, or a 50-minute walk. Here you will find, among other things, grocery stores, a cinema, restaurants, café, Coffee shop (that sells coffee roasted at Rjukan) and a fantastic swimming pool.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Movies & TV

  

  Farming

  

  Music

  

  Plant care

  

  History

  

  Books

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Animals

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Mountain

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  If you are interested in outdoor activities and nature, this is the perfect place for you. Spring is a wonderful time here in Rjukan and in Tinn municipality. If the weather in May is good, we often go camping at the weekends, or on day trips around the surrounding area. If you are interested, you can join us on a trip, or we can make recommendations about where you should go.
  
  We are very social and enjoy being with friends. Since we have a 4 year old, we often invite friends over for dinner or board game night. You are welcome to join us if you wish. We are also committed to protecting our privacy as a family, and we will of course take into account your need for alone time.
  
  Because it's busy during the springtime, we will be out working on the farm in the afternoons and in the evenings after our son has gone to bed. If you wan't to join us in what we are doing, you are very welcome :)
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  This is only our third year living on the farm. We have of course learned a lot about running a small farm in recent years, but none of us have any agronomic education or previous experience. We learn a lot from others who do the same thing, reading about relevant topics in books and on the internet. But much of what we do is simply learning by doing.
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  We hope that our future workawayer have some knowledge or previous experiences that we can benefit from. We don't expect you to know everything about regenerative agriculture or goats. The most important part is that you are interested in what we are doing, curious, positive and open-minded. Even though it's only three weeks, we wan't to get to know you, and I hope you will be interested in knowing us to. We hope you wan't to share things about your culture and from the place your from. We will do our best to give you a meaningful experience which you can look back on with fond memories.

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  Help

  We can accommodate two people, friends or a couple, for a three-week period (21 days) between May 5 and June 8.
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  Here are examples of tasks we need help with:
  
  - Preparing the vegetable garden for a new season. That is, soil improvement, fertilization, aerating the soil, weeding existing fields, helping to expand the field, picking stones, etc.
  
  - Taking care of pre-cultivated vegetables. Watering, fertilizing and general care. Sowing vegetables and flowers if the temperature is high enough.
  
  - Participate in the daily care of our animals. Supervising goats on the infield pasture. Feeding chickens, collecting eggs, removing chicken manure. And last but not least, talking and cuddling with the goats. Chickens don't like cuddling ;-D
  
  - Painting tasks. Painting parts of the house and some windows if the weather is stable. I love painting, so I would also like to participate if possible.
  
  - Do you have an artistic side and love aesthetics? Maybe you have some good ideas on how we can make the farm nicer and more attractive? We are open for ideas :)
  
  - If you enjoy cooking and preparing meals, I would really appreciate some help. However, this is not a requirement.
  
  If you have a special skill or something you really want to do, please let us know in your application!
  
  It is important to emphasize that you will not participate in any tasks regarding our rental business or farm café.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Norwegian: Fluent
  Danish: Intermediate
  Swedish: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  Our future workawayers will stay in a separate small house in the farmyard. The house is an old log brewery house, with a bedroom for two people, a kitchen with a stove and dishwasher, a small dining table for two, sofa and TV (with a cromecast), and a modern bathroom with a shower. There is also a hallway with the opportunity to put shoes and outerwear. We also have really great wifi. The house is approximately 35 square meters in size.
  
  The only thing that's missing is a washing machine and dryer, but you can of course wash your clothes at our house.
  
  We will provide you with linens and towels, so you don't need to bring that.
  
  We are flexitarians so we basically eat everything. We try to eat vegetarian and fish at least 2-3 times a week. We try to eat as little processed food as possible, and I (Monica) mostly cook homemade food. But of course, we also have days when we can't bring ourselves to cook anything but a frozen pizza. We're only human. It's ok if you are a vegetarian, but vegan can be a bit problematic if you wan't to eat dinner with us.
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  So this is how food will work:
  
  - We will provide you with money or take you shopping at the grocery store, so you can buy your own breakfast and lunch to prepare in your own house.
  
  - We will make dinner together some days a week at our house, but some days when we have a lot of plans in the afternoon and evenings, you will have to make your own dinner. The days you prepare and eat dinner at your own house, we will make sure that you will have everything you need.
  
  - We also have a fire pit that can be used as a grill. So there are good opportunities for a barbecue ;)

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  What else ...

  Her are some suggestions for what you can do with your time off:
  
  Afternoons on weekdays:
  - Stay in your house and do whatever you like
  - Hang out with the animals at the farm
  - Go on a discovery tour in the surrounding forests
  - Take a jog on the forest path above our house
  - Take a nice long walk down to the centre of Rjukan (50 min walk). Maybe we can pick you up on our way home from work?
  - Visit the local library. They have a large collection of books in English
  - Go to the local cinema. We don't dub films or series in Norway, so the films are always in the original language but with Norwegian subtitles.
  - Go for a swim or sauna at Rjukanbadet (swimmingpool). They also have an outdoor pool , two jacuzzis and a gym
  - Join us for a sauna and evening swim in Tinnsjøen (A lake 30 min by car from the farm). The water is pretty cold in May, but the sauna is hot :)
  - Do you enjoy to sleep under the stars? We have hammocks you can borrow and a lot of trees to put them on :)
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  Things to do in the weekends:
  We may require you to work on a Saturday or Sunday in connection with fencing of inland pastures. In that case, you will of course be given another day off when you wish.
  
  - Go on a hike to Gaustatoppen (a must do)
  - Visit the Workers Industrial museum at Vemork to understand the unique history of Rjukan (a must do)
  - Join us on a camping trip or day trip in the area
  - Explore the unique nature and hiking opportunities in the area. We can give you tips, lend you equipment and give you a ride if possible
  - Fishing enthusiast? There are many small fishing lakes on the Hardangervidda plateau where you can catch trout
  - Visit the local Coffee shop "Brenn & Brygg" by the town square on Saturdays. Their single origin coffee beans are roasted locally. The place turns into a small wine bar in the evenings
  - Have lunch at "Lega" in Rauland. This is a local creamery/small cheese factory that makes really good cheese. They also sell a lot of local food from around the area.
  ... there is a lot more things to do in the area, but it all depends on your interests of course.
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  TRANSPORTATION
  - We have one electric car. We need to find out if our insurance makes it possible to lend our car to someone with a foreign driver's license. And of course we need to get to know you a bit before we lend you our precious car ;) We will be happy to help drive you to places and pick you up if we have the opportunity. But it is an advantage if this is agreed in advance.
  - We also have an electric bike. Its an advantage with an electric bike because the slopes from the center of Rjukan up to the farm are very steep. And of course we need to get to know you a bit before we lend you our precious bike ;)
  - There are also buses to Rjukan and the nearest villages, but they don't go very often. Maybe 2-3 times a day.
  - There are also free buses that go up to the area were the hike to Gaustadtoppen starts.
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  HOUSERULES
  - We don't accept smoking, drug abuse, partying or playing really loud music in your house.
  
  - During your stay we expect you to keep the Brewery House clean and tidy, do the dishes in your own house, sorting waste, wash your clothes, linens and towels when needed. We simply ask you to be an adult ;)
  
  If you fail to follow the rules above, we will give you another chance. If you fail again, we will ask you to leave.
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  If you've read all the way down here, it would be an advantage if you write that Gaustadtoppen is Norway's most popular mountain hike in your application ;)

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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

  There is a small desk in the bedroom where it is possible to sit and work.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have large parking space and outdoor electricity if needed.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We accept well-behaved dogs that do not bark. The dog must be kept on a leash as there is a leash requirement between April 1st and August 20th.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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