Portugal
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I'd be glad of some good help on the land and buildings here where l'm reclaiming olive terraces, vegetable gardens, orchards, riverside forest garden......and restoring original stone buildings
Working with this land not tended for 25 years, I feel the freedom and joy of a child, playing in the garden. Here is where l can express my deep love and gratitude to our Mother Earhth. Come and share the pleasure.
For you there's the opportunity to learn lots about sustainable living thru the experience of being here helping me.
I am a painter, dancer, singer, wild food forager..., and here is perfect to share this, teaching, performing, exhibiting. So if you feel inspired to help prepare this place to function and shine, we need skillful, seriously helpful, kind, physically strong people who are happy to follow and carry out q. ln return you'll share this magic place and my passion and knowledge of living with the Earth,
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Animal care
Help with Computers / internet
The local villagers are warm hearted welcoming folk and my friends, so you can meet them and enjoy and learn from their agricultural, cultural, language roots, much of which they still live and honor. I love to practice languages, and you can learn from the land through work experience and from skills that I offer - earth care, sustainable living, growing food organically, wild food, preserving, clay render, natural paint.....
Projects I'm particularly grateful for skilled help with are
Felling burnt mostly olive trees, cutting, carrying, stacking for firewood
Carpentry for shelving etc
Dry stone retaining wall and river wall repair
Restoring small dry stone buildings
Clay pointing/rendering inside house walls
Protective fencing for fruit trees and vegetable garden
Also
Help in organic gardens
Harvesting and preserving
Carrying and stacking firewood
Clearing ground
english, french, portuguese, spanish
In your own room, in a simple little stone house, with water and solar electricity, bell tent, tipi or your own tent.
Sustainable flush toilets, solar hot water shower and washing facilities.
Tho monoculture eucalyptus and pine plantations, a quick cash crop, ugly and dangerous, dominate, there remain many wonderful sights and the valleys and rivers hold their lush beauty and tranquility. Enjoy old stone walkways link rivers, waterfalls, villages... walking from here, and in just 10 minutes, the village of Benfeita with very friendly local people, a little shop, post office and cafe. Spring thru autumn the outdoor cafe is open in the square and a river beach for bathing. There are other interesting friendly folk living similarly in the area forming a spontaneous mostly off grid creative community of artists, craftspeople, healers, different therapists, people skilled and learning many aspects of sustainable living, a Transition group, out of school group, local market, musical events.....an awesome bunch of brave strong pioneers! We've just qualified as an 'Eco Fregesia', eco local region.
Food here is vegetarian, mostly organic, home grown, local, wild and simply delicious.
Please only bring organic washing, hair, teeth and skin products as it all goes into the earth and river.
I ask you please not to smoke here. The mountain air is fresh and clean. Also if you have a dependence on drugs or alcohol let this be an opportunity not to consume them while you're here, rather let your engagement with nature be your natural healthy intoxicant.
Please bring suitable work clothes, boots and gloves
2 dear cats, 3 dear hens and 2 dear sheep also live here.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Two
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
