Come help us ...and learn lots of useful life-skills on our beautiful olive farm and energy medicine centre near L'Ampolla, Spain

  • Favourited 479 times
  • Last activity: 28 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 1 month

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Nirvana in Catalunya! We are down-to-earth Scots living the dream....yay! Our beautiful ancient stone farmhouse is very private and nestled in 40 acres of centuries-old olive groves, but only 10 minutes by bicycle to our nearest village of Camarles near the beautiful Ebro Delta.

    Having run a busy restaurant-bar at Loch Ness we are now living a life-long dream of peace and quiet, on our off-grid farm and practising holistic healing, as well as rescuing abandoned animals. We have 4 dogs, 3 cats and 4 hens (so far). As well as speaking English (well Scottish!) we both speak French and Liz speaks Spanish. Liz is also a qualified Alternative therapist in numerous modalities.

    We have lived a very busy life running a busy restaurant-bar at Loch Ness, sailing the west coast of Scotland, taking our yacht through the French Canals - even seeing lions out of the port-holes! We have also lived in France and Portugal before Spain! We have lots of funny stories to share over our shared lunch. We enjoy working hard....and relaxing lots!

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Farm-life...Learn great life-skills such as how to trim or harvest olive trees, maintain a swimming pool as well as farm machinery and vegetable gardens, repair dry-stone walls, look after the house, our hens, some household chores (ie cleaning of communal areas and preparing some shared meals) and even learn cooking skills with a chef!

    Alternative therapies.....In your time off you can also learn how to increase your health and vitality with Eden Energy Medicine, Reiki, Homeopathy or Energy Psychology Counselling if you are interested. We are very open-minded so would be delighted if you have individual talents in other natural energy fields or interests that will add value to our lifestyle too!

    Local area interests....We are just over 10 minutes drive from the nearest beach at the lovely marina town of L'Ampolla and wind-surfing schools. There are nearby diving schools too. We are only 15 mins drive from the beautiful Ebro Delta with numerous guided tours (wildlife, flamingos, river cruises and rice-fields) or the larger town of Tortosa (all facilities and a beautiful ancient Roman centre). A train or bus journey to Barcelona or Valencia is around 12 euros off peak for the 2 hour journey.

    Languages.....Both native Scots we are of course fluent English speakers but between us we also speak Scots, French, Spanish and very very basic German and Catalan. We are happy if you speak any of the above and would like to brush up on your conversational English or indeed learn how to speak a little Spanish (ie more than just 'dos cervesas por favor'!)

  • Help

    Help

    Situated only 7 minutes drive from a small village and a further 5 minutes from beautiful L'Ampolla, we love living here running our organic no-chemicals off-grid olive farm. We have 4 dogs, 3 cats and 4 hens who will also want to welcome you as part of the team from the minute you arrive, although, don't worry, we discourage them from sharing your accommodation!

    If you're able to help on your own initiative and willing just to muck in from a list of chores then we'd love you to come and stay with us. We like to get the help out of the way so that we can all chill out especially now we know there's so much more to life than help!

    Of course it will be great if you already have any of the following skills but as long as you are helpful and willing we are happy to offer you great life-skills.
    DO YOU HAVE SOME OF THESE SKILLS? (IF NOT ARE YOU WILLING TO LEARN?)
    Trim and care for olive and carob and various fruit trees
    Harvest olives (see natural stone-ground olive oil being made).
    Maintain a swimming pool
    Use and maintain farm machinery
    Care for vegetable gardens
    Repair dry-stone walls
    Light construction or repair works
    Use a chainsaw
    Cut & stack firewood
    Cook and bake ( learn from an experienced vegan chef ! )

    Subject to availability we can also teach you how to increase your health and vitality with Eden Energy Medicine, Reiki or Homeopathy (from a qualified Classical Homeopath of over 20yrs) or even Energy Psychology. We are very open-minded so would be delighted if you have individuality talents in other fields or interests that will add value to our lifestyle too!

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Spanish: Intermediate
    French: Intermediate
    German: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    We'd love to be fluent in Catalan. I can offer Spanish, French and English conversation.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Adjacent to the main farmhouse we have a studio apartment with its own pellet-burning stove and a tv with a huge selection of DVDs. There is an adjacent indoor fully-fitted kitchen, WC and shower room. These may on occasion be shared with other volunteers who may stay in our yurt or in their own campervan.

    Our electricity is from Solar Panels so on cloudy days can mean we can't use the washing machine (for example) and our water from our well is limited annually so we encourage careful use of both. There is no charge of course.

    At mutually agreed times of the day we are happy for you to use our amazing swimming pool! You can also have great fun with our trampoline, table tennis, boules and the use of our bicycles to go into the nearby village.

    Breakfast of cereals, home-made bread, organic eggs, nuts and and fresh fruit (all subject to availability) is provided for you to help yourself from your own kitchen. A prepared lunch is our main meal of the day with a supper supplied for you to make yourself at night.

    Whilst you are welcome to stay over the weekend and your food is provided we don't prepare weekend lunches as these are our joint days off. The food supplied is now mainly vegetarian but we are happy to make and /or teach great vegan meal options. We do enjoy an occasional meal with meat so strict vegans please be aware.

    We now love peace and quiet and privacy after many years of running restaurant-bars but we enjoy the company of all ages and have been known to have the occasional impromptu party...to which of course you're invited '! ;) The music is great...honest! Bring your own instruments!

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are just over 10 minutes drive from the nearest beach at the lovely marina town of L'Ampolla with it's seafront shops, restaurant-bars, cafes, diving and wind-surfing.

    We are only 15 mins from the beautiful rice-growing fields of the Ebro Delta (amazing bird-life including flamingos & river cruises) or the larger town of Tortosa (all facilities and a beautiful ancient Roman centre) or the smaller town of Amposta. All available by local bus or train or bicycle or on a day-trip with us.... we occasionally need an 'airing!'

    We are situated halfway between Barcelona and Valencia, which are both a 2 hours journey by bus or train and the nearest main stop is at nearby L'Aldea or Tortosa if you are travelling from further inland. Renfe provide trains from Barcelona Sants to L'Aldea-Amposta-Tortosa and Hife provide an easy regular bus service to L'Aldea or Tortosa from Barcelona airport for around 12 euros off-peak.

    We love free- thinkers and tree-huggers! It is NOT necessary to be vaxxed.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    We have decent WiFi and Mobile phone connection from most (but not all) parts of the house.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    Our 8 metre campervan just fitted through the gate so anything smaller will be welcome. We offer you a safe enclosed space with your van sitting between our trees, a communal shared dining room and a separate shared lounge with pellet stove. Kitchen facilties, bbq area, a hot shower and proper toilet. We're looking for self sufficient capable men and / or women with initiative to share our land and help us grow food, harvest and care for our 700 olive trees and manage our pine forest for firewood. In exchange for a few hours work each day we'll provide fresh water and a shared 2 course vegetarian or vegan meal. We eat meat occasionally and have hens for eggs. Please note that open fires are not permitted and our electricity is solar powered so not available at night.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 792953416269

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