Descripción
We are Darlene and Byron. We are a photographer and a writer who moved from Los Angeles California to France in 2017. At this time we do not have children or pets. We almost speak French and we speak very bad Italian. We love interesting books, engaging films, great food and wonderful friends to share life with.

In 2019 we fell in under the spell of a beautiful 17th century chateau near the city of Nantes, in the Loire-Atlantique, 50 km from the Atlantic coast, and just a two hour train ride to Paris. Our chateau is partially classified as Monument Historique and the entire 16th century chapel is fully classified. It is in the beautiful, quiet French countryside, just about 6 kilometers from the center of town.

This is a working chateau. We are in a constant state of disrepair. In the entire chateau we have two working bathrooms and two showers. You must be comfortable sharing a bathroom and a shower. We are about four miles (6 kilometers) from the center of town and there is no public transportation. Therefore, having some form of transportation is ESSENTIAL (auto, scooter or bike).

We enjoy reading and we encourage you to bring your favorite books to share and when possible donate to our developing library. We are absolutely a NON SMOKING property.

This magnificent chateau has not been inhabited for over a decade and is in constant need of frequent cleaning, mostly from the dust and demolition materials. Restoration, paint, plaster, windows replacement is an ongoing process. We are looking to restore the chateau and then, most importantly fill with joyful friends and laughter. There is a lovely chapel, a wonderful gardian's house and a 5000 square meter walled garden, all of which have been neglected and must be restored (one half of the wall in the 'walled garden' has collapsed - we are gradually replacing each stone).

It is our intention to share our culture, share great meals, share our language, travel experiences, and with the help of this community to bring the chateau and each of its buildings back to life.
Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje
Práctica de idiomas
Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos
Jardinería
Construcción y bricolaje
Cocinar para toda la familia
Mantenimiento general
Ayuda informática
Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje
We hope you will learn more about this beautiful country, and the three major cities that we are near (Nantes, LeMans and Angers). Nantes was and is still a major shipping port. The cargo has changed over the centuries but it is still a beautiful interesting city. If you are a lover of fast cars, then LeMans will excite you because of it's racing history, and Angers was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and became one of the intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of René of Anjou. If you love all things green, then you will be pleased to know that Angers stands out for its specialization in the plant sector: Végépolys is Europe's leading horticultural competitiveness cluster, and the city is also home to the headquarters of the Community Plant Variety Office.

This is our home we want our guest to enjoy their time with us and take the opportunity to interact with the locals and learn the culture. We hope you will learn some knew skills and discover some skills that you didn't know you possessed.
Ayuda
We are most interested in those with a willingness to lend a helping hand with the ongoing cleaning, patching holes, replacing window glass, reviving a beautiful walled garden, planting a flower garden and restoring an old bread oven.

We are also in need of some skilled labor, specifically knowledge of plumbing, solar energy and carpentry (we have beautiful wooden floors and doors. Some will need replacing, all will need restoration).
Idiomas
Idiomas hablados
Inglés: Fluido
Francés: Intermedio
Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
I speak some Italian and I would like to improve it.
Alojamiento
We will provide full accommodations which includes all linens, food, beverages, fast internet access and warm beds . We have bedrooms with clean beds, linens, lights and furniture, armoires etc. We are animal lovers and vegetarians. We eat animal bi-product (cheese, butter, milk and eggs) but we do not purchase, eat or cook meat, fish, game or anything that had a face. There are no exceptions. We ask that our guests treat it as such.
Algo más...
We make a commitment to travel, meeting new people, learning new skills and languages and exploring and sharing new cultures. We encourage others to do the same.
Un poco más de información
- Acceso a Internet
- Acceso a Internet limitado
- Tenemos animales
- Somos fumadores
- Puede alojar familias
Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas
We do not have camping connections - electricity and water. However, if you have solar power or a generator there is ample space. Please provide more information about your vehicle and we can answer all questions.
Podría aceptar mascotas
There are hunting dogs on a nearby farm, there are wild boar in the surrounding woods and seasonally we host the farmers cows. We welcome all well behaved animals (no animals at/on the dining table - ever, no animals on the furniture - ever). There is an abundance of space for animals to roam freely in the front and back yards, and they are welcomed in the house.
¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?
Más de dos
Horas esperadas
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week