Help needed in our family home and the small garden close suburb of Lyon, France

Details

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  Description

  - We're a couple, aged 71 and 63, both active. My husband is retired but has many interests: computing, languages (English, French, Esperanto, Greek, Italian), music (is a musician), culture and politics. I am a freelance translator (working from home), an energy psychology therapist, and mindfulness meditation teacher. I'm also a partner in a start-up. We have two adult children, one of whom lives on the property in his own unit. Our home is comfortable and relaxed. We speak both English and French. Our family is international and broad-minded; we like meeting people from different cultures and origins. We mainly just expect our guests to be respectful and considerate. We are vegetarian (but not vegan, and do eat a little fish); almost all our food is organic, fresh and locally produced .
  
  -Nous sommes un couple de 71 et 63 ans, tous les deux actifs. Monsieur est à la retraite et s'intéresse à l'informatique, les langues (anglais, français, esperanto, grec, italien), la musique, la culture et la politique ; Madame est traductrice indépendante (à domicile), thérapeute en psycho-énergétique, animatrice de séance et de stages de méditation de pleine conscience, et associée dans une jeune entreprise. Deux enfants jeunes adultes, n'habitant pas là mais assez souvent présents. C'est une maison conviviale et détendue. Langues parlées à la maison : français et anglais. Nous sommes internationaux et ouverts d'esprit ; nous aimons rencontrer des gens de toutes cultures. Nous attendons de nos hôtes simplement qu'ils respectent des règles de base de la vie commune. Nous sommes végétariens (mais pas végétaliens, et mangeons un peu de poisson) ; nous mangeons essentiellement des produits frais, bio et de production locale.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We have most meals together and as there is no TV in the house (and no telephones at meals), mealtimes are an opportunity to talk. It's mutually enriching and people can practice their French or English (we'll speak whichever language they are learning). Previous workawayers have learned a range of things, apart from French, including about eating organically and vegetarian, about French daily life, about various topics we're interested in (e.g. energy psychology, meditation, music), about manual work (e.g. tiling). Etc. Workawayers can also join meditation sessions at the house.

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  Help

  - Help with gardening, including some fairly heavy work sometimes; help with all forms of housework and occasionally shopping; help possibly with DIY and small outside building-related jobs if you have those skills; help with cooking.
  - Jardinage, y compris tâches parfois assez lourdes; ménage et qqs courses; maçonnerie et bricolage; cuisine.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  - A small spare room in the house (ground floor), with a double bed. The bathroom is shared but guests largely have it to themselves as we have another one. All meals included. No TV in the house but wifi (unlimited access).
  
  - Une chambre d'amis dans la maison avec lit double. La salle de bains est commune mais nous nous en servons peu (il y a une autre salle de bains à l'étage). Le couvert est inclus. Pas la télé à la maison mais wifi (accès illimité).

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  What else ...

  - We live in the close suburbs of the city of Lyon, with direct access to the city centre by bus (various busses, 2, 5 and 10 min walk from the house) and by underground (15 min walk to the station). Lyon is a beautiful city, classified by Unesco as world heritage, and is a gastronomical capital. It is also a lively student town, with many cultural attractions and entertainment. We're a 1.5 hour drive from the Alps (skiing and hiking) and a half-hour drive from the low mountain range, the Monts du Lyonnais (walks/hiking); 3 hours from Marseille by car or 2 by train.
  
  - Nous habitons en proche banlieue lyonnaise, avec un accès direct en bus (arrêt à 2 min de la maison et d'autres bus à 5 et 10 min à pied) et métro à 15 min à pied. Lyon est une très belle ville (classée au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO) et capitale de la gastronomie. C'est également une ville étudiante très vivante, pleine de lieux de culture et de sortie. Nous sommes à une heure et demi des Alpes (ski et randonnées) et à une demi heure des Monts du Lyonnais (randonnées). 3 heures de Marseille en voiture ou 2h en train.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Unlimited and reliable internet access (cable but not super powerful). The guests have a small table for a computer in their room but can work, as I often do, in the dining/living room or in the lounge or outside on the terrace or in the garden. As I have my business at home, my subscription is a professional one, so I request that guests refrain from illegal streaming on our internet connection.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  - 5 hours per day, 5 days/week; - 5 heures par jour max, 5 j/sem.

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