Léonard

& Noémie

Travel information

We are currently

Activities we are interested in:

We are a french couple currently living in France. We are looking for an adventure in Sweden. We are interested in : working with sled dogs, farms, dog-sitting, making firewood, cooking, DIY...

Description

Dear Hosts,

My name is Léonard a 25 years old student. I am a very curious person and I really enjoy discover all that life has to offer. If I have to describe myself, I'm very often in a cheerful mood and I don't like to take myself too seriously. I am a very adventurous person with a lot of hobbies.

I am really fund of nature which has driven me to study nature biology. I am currently finishing my second year of a master's degree in Conservation Biology. In other words, I am studying how to protect species and ecosystems, their threats and how to protect nature more generally. What I love most is to discover nature and new landscapes by making some hikes and to meet local people. I often carry a pair of binoculars for birdwatching during my adventures. By the way, we have a common hobby with my girlfriend: road trips. We have done several road trips in Europe and we really enjoy taking time and meet new people.

My second hobby is sport. Since I am a kid, I have practised several different sports and I love facing challenges. Consequently, I have a lot of endurance and I will be able to help you in physical work.

Then, I really like music and I listen to a large variety of music styles. In fact, I'm currently fulfilling one of my dreams by taking up the guitar by myself for one month.

I have not only studied in my life. Indeed, I made some volunteer work 6 years ago in a castle named Guedelon which is currently built with 13th century methods. I did it because I love DIY and building and I really wanted to improve these skills. It has led me to settle in the countryside in Burgundy. Once I was there, I started to renovate an old house. Furthermore, I had a really large plot of land so I started to grow my own vegetables and raised my own sheep and chicken farms.

One of my biggest dreams is to discover Sweden because of the beautiful nature which seems to be better protected than in France but also to discover a completely different culture and improve my English. I especially want to discover Sweden during the winter because it is my favourite season and I become like a child when I see the snow falling. I understand it's going to be colder than in France, and that's exactly the kind of climate I like, as well as a challenge.

Noémie and I met 3 years ago and we leave together since two years. Since we met, we have done a lot of road trips together. We went two times in Germany's mountains during winter so we have already faced cold temperatues, we spend two weeks in Italian Alps, one week in Scotland and a lot of other road trips in France. We have a lot of common points as we both love nature and taking care of animals, our common hobby is hiking, we are both quite organized. In terms of cooking we are quite complementary as I prefer cooking salted meals while Noémie prefers baking.


Hi, I'm Noémie,

I'm 22 and I'm from Cancale, a small fishing village by the sea in France. I'd describe myself as cheerful, curious, energetic, independent, sociable, a good listener and organised.

I've been passionate about pets and studying wild animals since I was a child. My favourite animals are wolves and hippopotamuses. My studies and my various experiences have always followed this passion. I don't have a hippopotamus at home, but Lady a dog, Craquotte a rabbit and Dudule a hen.

I love sports : hiking (even more so when it's with dogs), cycling, running. I've been horse-riding for 8 years, played football for 3 years and archery for 4 years.

I love contact with nature, road trips to discover new landscapes, new cultures and new people, challenging myself, surpassing myself and sharing.

I enjoy tinkering and using my hands to create things, which is why I love painting and decorating and giving furniture a new lease of life.

I like to get involved in associations, and I'm a member of AL LARK, an association for the study of cetaceans in my home town, and I'm also a member of the Society for the Protection of Animals.

I've been lucky enough to travel all over France, from different regions to Corsica, Canada (Quebec), the Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Scotland, Ireland and Switzerland. I was able to go wwoofing for 2 months in Corsica when I turned 18, and it was one of the best experiences of my life (I look forward to telling you all about it).

I've always dreamt of going to Sweden, as I'm passionate about animals and the great outdoors, and this country has always made me want to visit it. Living near the sea, I only discovered snow in 2021 in Germany with Léonard. It was magical, and I hope to see a lot of snow again. I'm ready to get used to the extreme cold and less sunny days.

This year is the right time for me to embark on this adventure, which I hope will be primarily human and full of wonderful surprises.

Hoping to be able to play a little guitar for you in winter and to help you in your work,

We look forward to meet you :D

Noémie and Léonard

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent

More details about my language interests
We are interested in improving our English language but we would also be interested in learning Sweden because we don't know a single word and we think that it would be very useful for us, especially if we want to come back in this country. We would be delighted to teach you French :D.

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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Languages

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Life at a Farmstay

DIY and building projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Helping around the house

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Able to teach about:  

Gardening

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping with Computers/ Internet

More details about your skills

Since I (Léonard) am a kid, I have practised several different sports (boxing, running, cross country) and I love facing challenges. Consequently, I have a lot of endurance and I will be able to help you in physical work.

Since I have built a farm in burgundy, I have some DIY skills but above all I'd know how to carry out the tasks required on a farm, such as chopping wood, looking after the animals (feeding, bottle-feeding, cleaning stalls...), fencing and many other manual tasks. I especially have experience with sheep, cows, and chickens.

I have a lot of experience with dogs because I used to have two and especially one which came from Finland and was towing the bike when I was mountain biking.

I can speak English fluently as I have spent 6 months in London for my studies but I really would like to improve it. I can of course teach you French if you are interested :) .

I really like cooking, so making food for everybody is not a problem, I'm quite used to it (I'm a professional of potatoes cooking).

I am able to speak English fluently but I really would like to improve it.

My knowledges on nature can also be useful.

Léonard


I (Noémie) have just finished my studies in ecotourism, specialising in rural areas.

My first placements were on dairy farms, pig farms (open-air), goat farms (Angora goats), sheep farms, educational farms and an animal protection association.

Then I worked in a kennel that took in dogs and cats, and also bred dogs, particularly English Setters. My last work placement was a few months ago, when I worked as a scientific mediator in a zoo in Paris for 6 months (ZooSafari de Thoiry).

During these various placements, I was able to learn the basics of environmental education and broaden my knowledge of agriculture, animal biology and biodiversity. I've learnt how to create educational materials and put them into practice in the field. I've been able to develop skills such as welcoming customers, working as part of a team and caring for animals.

Between my years of study, I worked as a babysitter, dog sitter, I did some cleaning and catering. I then worked in a waste sorting center and in oyster farming.

I like helping out and learning new things in all areas. Léonard and I are a good team, and we've already worked together in my mother's garden : we've planted plants and trees, and set up a vegetable garden, a compost heap, a greenhouse and a pond. We've also put together garden furniture and a garden shed.

As far as languages are concerned, I speak French and have a basic grasp of English, but I still have some way to go. I've signed up to Babbel so that I can make progress, and I watch TV in the original language but I have to admit that I'm still at the cartoon stage as far as understanding is concerned.

If you speak English and can teach me, I'm motivated and would be delighted to teach you French in return !

Noémie

Age

26 & 22

What else ...

We will come with our own car, so if you have any tips to make our car survive to a very cold weather, we are interested.

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  peanuts

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  Special dietary requirements
  We eat pretty much everything