Play with dogs and help with gardening in a lovely community close to Budapest, Hungary

Details

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  Description

  I am Zoltán, I have been living with my wife Anita for thirty years with our children, our dogs, our cats, and sometimes with unexpected animal guests. Macskavár is in the middle of Hungary, in Kecskemét a big green island on the outskirts of the city. The children, Lili and Zolika, are already grown up and going their way, but the ever-expanding family gathers here several times a year. both of us are qualified teachers, but we have also founded and run internet portals and even a music band, Luxembourg Acoustic. (check Spotify if interested) :)
  
  Two years ago, we opened a dog hostel. We have a nice big garden, 6400 square meters, with grass, groves, and wooded areas alternating and spread out. The garden is divided into several separate parts and has two guesthouses with a Mediterranean atmosphere, Gyopár and Indigo. We also have a place called Mexico, the 50 m2 summerhouse at the edge of our small forest, where a BBQ and stove are also available for cooking and grilling. We have 2 dogs, Baikal, and Breki, and a cat, Mignon (she's the boss of the household).
  
  We usually take 7-12 guest dogs in the summer. The dogs are free to roam, kennels are only used for feeding. We take small to medium-sized, neutered, well-socialised dogs and try to make their stay as pleasant as possible. We share the spaces indoors and outdoors with them. We have the great help of Baikal, the boss lady of the dogs, and Breki, the young assistant. The dogs are organized in packs and play all day long or relaxing.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Cuidado de animales

  Ayuda doméstica
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The most important venue for cultural exchange is the castle itself, which is the centre of a small residential communit. Here, the citizens of the Republic live in a kind of fraternal, communist alliance. They are kind, generous and friendly people with artistic inclinations, including philosophers, graphic artists, painters, sculptors and musicians. During the summer, they organise free-spirited cultural events for themselves and their friends, where each can show off their latest work, and the table is filled with freshly baked food and cold drinks served outdoors. We would be delighted to welcome our Workaway guests to these evenings and would welcome them to showcase their own and their country's cultural treasures. In general, we count on the creativity of our guests, we welcome their ideas and any expertise they may have for the development of the place because the place is not only a garden and a dog kennel, but a constantly evolving community space, which is more exciting and beautiful the more cultures contribute to its beautification and enrichment. We would like to organise regular dinner evenings, when, after a collective shopping trip, each person presents a national dish of his or her country. We would like the place to be a small island in the world, where those who are fortunate enough to be here - including ourselves - can spend their time in freedom, brotherhood and love, whose most important values are trust, tolerance, solidarity and serenity.
  
  Kecskemét itself is an exciting, beautiful city in the lowlands, home to unique architectural masterpieces of Art Nouveau, but also the birthplace of Zoltán, the world-famous Hungarian composer. Kecskemét is also a symbol of Hungarian religious tolerance, with 5 religious churches within arm's reach of each other in the heart of the city: the Catholic, Reformed, Evangelical, Greek Orthodox and synagogue churches. In the summer, a rich programme of music, art, gastronomy and other cultural events awaits you. The traditional Hungarian dishes based on the holy trinity of paprika, fat and onion, goulash, various stews and fried specialities are famous. Of course, the menus of the restaurants offer every imaginable food and drink, including the famous Kecskemét Barackpálinka, a drink made from pitted apricots with a delicious flavour. Bicycles are provided for guests to get around the city, but we can also offer a car.
  
  Perhaps most excitingly for our guests, express trains to Budapest leave every hour, taking 70 minutes, and terminating at the Nyugati Railway Station in the heart of the capital. Budapest is one of the most beautiful and exciting metropolises in the world, and getting to know it is the experience of a lifetime. At the other end of the same railway line is Szeged, one of the country's cultural centres and jewel box, situated on the banks of the Tisza. We also intend to introduce our guests to Lake Balaton, where they can spend a few days in a family holiday home.

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  Help

  We expect our guests to help us with a few things: playing with dogs, watering the plants and other light gardening work such as mowing, weeding, clearing the forest.) We are also very open to any creative ideas around the garden, and we are happy to help realizing it (art works, buildings, installations, etc.)

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Hungarian: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  Indigo is a charming building, reminiscent of a Greek beach house, which we renovated this year. It has a toilet, bathroom, washbasin, living room, kitchen with fridge, microwave, kettle, stove, and terrace with vineyard and garden. The house also has its own separate entrance, TV and internet for your comfort. All the furniture is self-made and made of reused materials. It is an extremely cosy and welcoming place for guests.
  
  Meals are fully provided by us. Breakfast is self-service from the fridge stocked according to your needs, hot lunch every day in Indigo, and then dinner together in the evening, of course adapted to the needs of our guests and their evening programs.

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  What else ...

  In your time off - feel free to relax around the house, but you can use car, or bicycles to wander around the city. We are very happy to show you some particular places in Kecskemét. We also encourage our guests to discover Budapest on the weekends. where they can get to 90 minutes. Pubs, parties and other leisure activites are possible too.

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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

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  We require 4-5 hours of work per day, 5 days/week, which is mainly in the morning and early evening due to the summer heat, but the working hours are completely flexible and can be adapted to the needs of our guests. If you'd have special activities that