Yoga studio in rural village in Portugal

Portugal

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32
Last activity
29/09/2020
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Availability

2021

Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Description
Hello! beautiful people!

»»»»»»»»»»»»» No help needed until may next year «««««««««««««

I need some help with sanding and painting wooden windows as well for landscaping with stone. One or 2 people for one or 2 weeks. I am looking for people with experience and/or general handiness/creativity. Last 2 weeks of August!

I am a yoga teacher and a painter. Originally I am from the Netherlands, but five years ago I decided to adopt a lifestyle closer to nature. This is how I came to live in a small village on the portuguese countryside.
I have a house here plus a small piece of land (1200m2) and I intend to move towards a more self sufficient paradise when it comes to food. I have a nice orchard and grow my own vegetables. In future I want to go off grid, but as for now I am happy to be hooked up to the main grid.

The property is at the edge of the village and the woods -which are great for hiking- are a 5 min walk away. The river Mondego is close by and can be reached in a 30 minute walk down into the Mondego valley. Back up might take a bit longer though, especially in the soaring heat of summer.

The village itself has a cafe annex shop and has a friendly and welcoming population. It is a beautiful walk to a next village, where there is also a small art gallery with different exhibitions during summer. Yet another neighbouring village has a lovely typically local portuguese restaurant with very decent prices and a bit further there are also 2 pastelerias with free WIFI. .

So far I have realised the basic things that make it possible for me to live here, a functional bathroom and kitchen.
This year I want to concentrate on renovating both the yoga studio and painting studio.

I am looking for experienced do it yourselfers, specifically in the field of stonemasonary and/or carpentery.
There is a permaculture design for the garden and orchard and there are always small gardening chores as well.

I am WIFI sensitive and turn the WIFI on for one hour a day only. If you want to spend more time online, there is a WIFI connection in a next village (15 min on a bicycle).
There is no public transportation that connects the village to the rest of the world, but I have 2 bicycles that can be used freely and in the weekend I can take you by car to Nelas where you can catch a train to go to f.i. Coimbra or the seaside.

I am out of the rat race and into arts, spirituality and easy living.
I practice yoga and meditation.
I cook vegetarian and take care of breakfast and lunch (main meal of the day). In the evening you can cook for yourself (I provide the shoppings of course).
Work is 4 hours in the morning. We start early because of the heat. Afternoons and evenings we are free.
I do not smoke and do not drink alcohol.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Language practice
Art Projects
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
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What's this?
Help
Native portuguese speakers that are willing to teach me (as part of the exchange) are very welcome. I am happy to teach you Dutch and my english is quite decent so I could also help you there.

Different projects are waiting to be done and I every project that gets done is an immediate improvement and I am happy with them.
I am looking for experienced people, either carpenters or stonemasons or all round DIY-men/women.

Carpentry and stonework. I can host you for 2 weeks (extension sometimes possible). Please mail only if you have some experience in DIY.

I have space for short term volunteers up to 2 weeks (a longer stay however is always open for discussion after the 2 weeks).

I offer vegetarian meals, as much home grown as possible, as well as a daily program (before breakfast) of yoga and meditation for those who want to participate. I have regular bhajan singing evenings at my place to which you are very welcome. I anyway love singing and dancing and play a bit of guitar.
I am currently not painting as my painting-studio-to-be is still storage space and my attention is mainly focused on renovating the rest of the house.
I expect my visitors not to smoke nor drink alcohol for the duration of their stay with me.

Volunteering hours expected: 4 hours, 5 days a week.

If you would like to help me out please send me an email with your motivation and do not hesitate to ask me anything that you would like to know.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
French: Beginner
Portuguese: Beginner
Accommodation
I have a caravan for volunteers with a good matrass and down duvets.
Shared bathroom, kitchen and dining area.
Circumstances are relatively primitive but are getting better every day.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
4 hours, 5 days a week

Photos

Bhajan singing

Guesthouse

Lake in the Serra da Estrela mountains

Backside of the house

My 2 cats, Ginger and Wodan.

Show all photos

Lunchtime

Mondego River, 30 - 40 walking minutes from where I live

The house when I first bought it

The area is famous for its dolmen as well as remants from roman times.

Immediate surroundings

View over the village from the house

River Alfa

Feedback left by and about host (32)

07/11/2019

Left by Workawayer (Dawn) for host

I stayed with Joline for about a week in May this year and it was brilliant. She lives in a little Portuguese village in the country and I stayed in the cosy caravan in her garden whilst I was with her. Waking up to fresh air, orange trees, and chirping birds, and going to sleep under a clear night sky with the occasional sounds floating up to me… read more

(Excellent )

31/05/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Dawn)

Dawn was here for one week. It was a great pleasure! She is a very centered, calm, happy and hardworking woman. She is one of those persons that is naturally handy en curious to step into the-not-yet-known. Apart from excellent work in the garden the best thing to me was is that she turned out to be a great unclutterer and re-organiser of the… read more

(Excellent )

03/02/2019

Left by Workawayer (Jacek) for host

I am writing this opinion with a long delay. Probably
because to fully appreciate the meeting with Joline. It was
not just a "workeway" for me, it was a meeting
full of everything. If you open to receive Joline, he will
give you a friend. Working with her is a pleasure. Clear
messages, she knows what she wants so there is no
misunderstanding. If… read more

(Excellent )

18/06/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Jacek)

There are no words that can capture the amazing Jacek, yet I will give it a go...

It was a wonderfull transforming experience to have Jacek around, both on a personal level as well for the project that he worked on. He is a very skillfull self motivated man that loves working with his hands. Waterproofing the house at the fundaments and at the… read more

(Excellent )

19/09/2017

Left by Workawayer (Katja) for host

I had a great time with Joline, there is so much to talk about with her and learn from her. She treated me like a friend, took me out and let me join when she met her friends, which made me feel very welcome.
The house is warm and sweet, so is the caravan she is providing for the volunteers. I miss the place already :-)

(Excellent )

18/09/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Katja)

Such a pleasure to have Katja around! Wonderful person, creative, active, handy, talented, fun and flexible. Cinco estrelas! Thank you so much Katja for your creativity and presence. Hope to see see you again one day in future. For now; fare well!

(Excellent )

13/07/2017

Left by Workawayer (Maximilian) for host

it was my first workaway experience and i couldn't imagine it better. joline treated me very nice, always helping me if i needed something and supporting wherever i wanted to go. i had the opportunity to increase my knowledge not just about gardening and carpentry, also in life, yoga, culture and alternative ways of living. the almost… read more

(Excellent )

12/07/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Maximilian)

Max is a supernice guy. I enjoyed his friendly and lively presence as well as our conversations and the yoga-sport stretching swap we did. As for the help, we demolished an attic and build a new one. Great work and lovely result. Max also did some great garden landscaping. Thank you Max, for the work and your inspirational presence. I hope you… read more

(Excellent )

13/09/2016

Left by Workawayer (Bob & Anne) for host

Our stay with Joline was great. She is a very friendly inviting woman who made us feel at home very fast. We talked a lot about natural healing and spirituality. Always nice and open conversations.

The work was great. We fixed her floor, made window frames and some other little chores around the house. We liked that she trusted us to do the… read more

(Excellent )

12/09/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Bob & Anne)

I had a great time with Bob & Anne. They are lovely, sincere and openminded people as well as fun to be around. I felt comfortable with them from day one.
In terms of helping out: I had a wooden floor that needed leveling, so they removed it, leveled the underlying beams and replaced the boards. They also made me 2 wooden windowframes and put… read more

(Excellent )

30/07/2016

Left by Workawayer (Abigail & Lucas) for host

Anyone asking me about Joline and her Workaway would get my absolute recommendation. She is a thoughtful host when it comes to the work itself, giving you the freedom to choose among various tasks and we only worked in the mornings because of the big heat in July.

She has so much to share in knowledge and wisdom, plus she is generous with the… read more

(Excellent )

29/07/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Abigail & Lucas)

I had a good time with Abigail and Lucas whom stayed with me for 2 weeks. We got lots of things done. My garden looks great again and my studio has been cleared out and reorganised. They have done, weeding, mulching, seeding, replanting, redesigning and rebuilding some of the vegatable beds etc. all those things that come with a maintaining a… read more

(Excellent )

17/07/2016

Left by Workawayer (Anitt) for host

wow, it was a wonderful time at the magical place! I still come back there in my mind time to time :). I found the place calming and inspiring where you realize how little you need to be happy, to appreciate the life.
I slept in a huge comfortable tent in the garden which made the stay special. Waking up with the birds and a fog over the village… read more

(Excellent )

15/06/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Anitt)

Anitta stayed with me for some 9 days and it has been a real pleasure. She has a real nice presence and I felt very comfortable with her from day one. Apart from that she is independent, hardworking, has an eye for what needs to be done and is a very skilled and quick learner. We got along fine and had some nice talks on many diverse subjects.… read more

(Excellent )

20/05/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Franziska)

(No show)

11/09/2015

Left by Workawayer (Angela) for host

It was my first workaway experience and everything here was just wonderful! I had such a fulfilling time with Joline and we connected very well, as we are both into meditation and chanting. She is a beautiful human being, full of love and knowledge and she really inspired me on my path. The morning meditation and yoga sessions are a great start in… read more

(Excellent )

01/09/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Angela)

I had a lovely time with Angela. We happen to both have a passion for bhajan singing and with 2 guitars the weekly satsang really rocked! Thanks Angela for your wise and peaceful presence. Thank you also of course for all the work, there was no need to explain anything, you just went about your bussiness getting things done skillfully, with a… read more

(Excellent )

05/08/2015

Left by Workawayer (Ailsa) for host

The two weeks I spent at Joline's were some of the most peaceful times I have ever experienced. It is a magical place which I would strongly recommend to any workawayer who would like to experience a slower place of life and time for reflection. We ate well, practiced Yoga and meditation in the morning, and discussed everything from Ayurveda to… read more

(Excellent )

04/08/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Ailsa)

It has been such a pleasure having Ailsa around! She is a very joyfull, enthousiastic, openminded and creative human being. We got a lot of jobs done and had a good time doing them. She loves to cook as well! To any future hosts: do not hesitate to say yes if Ailsa writes you, it will be your gain. Dear Ailsa, I hope to hear from you now and then… read more

(Excellent )

04/08/2015

Left by Workawayer (Mikey) for host

I spent a total of 2 weeks with Joline, and I’m nothing but thankful for an incredibly formative experience. Joline has a beautiful place with a wholesome garden, with fruit and veg that regularly make their way straight onto the table. My work was largely focused in her outdoor space, mainly landscaping but helping a little with the gardening… read more

(Excellent )

04/08/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Mikey)

Mikey was for 2 weeks at my place. He is an incredibly nice person with a great willingness to work. We had a good time together and got a lot of work done as well. I asked him to cook only once, but should have done that more often as it was my favorite - middle eastern food. Dear Mikey, I greatly appreciate your positivity, your integrity, your… read more

(Excellent )

04/09/2014

Left by Workawayer (trud & Trym Reitan ) for host

We would like to thank Joline for this very special experience. She is a strong woman with such power and knowledge that its hard not to be influnced by her. Thank you Joline for sharing this with us. We learned a lot and Joline is also a great yoga and meditation teacher. We will try and use the breathing tecnique she showed us on av regular… read more

(Very good )

01/09/2014

Left by host for Workawayer (trud & Trym Reitan )

It was a real pleasure having Trud and Trym around. I loved the atmosphere of easy and open friendliness that they brought.
I had some missions to accomplish elsewhere and it was always a surprise to come back home and see what they had done in the garden and around the house. Thank you for all the weeding and landscaping, the new woodshed and… read more

(Excellent )

11/08/2014

Left by host for Workawayer (Émilie)

We agreed on a 4 days stay, which I was kind of curious about because it is ultra short. It turned out to be just fine. I went about my bussiness while Emilie worked steadily and independantly in the garden, doing a lot of weeding!
I am really happy with it, it looks spacious again and there also was time to plant a new crop. Thank you Emilie,… read more

(Excellent )

12/07/2014

Left by Workawayer (Clive) for host

I spent 5 weeks at Joline's. Joline's place is incredibly peaceful, the garden is amazing, the old stone house is super cool and really inspiring for a creative person and Joline is a kind and encouraging person. She left me to do my work and only called when it was coffee time or after she had prepared some delicious food from her organic garden.… read more

(Excellent )

10/07/2014

Left by host for Workawayer (Clive)

Clive volunteered for 5 weeks at my place and I enjoyed his stay. He is a warmhearted, happy human being with a quiet presence. Clive did woodwork for me, he made a beautiful cabinet for under the sink from an old wooden floor, a rack for firewood and a solar dehydrater. I had been wanting yhe dehydrator for years and now it is there! Plums are… read more

(Excellent )

26/05/2014

Left by host for Workawayer (Paul)

Paul is a nice, hardworking, quiet person. He has lots of artistic ideas and skills as well as the capacity to manifest them. It was good having him here. He worked on mosaics in the bathroom, expanding my vision of what they should look like as well as giving me practical tips on how to work with mosaics. He also started creating a patio and… read more

(Excellent )

15/08/2013

Left by Workawayer (Alba Alejandra) for host

Joline house it's an special and magical place witch fits perfectly with her personality. She is full of knowledge and inspiring stories. I really love the work (very creative and free) and all the places that she show me around. Maybe I'll came back for pick the olives!

(Excellent )

05/08/2013

Left by host for Workawayer (Alba Alejandra)

It was a real pleasure having Alba at my place. She is a hard and conscientious working volunteer full of creative ideas. Thank you Alba for your work, your nice presence, your tastefull tortillas and the beautiful mosaic lizzard. Bom caminho!

(Excellent )

16/06/2013

Left by host for Workawayer (Myriam)

It was great having Myriam around for a couple of weeks.
She took care of the garden and has done a lovely job at that.
The garden has been revived by weeding and replanting of the overgrowm vegetable patches.
On top of that it has been enhanced by her creativeness that resulted in some cool artistic spots throughout the garden.
I love it, the… read more

(Excellent )

04/08/2012

Left by host for Workawayer (Val )

Val worked at my place for 2 weeks. She is a nice, talkative lady. A good worker who also helped outside the normal hours with the household shores as cooking and cleaning. Kitchen and bathroom were always spotlessly clean without me asking for it.
Thanks Val!

(Very good )

02/08/2012

Left by Workawayer (Val ) for host

I spent 2 weeks in this quaint little village with Joline. She was a wonderful host, the work was not too taxing ( although the weather was very hot ) and she stuck to the 5 hr rule, with a morning tea break at the village coffee shop. She prepared some very healthy meals inspiring me to improve my eating habits.....! And , fresh orange… read more

(Excellent )

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