Enjoy country life and hands-on projects in a 270-year-old house near Cologne, Germany

Detalles

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  Descripción

  Hey there!
  
  I live in a 270 year-old house with a barn, garden, well, two garden huts, a small meadow and some animals.
  
  The property covers about 1900 m² and is located at the edge of a small village, directly next to forests and fields — lots of space, peace and nature, but also many interesting corners and small projects.
  
  The location is rural and peaceful, but still reasonably well connected (bus stop 1 km away).
  
  Distances:
  
  • Neunkirchen-Seelscheid – 3 km
  • Siegburg – 15 km
  • Bonn – 25 km
  • Cologne – 35 km
  
  Perfect for hiking and mountain biking through gently rolling landscapes with light forests, little villages, wide meadows and small valleys with streams and ponds.
  
  You can also enjoy cultural excursions along the Rhine and in Cologne and Bonn:
  cathedrals, churches, museums, Rhine boat trips (for example to the Drachenfels, the Loreley or Remagen), concerts and clubbing in Cologne until the early morning.
  
  I am happy to take you out on one or two excursions depending on how long you stay and also help you plan activities. There are many beautiful places to explore in the area – together or independently.
  
  ⸻
  
  At the moment, I am mainly looking for help with:
  
  Household & cooking:
  Cooking, keeping the kitchen and living areas clean and organised, and generally helping with everyday household tasks.
  
  Lighter practical jobs:
  Helping with smaller projects in and around the house and garden – for example painting, mowing the lawn, weeding, tidying up, or lending a hand with ongoing DIY projects.
  
  I currently have another Workawayer staying here who is experienced with DIY and repairs and is tackling some of the more demanding projects around the property. Some practical skills would therefore still be very welcome, especially if you enjoy working alongside someone else from time to time.
  
  After two very unfortunate injuries, I am mostly back on my feet again, but I haven’t quite got all my physical strength back yet. So at the moment, there are slightly more projects around the property than I have the time, energy or muscle power to tackle on my own. 😉
  
  ⸻
  
  One important thing to mention: life here is fairly simple and rustic. The house is over 270 years old and definitely not a perfectly modernised place. Rooms are rather small, there is no central heating and some of the walls probably wouldn’t suffer from a new coat of paint 😉
  
  That said, guests and friends usually describe the atmosphere here as cosy, relaxed and pleasantly alternative. While the house is admittedly a little rough around the edges in places, people also often compliment its warm atmosphere, character and somewhat eclectic style 😉
  
  So if you are looking for luxury, this is probably not the right place. But if you enjoy old houses with character, simplicity, nature and a slightly alternative atmosphere, you will probably feel quite at home here.
  
  ⸻
  
  I’m a humorous and curious person, with a bit of silliness and the occasional dose of sarcasm — and I’m not always able to keep it to myself. I enjoy a good laugh and usually manage to remain kind and positive, even though, given the current state of the world, that isn’t always easy.
  
  Spending a lot of time with young people probably helps me stay quite young in spirit – for better or worse 😉
  
  I value openness, mutual respect and tolerance, and I try to contribute to that in my everyday life.
  
  Being both German and French, I’ve often been told that I combine a German dry sense of humour, logic and Rhenish directness with a French zest for life, a love of good food and savoir-vivre.
  🌍🇪🇺🇩🇪🇫🇷🏳️‍🌈
  
  ⸻
  
  I am a teacher of French, English and German, and if you are interested I would be happy to offer one or two hours of German lessons per week.
  
  For many years I hosted language students and travellers who came to learn German with me. We often explored Cologne, Bonn and the Rhine region together. All of them left very positive feedbacks and many of them stayed in touch afterwards.
  
  ⸻
  
  The household also includes a rather large older dog, Karl, who is very friendly, remarkably people-oriented and always happy about attention and company, so this place is probably best suited for people who enjoy being around dogs.
  
  Even my friends who normally consider themselves “cat people” make an exception for him, as he is genuinely sweet — emotionally somewhere between an affectionate old soul and an overexcited kindergarten child 😉 but also well behaved and easy to get along with.
  
  That said, the animals are generally not allowed upstairs into the guest area, so you will still have your own quiet space and retreat.
  
  ⸻
  
  You will probably fit right in here if you:
  
  • enjoy nature and/or would like to get to know Cologne, Bonn and the Rhine
  • appreciate friendly and honest communication
  • enjoy hands-on tasks and have a practical mindset
  • can tell one screw from another
  • are able to work independently
  
  ⸻
  
  Please write a short message telling me:
  • who you are
  • where you come from
  • why you would like to come
  • what time period would work for you
  • whether you would bring a pet
  • what kind of experience you are hoping for and what you enjoy doing
  
  I look forward to hearing from you! 😊

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Jardinería básica

  Proyectos creativos DIY «hazlo tú mismo»

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento básico
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  Intereses

  

  Cuidado de plantas

  

  Fitness

  

  Acampada

  

  Playa

  

  Baile

  

  Navegar / barcos

  

  Actividades al aire libre

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Sostenibilidad

  

  Política / justicia social

  

  Mascotas

  

  Películas y televisión

  

  Eventos y sociedad

  

  Cultura

  

  Música

  

  Idiomas

  

  Historia

  

  Jardinería

  

  Bricolaje y manualidades

  

  Cocina y alimentación

  

  Carpintería

  

  Arte y diseño

  

  Arquitectura

  

  Animales
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  As a language teacher and former interpreter and translator, I enjoy cultural exchange with travellers and am happy to support you with learning German.
  
  Over the years, I have gained quite a bit of hands-on experience in construction and eco-friendly building methods, woodworking, working with stone and general DIY. I also spent some time working with a roofer and a year in a tree nursery, where I picked up some gardening experience as well.
  
  I’m always happy to exchange ideas and share knowledge and experience.
  
  And there are plenty of places to explore — perhaps a boat trip to the Drachenfels, where Siegfried defeated the dragon, or to the Loreley, where Rhine boatmen were enchanted by the singing of the Loreley maiden?
  
  Or perhaps a trip into the city: sitting on the Rheinboulevard, watching the Rhine flow past and looking across to Cologne Cathedral — from the “Schäl Sick”, the “wrong side” of the river, at least according to old Roman left-bank perspective. ;-)

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  Ayuda

  4–5 hours a day, 5 days a week
  
  (with flexible working hours if needed, for example to allow for day trips or other plans).
  
  At the moment, I already have a Workawayer staying here who is experienced with DIY and repairs and is taking on some of the more demanding projects around the property.
  
  So right now, I’m particularly looking for another friendly and reliable person who would enjoy helping with everyday life in the house, cooking and a mixture of lighter practical jobs in and around the house and garden.
  
  I would particularly appreciate help with:
  
  • cooking
  • keeping the kitchen and shared areas clean and tidy
  • general household tasks and helping to keep things organised
  • painting – for example the hallway, entrance area or garden fence
  • gardening, weeding and general outdoor maintenance
  • mowing and trimming when needed
  • tidying and organising the workshop or other areas around the property
  • lending a hand with ongoing DIY projects
  
  You certainly don’t need to be an experienced craftsperson, but some practical common sense and being comfortable with basic tools would be very welcome. There may also be opportunities to work together with the other Workawayer on some projects, depending on your skills and interests.
  
  The work is varied, and nobody is expected to do the same kind of tasks all the time. Of course, your skills, interests and physical abilities will always be taken into account.
  
  Let’s just say: it’s not exactly easy to get bored here. Projects have a habit of appearing the moment you keep your eyes open… 😉

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Alemán: Fluido
  Inglés: Fluido
  Francés: Fluido

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  I understand Italian fairly well, but I don’t really speak it. It is rather Italianised French with Italian endings (that are mostly wrong… 🙄😉) My approach: Learning a language is always a good thing!
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  Alojamiento

  You will have your own room.
  
  Available options:
  
  • two rooms with a bed (one with a single bed (1,10 m x 1,90 m) and one with a double bed (1,60 m x 2,00 m))
  • the attic with a sofa bed and a space for two persons above the attic (a small loft with a roof light above the attic that can be used as an additional sleeping space.)
  
  Kitchen and bathroom (with bathtub) are shared.
  
  Wi-Fi available (50 Mbit/s).
  
  Food and accommodation are provided.
  
  I provide the groceries, depending on preferences and what we need. Food here tends to be mostly vegetarian, although I’m happy to buy meat once or twice a week if wanted.
  
  By the way, the local drinking water from the Wahnbach reservoir (Wahnbachtalsperre) is excellent.

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  Algo más...

  Dogs are welcome, provided they are vaccinated, friendly and get along well with my animals: my dog, a tomcat and fourteen chickens.
  
  A female dog would be no problem at all. A friendly male dog could also work, as my dog usually gets along very well with other dogs. Only a dominant or even aggressive male would not be a good fit.
  
  Unfortunately, I can’t accommodate cats at the moment. My daughter’s cat is currently living here while she’s abroad. He has a heart condition, and introducing another cat would be too stressful for him.
  
  The entire property is securely fenced, so your dog can run around freely—as long as he doesn’t chase my cat or decide that my chickens look like lunch. 😉

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

  • 

    Acceso a Internet limitado

  • 

    Tenemos animales

  • 

    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  50,000 Internet Wi-Fi. – could be upgraded to 100,000.

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  Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas

  Campervans could stand in the yard or in the driveway.

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  Podría aceptar mascotas

  Este anfitrión dice que acepta a viajeros con mascotas.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Dos

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  Mis animales / mascotas

  Ursula, Mathilda und Friedrich

  

  Gary (3 años)

  

  Karl (11 años)

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