Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
11 Apr 2024
Reply rate
93.5 %
Usually responds within 3 days
Feedback
36
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
My name is Pat and I am 60 years old. Two years ago, my husband Jean Pierre (a kitchen designer for hotels and restaurants) and I left Barcelona to come and live in the middle of nature. We both combine our respective teleworking jobs with the new project that allows us to make our home a meeting point for people with similar interests (lovers of nature, culture, meetings, exchange of ideas). We have lived abroad for many years, we love travelling with home exchange, I have been an aupair when I was young and we have always had aupairs at home while our children were young. We consider ourselves cosmopolitan and open-minded.
Me llamo Pat y tengo 60 años. Hace dos años que con mi marido, Jean Pierre (diseñador de cocinas para hoteles y restaurantes) hemos dejado Barcelona para venir a vivir en medio de la naturaleza. Ambos combinamos nuestros respectivos teletrabajos con el nuevo proyecto que nos permite hacer de nuestra casa un punto de encuentro de personas con inquietudes parecidas (amantes de la naturaleza, la cultura, los encuentros, el intercambio de ideas). Hemos vivido muchos años en el extranjero, amamos viajar con intercambio de casas, he sido aupair de joven y hemos tenido siempre aupaires en casa mientras nuestros hijos eran pequeños. Nos consideramos cosmopolitas y abiertos.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We have created a project based on the circular economies of giving and receiving without using money for it. We offer a natural environment of great beauty, a family atmosphere always open to exchanging ideas and projects where culture and nature go hand in hand. We speak several languages and we can make our volunteers practice other languages. Our volunteers live in the attached house and have their own room.
We often eat together in the big kitchen and sometimes the workawayers eat on their own, preparing their own food from the pantry.
We prefer that the volunteer is not vegan and we don t accept smokers. We have two cats a dog and four hens.
Hemos creado un proyecto basado en las economías circulares del dar y recibir sin usar para ello dinero. Ofrecemos un entorno natural de gran belleza, un ambiente familiar siempre abierto a intercambiar ideas y proyectos donde la cultura y la naturaleza van de la mano. Hablamos varios idiomas y podemos hacer practicar a nuestros voluntarios otras lenguas. Nuestros voluntarios viven en la casita anexa y tienen su propia habitación. Algunas comidas las hacemos junto a los workawayers y otras se hacen separados. Preferimos que el voluntario no sea vegano y que no aceptamos voluntarios que fumen. Tenemos dos gatos, un perro y cuatro gallinas.
Help
Any help is welcome in the garden (watering, pruning, planting, sweeping leaves and removing dry ones) in the forest (open paths, clearing the forest, collecting firewood), in the kitchen (preparing meals only for those of us who live in the house (we are 4) and tidy up the kitchen after meals) and in the house (various cleaning and maintenance work). Our house is neither a hostel nor a hotel. Nobody pays to come. It is an exchange between friends whom we invite on weekends to enrich ourselves culturally and reciprocally. When the volunteer is asked if he can cook, it is understood that it is for the permanent members of the house (my husband and I together with Steven who works in the house). You will never be asked to cook for guests or clean their room during their stay. It depends on the profile of the volunteer, it will be agreed before confirming, if we need more work in the forest or in the garden, helping in the construction of some simple element (flower bed, garden bench, setting up a bookcase...etc), more in the cleaning the house (sweeping, dusting, ironing, cleaning bathrooms...), painting, doing some creative artistic work to decorate the house or garden...etc. It will depend on what the volunteer knows how to do. They are usually simple jobs.
Lately I am very interested in learning how to use ChatGPT so any help in this regard would be welcome.
Es bienvenida cualquier ayuda en el jardín (regar, podar, sembrar, barrer las hojas y retirar las secas) en el bosque (abrir caminos, limpiar el bosque, recoger leña), en la cocina (preparar las comidas sólo para los que vivimos en la casa (que somos 4) y recoger la cocina tras las comidas) y en la casa (trabajos varios de limpieza y mantenimiento).
Nuestra casa no es ni un hostal ni un hotel. Nadie paga por venir. Es un intercambio entre amigos a los que invitamos los fines de semana para enriquecernos culturalmente y recíprocamente. Cuando se pide al voluntario si puede cocinar se entiende que es para los miembros fijos de la casa (mi marido y yo junto con Steven que trabajan en la casa). Nunca se pedirá que se cocine para los invitados ni que se les limpie la habitación durante su estancia.
Depende del perfil del voluntario se acordará antes de confirmar, si necesitamos más trabajo en el bosque o en el jardín, ayudando en la construcción de algún elemento sencillo (parterre, banco de jardín, montar una librería...etc) ,más en la limpieza de la casa (barrer, sacar el polvo, limpiar la cocina y los baños...), pintar, realizar algún trabajo artístico creativo para adornar la casa o el jardín ...etc. Dependerá de lo que sepa hacer el voluntario. Suelen ser trabajos sencillos.
Últimamente estoy muy interesada en aprender cómo utilizar ChatGPT por lo que cualquier ayuda en este sentido será bienvenida.
Languages
Languages spoken
Catalan: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
English: Intermediate
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
Podemos hablar en español con el workaway para que aprenda o mejore, o hablar en inglés/francés o italiano, si lo prefiere.
Accommodation
House in the countryside, with a garden, 8 hectares of forest and sea views. There is the big house where my husband and I live and where we receive friends to share cultural weekends carrying out various activities (literature, arts, music, humanities). In the small house lives Steven, a Colombian boy who helps us with housework, forest and garden and is there where our volunteers are living, as well. For me it is very important that the volunteers do not depend on us at meal times.
Whether they eat in the little house where they are staying with Steven,or whether they eat in the big house with Jean Pierre and me (this usually happens on the day of arrival, the day of departure and one day half of the week) they will have the pantry full of food available and they are free to cook whatever they want or propose to cook for the four of us who live at home or that we all cook together. What we don't want is volunteers showing up at 1.30pm in the kitchen and sitting at the table waiting to be served.
Casa en el campo, con jardín, 8 hectáreas de bosque y vistas al mar. Hay la casa grande donde vivimos mi marido y yo y donde recibimos amigos para compartir fines de semana culturales llevando a cabo diversas actividades (literatura, artes, música, humanidades). En la casa pequeña vive Steven, nuestro empleado colombiano, que nos ayudan en las tareas de casa, bosque y jardín y es allí donde se alojan nuestros voluntarios.
Para mi es muy importante que los voluntarios no dependan de nosotros a la hora de comer. Ya sea que coman en la casita pequeña en la que están alojados junto a Steven ya sea que coman en la casa grande con Jean Pierre y conmigo (esto suele ocurrir el día de la llegada, el día de la salida y un día a mitad de la semana) tendrán a disposición la despensa repleta de comida y son libres de cocinarse lo que les apetezca o de proponerse para cocinar para los tres que vivimos en casa o que cocinemos todos juntos. Lo que no queremos es que los voluntarios aparezcan a las 13.30 en la cocina y se sienten en la mesa esperando ser servidos.
What else ...
The nearest town is 40 minutes away on foot, 15 minutes by car. If the volunteer does not have a car, we can pick him up at the Sant Pol de Mar station. From this town, with a beautiful beach, there are trains every hour to Girona and Barcelona. It is an ideal place for those who want to take the opportunity to relax, read, walk through the forest but do not depend on us to take them to and from the station. In any case, for those who do not have their own means of transport, we will pick them up and take them to the station on the first and last day of their stay and once a week if they want to go to Barcelona/Girona or to the Sant Pol de Mar beach.
El pueblo más cercano está a 40 min a pie, 15 min en coche. Si el voluntario no tiene coche, podemos recogerlo en la estación de Sant Pol de Mar. Desde este pueblo, con una bonita playa, hay trenes cada hora hacia Girona y Barcelona. Nuestra posición no es muy idónea para visitar la zona con medios de transporte públic os porqué queda un poco aislada. Es un lugar ideal para quien quiere aprovechar para relajarse, leer, caminar por el bosque pero que no dependa de nosotros para llevarlo y recogerlo de la estación. Sea como sea, a quien no tenga medio de transporte proprio, lo iremos a recoger y llevar a la estación el primer y último día de su estancia y un día a la semana si quiere visitar Barcelona/Girona.
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 good wifi connection
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5 horas día
Feedback (19)
Matouš approached every challenge with enthusiasm and… read more
He cooks very well, mainly vegetarian and healthy food.
We wish him the best of luck!
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(5.0)
Matouš approached every challenge with enthusiasm and… read more
He cooks very well, mainly vegetarian and healthy food.
We wish him the best of luck!
El lugar es increible con una vista al mer y un bosque grande donde dar paseos con su perro Bitxu.
Pat y Jean Pierre me han hecho sentir como en casa tan pronto como llegué. Fue un gusto poder pintar con acuarela y practicar español con Pat, asi como probar los… read more
Pat i Jean Pierre to niezwykle ciepli i dobrzy ludzie o szerokich horyzontach, otwarci na świat i poznawanie nowych ludzi. Spędziłam tam 18 fascynujących… read more
La consiglio vivamente a tutta la… read more
Pat is full of creative energy, passion, and vigor. This is reflected in the de les idees weekends that she and Jean Pierre host. Jean Pierre is formidable and savvy with… read more
We spent a whole month at de les Idees and it was so good that we would love to stay longer! This place enchanted us from the first moments of our stay. It's hard to describe in a few words why it was so difficult to leave the magical forest, but we'll try.
Every day means:
> being… read more
Thank you for sharing your space, your hospitality and for your trust.
Thank you Joni for sharing your… read more
Although I only stayed for a week and did not get the chance to be part of one of the cultural weekends that are organised here, I… read more
Es una mujer llena de energía y talento, excelente cocinera, organizada y trabajadora. Llena de ideas y con un increíble don de gente. Es totalmente autónoma y antes que le pidas cualquier cosa ya la ha hecho y mejor de lo que… read more
En primer lugar quiero darles las gracias por permitirme estar en su casa, por su generosidad y por facilitarme continuar con mi proyecto mientras estaba.
La casa es increíble, tiene las mejores… read more
The house is an idyllic place to stay. The sunrises and sunsets will leave you speechless!!
Pat gave me Spanish lessons several times a week which was very pleasant and because of my pronunciation things sometimes came across differently… 😉
Together with Julian… read more
Full of energy and creativity. A hard worker. She has been with us for a month and we have never had to ask her to do anything because she has been taking on responsibilities on her own, showing great initiative and organisational skills. She is an excellent gardener, she knows plants and is very resourceful and likes… read more
Sono una coppia fantastica, disponibile, educata e sempre pronta ad aiutare. Hanno molte capacità: Alessandra è un'ottima cuoca e ha preparato piatti deliziosi per noi durante il loro soggiorno. Marco è molto abile con i lavori manuali e, insieme ad Alessandra, hanno costruito scale sui… read more
Friendly and available, always cheerful and very sociable. They are excellent cooks and know how to work wood and its related tools very well. They have made a nice group with the rest of the team. They have promised us that they will be back and we will be waiting for them with open arms!
I stayed here for 4 weeks and it was one of the best life experiences I have ever had. I learned so much about other cultures and life in Catalunia. Everyone was so patient with my poor Spanish skills and helped me improve a… read more
Pat and Jean Pierre are amazing open-minded people with fascinating personalities, always respectful of other's personal spaces and opinions. I stayed for 10 days and I definitely ended up learning a lot from them.… read more
It was such an amazing experience!
They were so lovely and welcoming!
Pat picked me up and drove me to the house in the mountains, I stayed in a beautiful private room
I was there to help her practice her English, but I believe I ended up learning so much more, not just about Catalonia and their… read more
