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Évaluation d'hôte
90 %
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Last replied
2 nov. 2026
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25
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Trouvez votre hôte idéal
Séjour min. souhaité : Au moins un mois
Infos
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Description
We welcome Workaways from the begining of April into November each year. We've been doing this since 2012.
General building and grounds maintenance, gardening, cleaning, cooking ... language exchange (French, Spanish, German, Farsi).
We are looking for people who especially enjoy rural life and a variety of tasks.
Woodworking, DIY, maintenance and gardening knowledge would be an advantage.
Self motivated folks who do not require micromanagement. We like autonomy, creativity and work ethic! 🙂
Musicians, linguists and anyone willing to share a laugh in the communal time ...
Singles or couples are welcome.
To see more in-depth information about work, accommodation and hours, see the 'HELP' and 'ACCOMMODATION' sections lower down.
We live in the mountains at the foot of Mount Canigou, 1hr from the Mediterranean on the French-Spanish border, in a truly beautiful wild setting. We are approximately 2 hrs north of Barcelona, and 1 hr south-west of Perpignan. We have a large old farmhouse with several outbuildings, a swimming pool and 25+ acres of land, forest and river.
And we've no neighbours to see or hear!
We have a small rustic campsite, with two 16m2 bell tents on wooden platforms in a forest near the stream : there is also a summer kitchen with hammocks and tents, an outside shower and dry toilet and large camp fire. This accommodates a maximum of 6 people in the summer months. Just friends, family and workawayers.
We have solar hot water for three of our buildings and the main house. We use water from the stream, gravity-fed, and are installing a new storage tank with purification and filters. We heat almost entirely with our own wood.
We grow our own vegetables in new polytunnels and raised beds. We were self sufficient for years (vegetables, eggs, wood, water etc).
We plan get back to this, and to install our own hydro-electric generator next year, with water from one of the old aqueducts that once fed the land when it was an apple farm.
We have chickens and sheep (only a couple left now), a Border Collie called Blue, cats and a pond with fish … and there is plenty of local wildlife in our forests: wild boar, roe deer, foxes, griffon vultures ...
We ran guided mountain walking holidays for small groups in May and October. We no longer do this, but know the routes and still enjoy them ourselves.
We have lived in this southern-most region of France, overlooking the Spanish border, since 2005.
My wife Ashley was a trained classical singer, but she passed in 2023 after 12 years fighting cancer from the age of only 34. So it's just me (Simon) and Sophia (my teenage daughter) now.
Before Ashley passed we were pretty self-sufficient (eggs, meat, vegetables, wood etc). But in the last 6 years our flock of sheep has diminished and we are well underway restablishing the vegetable garden. We are just finding balance again, on our beautiful peaceful mountain. 🙂
I (Simon) am a lapsed anthropologist, who owned and ran an IT company in Edinburgh. I worked on WWOOF farmsteads in the mid 90s (WWOOF - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms).
Sophia, my daughter, still lives at home and helps out with many tasks. She's studying A Levels online in French, Spanish, German and Politics.
We love having down to earth, friendly, intelligent and multilingual guests!
If you're light of heart, got a spring in your step, don't mind graft, happy to chip in and can lend a tune or spin a yarn ... Then come along! -
Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre
Pratique d’une langue
Aide avec des éco-projets
Enseignement
Jardinage d'entretien
Projets DIY créatifs
Cuisine/repas pour la famille
Aide à la maison
Petits travaux d'entretien
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Centres d’intérêt
Culture
Politique/justice sociale
Vie en van
Soin des plantes
Musique
Langues
Jardinage
Bricolage / artisanat
Cuisine et alimentation
Menuiserie
Livres
Nature
Danse
Montagne
Randonnée -
Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre
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Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre
You can improve your language skills. We are native English speakers.
Simon speaks English, German, French and Spanish. Sophia speaks English and French. Sophia is also learning Spanish and German.
You can learn about gardening, land management, fencing, maintenance, repairs, small building projects ...
You'll experience a way of life that is quite different from how most modern urbanites live, and hopefully really enjoy it.
So if you are a multi-lingual musician you are very welcome - especially fiddlers, guitarists and singers! -
Aide
THE DEAL
For accommodation and food, we ask for the standard Workaway hours: 25 hrs per week. If at all possible we prefer to stick to 5hrs per day 5 days a week, with weekends off. Approx 9.30am to 1.30pm, then an hour after lunch. This routine isn't always possible during the high summer though (July and August).
Aside from the work hours above, you will be expected to keep your own accomodation clean, and to share in cooking and cleaning up after meals.
SPRING
During April, May and June - your help will include planting the vegetable garden, weeding, minor maintenance, painting, carpentry, small building projects, strimming fields, fencing repairs.
SUMMER
During July and August the work has no building element.
Help with gardening, maintaining the pool area, cooking and general household tasks (cleaning, laundry). As well as language support for my daughter is required (helping maintain her French and improve her German and Spanish, if those are some of your languages).
And fun with music and yoga?
AUTUMN
During September, October and November your help will include: making minor repairs, painting, small DIY projects, strimming, foresty clearing, field tidying, fencing repairs, and gardening.
As this is an exchange, we will share ours, but any skills that you can pass onto us will be much appreciated!
We are acquiring new ones all the time! Language - music?!
CURRENT PROJECTS (2026, 2027)
(1) Vegetable Garden: re-establishing the 20 vegetable beds after they were destroyed by cows a few years ago and haven't been used since. Putting up new polytunnels, improving the chicken fencing. Adding shade netting to protect vegetables beds ...
(2) Improving the Glamping Site: this is purely for our use. That means us, you, and friends. It's an area to kick back in mid summer, to sit around the fire at night, hang in hammocks in the day, listen to the forest and stream ...
(3) Fields & Fencing: re-establishing the extensive acacia post fencing so that we can have sheep back. These have been damaged since COVID, by numerous increasingly severe storms and ensuing treefall, as well as wildboar and neighbours' cows.
(4) Field clearing, strimming, forest management, wood processing. Repairing paths. Putting in new agricultural gates ...
(5) River Clearing: making more access points for picnic tables and paths along the 1.5km of river on our property ...
(6) Summer shade: putting up metal pergolas over terraces to create shade in the summer ...
(7) Woodwork: charging a wooden staircase, studwork. Window and door maintenance, making shutters ... -
Langues
Langues parlées
Allemand: Courant
Anglais: Courant
Français: Courant
Espagnol: Intermédiaire
Persian (Farsi): DébutantCet hôte propose un échange linguistique
I speak English, German, French and Spanish in order of fluency, and I'm learning Farsi. Looking for native speakers to help our daughter improve her French and learn German and Spanish. Farsi speakers welcome! 🙂 -
Hébergement
During July and August you would have a room in the main house with us in the main season (July/August). Or in the Bell Tents in the private camping area during this period. These are on raised wooden platforms with 2x single beds in each. There's a covered platform for sitting and hammocks. And a rustic shower and dry toilet. This is only for workaway, ourselves and friends and has a campfire area. So it's a chilled peaceful atmosphere. We only use this from about end of June to mid September at the latest.
Outside the main season, accommodation may be available in one of our self-contained apartments (gîtes) when not in use. -
Autres infos...
Having your own transport would be useful for your days off, but it is possible without, as we could drop you off when necessary. I tend to only drive down the valley a maximum of once a week.
Public transport begins at Le Tech Village 6km from our farm, where buses will take you to Perpignan for 1 Euro. The next village (Montferrer) is 3km: a 15 minute bike ride.
The coast is not far away (1hr) and there are many small towns to visit in the area (in Spain and France). There are also plenty of mountain walks.
To truly take advantage of being in the mountains and so near to the Mediterranean, and of being so close to Spain (Figueras 1hr, Girona 1.5hrs, Barcelona 2hrs), having your own transport would be a bonus.
Bikes of course are also a possibility! -
Informations complémentaires
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Accès Internet
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Accès Internet limité
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Nous avons des animaux
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Nous sommes fumeurs
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Familles bienvenues
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Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads
I've two internet connections now for reliability. One data modem router and one Starlink satellite router. I work on Salesforce projects myself, so connection is imperative.
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Espace pour garer des vans
Cet hôte a de la place pour les vans.
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Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?
Plus de 2
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Mes animaux
Blue (10 ans)
Full of life. Can still run the pants off most dogs because he's super fit. 😂
Discutez avec des workawayers qui ont séjourné chez cet hôte
Feedback (12)
This way too late review won’t do justice to the beautiful summer you gave us in France!
From the first moment, when Simon picked us up, we found ourselves having incredibly interesting and deep conversations about everything and nothing at the same time. Simon, you are not only so wise and reflective, but also one … read more
They picked up new skills quickly, worked hard and got stuck into whatever needed doing without fuss. They fitted into mountain life brilliantly and … read more
From the moment she arrived, she was easy-going, friendly and completely comfortable to have around. She has a lovely combination of being independent and self-motivated while also being genuinely sociable and interested in the people and environment around her. … read more
She’s brilliant company, gets stuck into everything with a … read more
Photos
Discutez avec des workawayers qui ont séjourné chez cet hôte
Feedback
Ce sont des évaluations supplémentaires en option lorsque les membres laissent un feedback. La note moyenne pour chaque option est affichée.
Exactitude du profil:
(4.5)
Échange culturel:
(5.0)
Communication:
(4.3)
This way too late review won’t do justice to the beautiful summer you gave us in France!
From the first moment, when Simon picked us up, we found ourselves having incredibly interesting and deep conversations about everything and nothing at the same time. Simon, you are not only so wise and reflective, but also one … read more
They picked up new skills quickly, worked hard and got stuck into whatever needed doing without fuss. They fitted into mountain life brilliantly and … read more
From the moment she arrived, she was easy-going, friendly and completely comfortable to have around. She has a lovely combination of being independent and self-motivated while also being genuinely sociable and interested in the people and environment around her. … read more
She’s brilliant company, gets stuck into everything with a … read more
Not letting a host know before is not good etiquette.
Nor is not turning up, and apologising a day later.
What really sets Annie apart is her initiative and intuition. She has a natural … read more
He was great to have around, he chipped in with everything and did not shy away from hard graft! He picked up things really quickly and did a wonderful job of everything he was asked to do.
He was good company in the evenings and heartily enjoyed sharing a meal and a glass of wine, with good banter.
Sam, you are … read more
All the silly clichés aside: tending your own land, growing your own vegetables, building your business from scratch, earning … read more
The work is really varied and they gave us lots of responsibility. We helped with everything from growing … read more
Ziggy is a charming guy, with maturity and common sense well beyond his years. He was always helpful and hard working, and happy to turn his hand even to things that he didn't necessarily like … read more
I can't thank you all enough for the great stay I had in Montferrer. You were all incredibly welcoming from day one and I certainly felt like part of the family by the end of my stay. The house is in a beautiful location and was just the sort of place I was looking for. I enjoyed getting to know all of you and … read more
They were an absolute joy to be around. Positive, cheery, full of humour and not afraid of hard work.
We had loads of fun with them over meals, good banter, good hard work and good craic ...
Can't recommend them more highly. And Sophia misses them soooo much! Please come … read more
Glenn is a hardworking chipper kiwi, with a sense of humour to die for, literally! Ann-Soph a thoughtful, genuinely lovely French lass able to turn her hands to many … read more
We had a great time with you all, thanks especially to Sophia for looking after Liam and sharing your toys, what a little princess you are.
The accommodation provided was fantastic and we had a wonderful first workaway experience.
Great people in a beautiful environment , wishing you … read more
In my time in the Pyrenees, I learned to love, love, love walking in the mountains, listening to the wild river right below the house and swimming in … read more
She arrived at a difficult time for us as a family. My wife Ashley was very ill (now thankfully completely cured) and I was in the middle of a very large building project with a ridiculous deadline.
We … read more
