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Host rating
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Description
Welcome! Come and join us in our totally off-grid home in a forgotten magical valley in Central Portugal. We are located in the Beira valley, with a river close by the old house we have been slowly renovating over the past few years. We live partly in yurts and need help with creating the best out of this special place. Experience in permaculture, natural building, off grid living useful but not essential. We are learning as we go.
We have 3 children (a teen, a tween and a big 3 year old!), a puppy and will soon have hens etc. Help with the children would be amazing. We are learning Portuguese. We enjoy making, creating, learning and plunging into the crystal clear river.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We will welcome you into our family and hope you enjoy your stay.
We make yurts and can show you some beautiful ancient techniques if this interests you, for example how to steam wood so you can bend it into shapes! We can also teach you green wood work skills, spoon carving, pole lathe tuition for example.
We can help you learn about off-grid living, we are constantly learning and appreciate new ideas and knowledge. Ben is an accomplished guitar player and could help you learn. You are welcome to practice yoga with Lizzie.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
BUILDING & CARPENTARY: If you have experience in building of any kind we would be very grateful for your guidance! We are currently putting the roof and floor on the little extention to create a bedroom for our eldest daughter.
We are making the kitchen and have many ideas to try, We are learning about lime rendering and using clay from the land nearby to make beautiful earth colours.
OFF GRID: We get electricity from the sun, and water is limited so we need you to be mindful of this.
We are building a huge porch with a veranda, a septic system, drainage, garden design and landscaping. There is so much to learn and so much to do. We use a compost toilet, and we have hot/cold shower heated by gas but we're working towards heating our water by solar.
ART & MUSIC & YOGA: We also welcome artists, musicians and craft people, enjoy this space, we hope you feel inspired! Lizzie practises yoga and we are hoping to make a small yoga platform on one of the terraces.
Anyone with enthusiasm for anything I have mentioned is welcome, we can discuss your length of stay depending on your schedule and ours. The children also practice aerial silks and would love anyone with experience to help further their skills.
GARDEN: We need help with the garden, making HugelKultur beds and also wicking beds as an experiment, installing a small polytunnel, getting the garden to grow! Sadly many of our Olive trees were badly damaged by forest fire last year so they are in recovery. Experience with pruning during winter months would be useful.
CHILDREN:
We would also appreciate help with the children. Our daughters enjoy practising aerial silks at home and they all love the huge trampoline, taking their body boards on the river and the lakes, making art, youtube videos, good positive energy.
PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE:
If you speak Portuguese this would be great for us for extra learning! If you want to learn Portuguese we can learn with us!
Yurt making is our family business. We don't need help with this, but it would be really good to know that other tasks around our family and garden are being taken care of so at busy times we can get on with our business and focus on this, knowing that other things around our family home and garden are moving forward.
We have wifi so this will be readily available to you.
COOKING: If you love to make meals (we are vegetarian) then we would welcome that too!
We eat 3 simple vegetarian meals a day and welcome you to join us. If you love to cook we welcome you to prepare food for us so we can work a little bit longer :)
Use of the car is available ( that is providing it hasn't completely fallen apart before you arrive!!)
We would expect you to want to help us 5 hours a day 5 days a week. Singles, couples and small families could all be welcome, lets speak first and see what will work at the time.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
We are from England and Lizzie spent most of her childhood in Wales. We are learning Portuguese and welcome anyone who wants to learn with us or those who can teach!
Accommodation
You will stay in either a yurt , caravan or tipi.
Your bed will most likely be a mattress on the floor, unless in the caravan which is a 6 berth.
We eat 3 meals a day and you are most welcome to join us.
Vegetarian mainly, but on occasion we do eat fish ( rare).
If you love to cook then please offer to cook for us! We all love cooking but at times it does feel like a chore! Happy for the help.
What else ...
This area is perfect for walks in nature, we have a beautiful roman bridge and ruined mills up the river. If you want to bring your bike it is perfect for mountain bike trails.
It is a wild place.
We are a half drive to the cultural town of Tomar, it has a beautiful castle and monastry to explore, good cafe;s and restaurants along the river and a huge market once a week. It also has a brilliant local swimming pool where we go almost daily as our eldest daughter trains at the club there.
Our local town is a ten minute drive from here, a good Monday market, bakeries and cafes.
We are an hours drive from good beaches. We are 15 minutes from a beautiful river beach with a popular cafe and bar during the summer months.
We are non smokers - We enjoy vino tinto, but we are not inviting you here to get smashed! We have lots to do and appreciate clear minds.
We collect our water from the Spring and enjoy vegetarian food. We are eager to get our vegetable garden to produce more, organically, so we don't have to buy non organic from the markets.
We are pretty relaxed but when we have a project we expect enthusiastic helpers who aren't afraid to get dirty and break a sweat.
We hope to meet people who can be mindful of our off grid lifestyle, those who can be conscious of limiting water use, those who can think of others, those who can enjoy family life and be patient in times when the children are challenging.
We enjoy meeting people and hope you like the idea of joining us here on our wild bit of land in Central Portugal.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have unlimited WiFi. Feel free to connect.
Space for parking camper vans
At certain times of the year we can welcome small camper vans , possibly larger motorhomes. The roads are rough so we'd need to discuss this so you are happy and aware.
Can possibly accept pets
Friendly calm pets who are good with our dog, and hens are welcome, please discuss beforehand.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
