Learn about rural life and help all round on our quinta in Arcozelo das Maias, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  Hi there!
  
  We are Annemiek, Martijn and baby daughter Nelli, a family from the Netherlands that moved to Portugal two years ago to start a new, more quiet life in the countryside surrounded by nature. To pursue this dream we are renovating a beautiful old Quinta (Portugese farm) and have the plan to set up a huge vegetable garden for the future. The idea of the project is to create an ecological place where we can live as self sufficiently as possible and more in line with nature. We are into permaculture and want to apply the principles to our land in future projects.
  
  The Quinta used to be a farm with a lot of forrest and agricultural land surrounding it. It has an idillyc river that you can refresh yourself in on warm summer days and an old mill, which was used to grind the wheats back in the day. It has several old buildings on the property that had different purposes. One being a bakery and another being a primary school for instance. It's a beautiful green area with rivers, waterfalls, lots of hiking trails - one even starting on our land - and a long cycling path leading to the coast and to the city of Viseu. We are located close to the town of Oliveira de Frades and are 40 mins away from the beach and one hour from Porto.
  
  Currently the main focus is renovating the big old house and hopefully starting with our garden soon. We are now about halfway in the process of the house, and can live in it quite comfortably already. But of course, there is still much more to be done to the house and on the land!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  At the Quinta we can offer learning what it involves to renovate century old house, skills to build, how to take care of the land and how it is to live in the countryside of Portugal.
  
  We have a lot of things to do in and around the house, but we firmly believe that life should be about fun and feeling well. What we are seeking is not just a volunteer to help us with the work, but to have an exchange of experiences and good conversations. We highly value mutual respect and to take good care of each other, especially because we will live under the same roof together. This is why we also find it important that potential volunteers read our profile before contacting us.
  
  So, in order for us to know that you are serious and have read our profile, we thought it would be fun to write a little codeword down here. If you're interested in contacting us, please write in your message that you like Koala's :D
  
  Further, Martijn is a Dutch language teacher, so if you are interested in learning some Dutch he is perfectly happy to teach you some!

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We are looking for help regarding the renovation of the house and maintenance of the land.
  
  At the moment, these include for example:
  
  - Refurbishing wood and windows inside the house
  - Placing new ceilings and insulation
  - Replastering old walls
  - doing some stone masonry
  - Maintenance of the land, like taking care of the fruit trees and plants and clearing terrain.
  - Planting plants
  - Upgrading our swimming river
  - Updating the water system
  - Making a drainage system behind the house
  - Preparing wood for the winter
  - Helping us get some ideas for future projects!

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner
  French: Beginner
  Portuguese: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  In exchange for 5 hours of help per day, 5 days a week, we can offer three great daily meals and a spacious private bedroom on the top floor of our house with your own lounge area to chill and to retreat in. This space can host one person or a couple as it has a double bed. We will be living in the house together and will be using the same facilities.
  
  We both enjoy spending time in the kitchen and are happy to provide three comforting meals a day that we can enjoy together. So generally we will often cook the meals, but will sometimes also ask for a little of your help with this here and there as being part of the same household.

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  What else ...

  It's a beautiful green area with rivers, waterfalls, lots of hiking trails - one even starting on our land - and a long cycling path leading to the coast and to the city of Viseu. We often take hikes with our dog, which you are of course welcome to join us in! Also, Martijn loves surfing, so if you're into it as well, he's happy to take you with him.
  
  We are located close to the town of Oliveira de Frades and are a small 40 mins away from the beach and one hour from Porto.
  
  To get here by public transport you would have to take a bus from either Porto (Campanha bus station), Viseu or Aveiro to Oliveira de Frades, where we can pick you up!

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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

  We have working wifi.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a parking lot that is a bit further away from the house that can be used by campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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