Enjoy nature and mountain-biking and help renovate an old farmhouse in Cussy en Morvan, France

Infos

• 

  Description

  Hi, we’re Paul & Jorinde. We’ve bought an old (farm)house in the Morvan Regional Natural Park (a protected area of woodlands, lakes and traditional farmland in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) in the middle of France, with outbuildings and 1,6 hectares of land full of trees, a few ponds and its own water well. From the property you walk directly up the hills for long walks or go for mountainbike rides.
  
  The house is situated in a small 'hameau' In the community Cussy-en-Morvan in the south-east of Parc naturel régional du Morvan’, a beautiful nature area in the middle of France, about 3 hours’ drive to Paris and 1 hour from Dijon. No light pollution makes for nights of stargazing and listening to owls calling each other from the high trees and forest starting at the back of the garden.
  
  We're seeking help from people who love nature and would like to help us with work around the house and in the garden (we've just started with development of a food forest). In 2023 we're focussing on the build of an outdoor wellness area, pizza oven and converting the old hangar (where they used to store the agriculture machines) into a sort of lounge area, as well as an orangerie. Additonally we need a lot of help in the garden this year.
  
  We're both in our early 50ties and happily unmarried together for over 25 years. Paul has worked in IT and construction and in his spare time always very active; renovating house, building motorbikes and lots and lots of mountain biking and always up to try out new things. His latest project a hot tub on wheels, built from scratch. When you come to stay with us, be sure to take advantage of his mountain bike experience. He's been an MTB guide and instructor for many years (in the Netherlands, Germany, and the Austrian, Swiss and Italian Alps), specialized in teaching beginners with his patience the basics of mountain biking, but he can also learn the more experienced cyclist some tricks. I (Jorinde) have always worked in international marketing roles and as such travelled the world and enjoyed other cultures. I love learning new skills, arts & crafts, love cooking & baking, and I know my way around with DYI tools as well. Aside a vegetable plot, I also recently started with a food forest for which I can definately use some help throughout the year. As I'm vegetarian there's no meat on the menu, but Paul still enjoys some meat (which had a good life) now and again, so there might be some on the table occasionally.
  
  We've got two pets; ‘Feya’ our 3 year old dog and ‘Zwerver’ our cat who used to be a stray cat roaming around the neighbourhood and who adopted us one day some years ago. Gradually we're expanding our animal troops with some chickens and who knows what else once we're settled a bit more.
  
  While we do have a lot of DYI skills ourselves and we’ll have sometimes professionals helping us with the renovations, it’s a lot of work and therefore seeking help with all kind of tasks. And… we’d especially love it if you have skills, expertise, or knowledge we don’t possess ourselves, so we can learn from each other when you’re staying with us.
  
  Please get in touch if you are interested or would like further information.
  
  Paul & Jorinde

• 

  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux
• 

  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  We’re open to exchange ideas & practices of DYI skills, cooking, gardening, and - if time permits - we'd love to take you on our hikes and/or MTB rides to show you the beautiful and peaceful nature the Morvan has to offer.
  
  Paul is an experienced mountain-bike guide and instructor from the Netherlands (with lots of guiding in the Alps), so if you don't have mountain bike experience yet, he'll be happy to take you for a ride and ensure that by the end of your stay you feel confident going downhill offroad. And if you've got MTB experience, you get the chance to enjoy some nice rides together. We have a mountainbike you can borrow to go for a ride during your stay.

• 

  Aide

  We are looking for help renovating the buildings, and in our 1,6 hectare piece of land in which there's always plenty to do since it's full of old trees.
  
  Winter '22-23 we will be focussing on the build of an outdoor sauna, pizza oven and converting the old hangar (where they used to store the agriculture machines) into a sort of lounge area, as well as an orangerie.
  
  We'd love the find someone (or couple/friends) who is practical, flexible, hands-on, not afraid to get their hands dirty, willing to learn and looks after the tools and equipment they use. It would be great if you've already got some DYI skills. Standards of finish are important to us and we would rather do a job once but properly, than quickly but again.
  
  Work would be alongside us, 4-5 days a week with 25 hours max in total.

• 

  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Hollandais: Courant
  Allemand: Débutant
  Français: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  We particularly would love to host native French speakers in order to accelerate our French language learning, but we welcome everyone. We can learn you some Dutch and/or English.
• 

  Hébergement

  A private living space with seating area, small kitchen, bedroom and private bathroom. We'll provide 3 meals a day for you during your stay with us.

• 

  Autres infos...

  Quality time for yourself and / or each other if you come here together. Opportunities to recharge your batteries and relax in a beautiful landscape. Many possibilities for recreation in nature; hiking, biking, horse riding, climbing, rafting etc. And you're in Burgundy, known for its great wines so if you're into wine be sure to go for a wine-tasting.
  
  Our place is located in the Morvan, a regional natural park. The granite massif of the Morvan is the nearest mountain range to Paris and covered with forests, and dotted with lakes. Ideal for people who love nature and outdoor living. It does mean though that the area is quite remote and there's not really (that much) public transport to get around. You would need your own transportation method.
  
  There's also culture to explore! What makes the Morvan special is that you can enjoy the countryside whilst being able to discover renowned heritage sites. In Autun, a town of "art and history", you can take a stroll and explore both Roman and Romanesque architecture. On the other side of the region, you can also explore the town of Vézelay, perched on its "eternal hill", and designated a UNESCO world heritage site. And it was on Mont Beuvray that Bibracte was built, the capital of our ancestors, the Aedui people. Abandoned in Roman times in favour of town of Autun, the ancient settlement has for years been the subject of archaeological excavations. Scientists have discovered fortifications, caves, houses, and many objects used in daily life. Many of these objects are on display at Beuvray museum, located at the foot of the fortress. You can visit the archaeological digs with its twisted, hundred-year-old beech trees, legendary rocks, and sacred streams.

• 

  Informations complémentaires

  • 

    Accès Internet

  • 

    Accès Internet limité

  • 

    Nous avons des animaux

  • 

    Nous sommes fumeurs

  • 

    Familles bienvenues

• 

  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  We have a 2 -persons gite in which you will be staying (either alone or with 2 if you're travelling together). The gite has a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom all for you (and your travel partner). There is also a good internet connection.

• 

  Espace pour garer des vans

  We've got plenty of space to park your own campervan or motorhome during your stay with us and be surrounded by nature

• 

  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  We've got a dog and cat ourselves, so we're open to accept your pet as well of course as long as it's friendly to dogs and cats.

• 

  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

• 

  Nombre d'heures attendues

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 4-5 days a week (max 25 hrs a week)