Share our slow country life with horses, nature and woodland in beautiful Molières, France

Infos

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  Description

  We are Stéphanie (49yo) and Éric (57yo) and we live in the Dordogne, in the Périgord region of southwest France, surrounded by beautiful and peaceful countryside.
  
  We chose to settle here a few years ago to live closer to nature and our animals. We share our daily life with several dogs, a cat and our horses, who live in the fields around the house.
  
  This is first and foremost our home and our little corner of the world. We enjoy country life, animals, wide open spaces and the slower pace that living here allows us.
  
  I’m a freelance graphic designer and ceramic artist. I have my pottery studio here at home, where I work whenever my graphic design schedule allows. Éric, together with a few other local residents, has taken over the village bar and restaurant as a cooperative, helping to keep the heart of our little village of 300 inhabitants alive.
  
  We would like to occasionally welcome one or two people who would enjoy sharing a little of this lifestyle with us while discovering our beautiful region.
  
  We don’t offer an organised tourist programme or expect to spend all our time together. We enjoy sharing a meal, a drink or an activity, but we also really value our independence and quiet time. We therefore appreciate people who are independent too, happy to have their own rhythm and enjoy their free time as they wish.
  
  If you love animals, nature, wide open spaces and a simple country lifestyle, you should feel very much at home here.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Jardinage d'entretien

  S’occuper des animaux

  Aide dans une ferme

  Petits travaux d'entretien
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Vie en van

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Animaux de compagnie

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Jardinage

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Art et design

  

  Photographie

  

  Musique

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Animaux

  

  Sports d’hiver

  

  Randonnée

  

  Montagne

  

  Cyclisme

  

  Camping

  

  Nature

  

  Activités en plein air
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  About 25 years ago, I spent a year in Australia, including some time WWOOFing with a local family. I have very fond memories of that experience: it was through sharing everyday life with them that I really learned English and discovered a different culture and way of life.
  
  We would like our Workawayers to experience our everyday life here in rural France. There are many things we can share and teach depending on your interests. You can learn about living with and caring for horses, maintaining land and woodland, and possibly discover traditional horse logging with Éric and John, our draft horse. I am also a ceramic artist and will be happy to introduce you to my studio and share some of my work and knowledge about ceramics if you are interested.
  
  Personally, I think there are few better ways to get to know someone than going for a long walk with the dogs. I will be very happy to show you some of the beautiful paths and countryside around our home. Nature is generous here too: depending on the season, we might go out together to pick mushrooms, wild asparagus, walnuts or chestnuts.
  
  We will be happy to share meals together and introduce you to our friends and local community. If you would like to experience what we call *“la France profonde”* — authentic rural France, far away from the tourist trail — and if you enjoy the sound of an accordion, come with us to Le Poquelin, our cooperative village bar and restaurant.
  
  We organise traditional folk dances and music evenings there, which are quite unique and a wonderful glimpse into local village life. If you play an instrument, you are very welcome to join the musicians, or simply come along and learn some of the traditional group dances with us.
  
  For us, cultural exchange goes both ways. We are curious about other countries, cultures and ways of life, and we look forward to hearing about yours, practising languages, sharing food, ideas and experiences, and hopefully learning something from each person who stays with us.
  
  Welcoming travellers today has a special meaning for me. It feels like a lovely way to give back some of what I was lucky enough to receive in Australia all those years ago — an experience I still remember very fondly.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  With several hectares of land, pastures, woodland and animals, what we mainly need is an extra pair of hands to help us maintain the property.
  
  Depending on the season and what needs doing at the time, this might include clearing vegetation, maintaining fences and horse paddocks, cutting and collecting wood, keeping paths clear, gardening, small DIY tasks and occasionally helping us with the animals.
  
  Most of the help is therefore fairly physical. We are looking for people who are independent, practical, enjoy working outdoors and don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Previous experience with DIY, gardening, forestry help or horses is of course a bonus, but it is not essential.
  
  Éric also practises traditional horse logging with John, his draft horse. Depending on the work and the time of year, if this interests you, you may have the opportunity to join us and help bring wood out of the forest with him.
  
  We ask for around 3-4 hours of help per day. In exchange, we provide accommodation and meals. You will have your own bedroom with one double bed and one single bed, and the rest of the day is yours to explore the area, go walking or simply enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Courant
  Allemand: Intermédiaire

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
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  Hébergement

  You will have your own private bedroom with one double bed and one single bed.
  The bathroom is shared with us, and you will have access to the kitchen in the house. We can share some meals together and, from time to time, go down to the village to join Éric at the bar and restaurant and enjoy a little of the local village life.

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  Autres infos...

  We really do live in the countryside: peace and quiet, nature and animals are part of everyday life here. Our dogs live with us and the horses are all around the house, so it is important that you feel comfortable around animals.
  
  We appreciate people who are independent and happy to do their own thing. We will be glad to share meals, conversations or activities with you, but our days can also be quite busy and we won’t always be available. You should therefore be comfortable having time to yourself.
  
  There is no public transport from the house. However, the nearest train station is in the next village, about 10 minutes away by car, and we will of course be happy to pick you up and drop you off there.
  
  Our village is about a 30-minute walk from the house. There you will find the cooperative bar and restaurant, as well as a small community-run grocery shop.
  
  Having your own vehicle is a bonus if you want to explore the region freely, but it is not essential. We can lend you a bicycle and, whenever we are going somewhere, you are of course welcome to come along if you would like to.
  
  We will also be happy to share our favourite places with you and suggest things to see and do in the area.

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  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

  We have a fast and reliable Starlink internet connection, so working online is not a problem despite our rural location. Help will generally be in the morning, for around 3-4 hours, leaving you the rest of the day free to work remotely or organise your time as you wish. We can of course be a little flexible depending on your work commitments and the activities planned.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  We have plenty of space on the property for vans and campervans. Depending on what you prefer, you can park close to the house or choose a more secluded and peaceful spot, where you can have your own cosy little corner surrounded by nature. We can choose the most suitable place together depending on your vehicle and the time of year.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  We already have four dogs at home. They are friendly and sociable and are used to our friends bringing their dogs over, which generally works very well. However, they live as a pack and can be quite assertive in their interactions. This can sometimes feel a little overwhelming for a very shy dog or one that is not used to being around several dogs at once. We also have a cat who lives with us, so it is essential that your dog is completely comfortable around cats and does not chase them. Our horses also live right next to the house, in a stable area adjoining the garden. Your dog should therefore be used to horses or, at the very least, be able to remain calm around them and not bark at them constantly. We can welcome a Workawayer with a dog as long as they are sociable with other dogs and respectful of all our animals. We would simply prefer to discuss it beforehand to make sure everyone will be comfortable living together.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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