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Description
We are John and Gaye (and Charlie, the very friendly dog). Gaye, originally from South Africa, has also lived in New Zealand and Australia with John (a proud Kiwi). We are both fluent in English and learning French. We moved to a small, vibrant, medieval village in a regional park, in the south of France last year where we bought a group of old buildings. The village, surrounded by beautiful forest-covered hills and walking trails, is a popular stopping point on the historic St James Arles Way pilgrimage route also known as the Chemin d'Arles, connecting Arles to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The village has a bar, a couple of restaurants, a shop, hairdresser, museum, and a bakery. There are larger towns 15-20 minutes drive / bus away and about 1 hour from the Mediterranean coast. One part of our place (an ancient tannery) could be 1,000 years old whilst the rest of the buildings are between 250 and 500 years old. Some of the building is very comfortable to live in and some not so much. As the current custodians of the buildings we want to respectfully restore them while we learn about their history and leave them in a better state than they are now. We have a large outdoor terrace next to the river and a garden that is currently a blank canvas. Come and share in this experience and be part of the team!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Pets
Culture
Sustainability
Events & social
Charity work
Gardening
Drawing & painting
Carpentry
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Hiking
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We enjoy talking to new people and understanding a different perspective. We have travelled extensively for work and leisure and have both lived in 3-4 different countries. Our village is very social and has many events year round, especially in summer. We are respectful of everyone's lifestyle choices and look to widen our global understanding. We love a wide variety of food and cooking and welcome others to share in the preparation. A person does not exist alone - we are social animals. The world is a melting pot and we all need to learn from each other to make it a better place. You may also learn some practical skills.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We can provide you with a cultural and learning experience as we work on our project. We also have a number of local professionals we work with, including building, electrical, stonework and plumbing. We are repairing stonework, putting in new floors, walls, bathrooms, more sustainable heating and insulation. You may choose to learn some skills along the way. Our garden is a blank canvas, and so we are currently designing a new plan that we will execute over the next few years, again an opportunity to learn new skills. We would like to have a way to tell our story to our many friends around the world, about what we are up to in a cohesive way (we are considering a website/social media approach). Sometimes when we are really busy, meals and other household stuff slip. This might be a way of helping out.
We might be able to teach you some new skills and about our life experiences (we have had a busy and long one so far), multinational experiences (we have lived and travelled extensively), and you will certainly teach us something about your view of the world and perhaps improve our language skills - either way, things do manage to get done and we will have some fun.
We are very hands-on and always quite busy, but we always make time to have a chat over food, a cup of tea, an espresso or a wine at the end of the day, one day soon this might even be in French! But it will definitely be French in the beautiful South of France.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
We are always looking to improve our French so welcome French speakers who have beginner English and want to also learn from us
Accommodation
We currently have one guest double bedroom with a semi-ensuite and have in progress 2 x self contained studio apartments (kitchen and bathrooms).
We eat a mixture of meat, eggs, dairy (we love French cheese) and some plant based protein. We are happy to eat vegetarian regularly -this is an opportunity for you to teach us. We would struggle with a vegan option. Catering for food intolerances will need input from you. We always share cooking with anyone staying with us.
What else ...
There is a local bus that goes to the nearest town 3 times per day, with connections beyond to major routes. The local museum is also the visitor centre. There are many walking trails in the area as we are in a regional park.
Please respect that our home is drug, vape and smoke free.
This is an old stone building and so sometimes is dusty.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have a fibre connection that sometimes seems a bit flaky. We have an office that can be used also. The heating is not working currently in the office, but is on "the list".
Space for parking camper vans
We have space to park a camper van and can run power to your van, we are unsure if the wifi would reach.
Can possibly accept pets
We have a medium sized dog who is ok with other socialised dogs. Any dogs must be cleaned up after, here and throughout the village. There are facilities throughout the village (bags and bins).
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Charlie
Photos
