Florence

Sweden
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Travel information
I am currently
At home
My next destination:
Sweden
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Description
Hej !

Pippi Långstrump helped me when I was a kid to become who I am today: Florence, that happy girl and freedom-freak with the Midsommarkrans :)
I am French, born and lived many years in Paris, then left for Hamburg, married, build a “patchwork” family and read so many times "Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige" to my younger son, that at the end I had to see that country where the wild geese came from...
First Stockholm and the Archipelago in spring, then Moskojärvi and Storforsen in winter. Many trips followed until today, but these marked the beginning of my attachment to Sweden.

Three years ago, after a fulfilled family life with three grown-up children and extensive travel, I decided to focus on Scandinavia - mostly on my own. Why? Because what I value so much, especially in Sweden, are first the preserved nature - the colours of an icy sky, the rounded-granite rocks on the coast, the moss and berries carpet in the fairy-tale forests - and then this specific unsaid "rule": each individual has to be autonomous and responsible for himself but at the same time is a part of a whole within a community.

Though preparing the steps for the next chapter, moving up here and settling in, meant first learning to share and understand the Northern way(s) of living and thinking.
And the best approach seemed to me a combination of working as a volunteer on one side – anywhere but preferably by a family - and on the other side, crisscrossing the country during the time in-between, with buses and trains. At the end, it gave me the chance to discover the Swedish nature and culture and above all, to come together with so many, different people.

I started volunteering in June 2018 in a Café-B&B by the forests of Hofors (cooking, serving, cleaning) – my first Midsommar - followed by a second trial in October as home- & catsitter in Sthlm – culture bath! Then I discovered Workaway and shared a wonderful fortnight in November with a family near Östersund (#886194311453/ cooking, helping in house and yard) – magical Jämtland.
In 2019, I went up North in February to partake in the annual Sami Marknad and had the chance to share afterwards two weeks long the family life of a spontaneous host near Jokkmokk (#524136364311 /cooking, tidying, cleaning) – will never forget the sound of ice breaking under the Northern Lights. In June I hit the road again to explore mid-Sweden from the west to east coast, lived with a hearty family in the countryside near Karlsborg (#756349465496 /cooking, helping with kids, yard and chickens) – happy Sveriges nationaldag in the fortress - and finalize the journey in a village near Söderhamn, working a fortnight with a cheerful couple in a B&B (#484956189754 / gardening, cooking, caring of guests rooms) – learnt the Swedish way to eat kräftor :)

The many months spent crossing Sweden during these two years was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience a country through the eyes and the heart of its inhabitants … underbara resa genom Sverige.

In January 2020, I settled in Varberg, Halland - the only landskap where Nils Holgersson never was!
So, as for now, the next step is to find a work near where I live and to speak fluently Swedish. But I will for sure keep traveling with WA , in Sweden or Norway, during my holidays.

As a resume, I hope to be a tolerant person, interested in others, straight & humorous, not afraid of working hard, with a solid sense of organisation and responsibilities. I need nature, freedom, adventure and time to be alone. But I am a sociable person and a happy nature, who likes life and laughing, cooking, meeting friends or new people, sharing a good meal or a nice moment. And rather than fitness, I prefer outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, cross-country skiing, canoeing, and ... ice-hockey-watching :)
Oh yes, one last thing. My birth date is like a mathematics mistake… It has nothing to do with me. But of course, you’re not supposed to believe it… That’s why we should meet!
Interests
Writing
Cooking & food
History
Photography
Art & design
Dancing
Languages
Books
Outdoor activities
Nature
Culture
Adventure sports
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Swedish: Intermediate
More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
Babysitting and creative play
Being an elderly companion
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Charity Work
Art Projects
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Teaching
Able to teach about:
Languages
More details about your skills
I like cooking (my French side), I learnt cleaning & keeping tidy ( my German side). Patient and careful, especially with kids and the elderly. Sense of organisation and responsibilities. Hard working and used to finish what I started. Eye for details and what needs to be done. Easy socializing (but you won't find me on Facebook), customer-oriented and caring of the guests , computer & internet help, language teaching, gardening, sewing. drawing, writing.
Age
67
What else ...
If there's anything you'd like to know, please feel free to ask, I'll be happy to answer the best I can!
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

Feedback

8 Oct 2019

Left by host (Be a part of our family and ...) for Workawayer (Florence)

Our first WW experience was the time with Florence. We couldn't have startet our host life better!

Florence came in our daily life like a nice warm summerwind which went through the house, our big garden and our life.
We had a very easy communication and discussed the daily tasks always together and agreed what has to be done. Florence take a lot… read more

(Excellent )

19 Aug 2019

Left by Workawayer (Florence) for host (Be a part of our family and ...)

I stayed half July by Ulrike and Jan in Axmar Bruk and this was a very rewarding experience.

Because I was “their first Workaway”, each of us was eager to give his best, from the wishes and expectations to the cultural exchange and the working plan.

Secondly, because they both took their role as WA hosts very seriously. Jan taking time to show… read more

(Excellent )

18 Aug 2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Florence)

Florence- so french, so nice!
She is a great cook, mouse a chocolate is just one of the great food-experiences we got. And that with three smal, busy helper!
She came with own ideas what to do and where to help to get out the best of her.
Whatever we wanted her to do, she told us if she has done it before or not and did her best. (Which was mostly… read more

(Excellent )

16 Aug 2019

Left by Workawayer (Florence) for host (Come and get to know the ...)

I applied by Karin and Mats because they sound like a warm-hearted and open family, because what they were looking for, is what I can do best – cooking, cleaning, care of kids – and because they live near Tiveden, an area I wanted to discover. I have so many memories when I think of my stay there in June, that it’s difficult to know where to start… read more and how to say what a wonderful family they are and what a beautiful time I had two weeks long.

Karin is straight, full of energy, positive, pragmatic. When she wants to say something, a compliment or an objection, the plan of the day, a new idea about what could be done, she just say it as it is, it makes the things very easy to go on with. A power woman who juggles between the family, the yard, horses & chicken to care of, and her job as hippo-therapist with patients coming at her place. Mats has a different way to interact with feelings and people, he is quieter, very careful, very sensitive, equally warm-hearted and truly honest. Frida, Linda and Linus are three gems. Lively, imaginative, just being how they feel: happy or angry, so funny and hearty.

I cannot list all the different things I did. It was always diversified and mostly done altogether. But I have a gallery of unforgettable moments, so that it’s hard to make it short... Like Linda, dressed as a fairy-tale princess, so proud to break the eggs to help me baking a cake. Linus so full of energy, trying to keep quiet on one leg to imitate the flamingo, Frida the elder, keen to be brave, and laughing so joyful when we destroyed for fun our Lego construction. Karin deciding to paint the kitchen wall and the next hour we were all dressed with old pajamas, the 3 kids around, each with a brush and the big pot of white paint in the middle (and it worked!). My try of sawing a 100-year old timber, which was not successful, and Karin thanking me for what I did well instead of noticing what I did not achieve. The picnic on National Day at the Karlsborg fortress with families all around, music and barbecues. The hours of team-work by collecting the horse-dung spread all across the meadow. The little baths in the lake to have a break in busy days. The magical walk in the rainy forest with Karin and her patient, when she picks me up in the middle of her work because I got lost by hiking. The last afternoon with grill and climbing in Tiveden. The last dinner when Mats liked my mousse au chocolat and hold his secret bottles for a general tasting…

I’ll be back for sure. As a Workaway and/or as a visiting friend.
Ganz liebe Grüße!

(Excellent )

10 May 2019

Left by Workawayer (Florence) for host (Come help us with small ...)

I stayed two weeks in February with Annica & Magnus family, at the end of the Sapmi Winter Market (which is, by the way, a fantastic experience) and until the school holidays.

I arrived a couple of days after we met, and I had a very warm welcome: Annica had arranged for me a cozy bedroom beside the bathroom, with a nice view on the lake. And… read more while Magnus was preparing the dinner, little Clava offered me the drawings she have made and show me the whole house. Then Magnus explained me the daily tasks to do: clean the kitchen, range and empty the washing machine and prepare a simple but warm meal for late afternoon that we ate all together when Alve, Clava and Vidar were back from school.
For the rest, they let it up to me to see what could be done or not and how I arrange my day between work and free time.

So before or after doing the routine work, sometimes I went for a stroke around or for a tour in Jokkmokk; and other days, I decided to take over the tasks there is never time for during the week, like thoroughly cleaning, tidying up, ranging and organizing things.

What made it easy was first of all the trust and freedom Annica & Magnus gave me and their smiles when they came. And then the beautiful location, with nature by the doorstep: even a short walk in the forest for a break was possible, or a longer one on the frozen lake, looking for Northern Lights or listening in the night to the ice cracking … And as there were neighbours around, one did not feel isolated during the day, when the family was at work or at school.

It might sound obvious but it took me some time to understand that people up North just don’t express their feelings with words. They are friendly but reserved. At the beginning, I was not sure if Annica and Magnus were satisfied with my work and if I met their expectations. But later, I realized that how they care and help me enjoying my free time – searching for new places and activities, giving me a lift early or picking me up late in town, checking the bus timetable or the weathercast, making tracks with the snowmobile to enable cross-country skiing, lending me their own top outdoor equipment (together with a thermos full of coffee!) … - all that and much more was their way of saying thank you for my helping hand.

Jättetack Annica och Magnus!
I hope next time we meet, we will laugh in Swedish about skiing skills, frozen salmon and Smörgåstårta…

(Very good )

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Friends

Photos

Midsommarafton 2019

French cooking for the last eve: Pavlova

First Midsommar: 2018 in Hofors

From Gävle...

... through Östersund ...

... Jokkmokk...

...or Karlsborg...

Show all photos

... a WA network of big... and little friends

High jump competition

Learnt how mowing the lawn can be so much fun

Preparing the rooms for the guests in a B&B

Seven Västerbottenpaj in five weeks :)

Ice-climbing experience in Abisko

Teamwork by horse-dung collecting

Freeze for fun

Feedback

8 Oct 2019

Left by host (Be a part of our family and ...) for Workawayer (Florence)

(Excellent )

19 Aug 2019

Left by Workawayer (Florence) for host (Be a part of our family and ...)

(Excellent )

18 Aug 2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Florence)

(Excellent )

16 Aug 2019

Left by Workawayer (Florence) for host (Come and get to know the ...)

(Excellent )

10 May 2019

Left by Workawayer (Florence) for host (Come help us with small ...)

(Very good )

3 Mar 2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Florence)

Chère amie française-germaine!
We are still finding French cuisine dishes in our freezer, delicious food that brings all four of us back to the lovely time when we had you, Florence, staying here. We got on really well and our family benefitted a great deal from your genuinely positive outlook on life, life experience, interest in other people and… read more

(Excellent )

14 Jan 2019

Left by Workawayer (Florence) for host (House sitting on our hobby ...)

What should I say more that was not said already…
Christine, Pelle and their two little fairies are a wonderful family, warmhearted, straight, humorous, tolerant, open, generous… They are not the kind of hosts who take volunteers to have hard-working, cheap helpers. They open their door to share and exchange - work, culture, opinions, fun and… read more

(Excellent )

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