Help create order out of chaos and have fun in the process in Beara, Ireland

Infos

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  Description

  We (Anne and Adam) live in a stunning coastal setting on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. There are wonderful walks all around, great places for sightseeing and an abundance of unspoiled nature to explore. We have a wilderness/garden-in-the-making that needs a lot of care, wood that needs cutting and a house that we are in the process of moving into (still, after years!) We have a dog and three cats.
  
  The area is pretty remote - nearest road 1km away, nearest neighbour 2km, nearest village is ten minute drive away/1.5hour walk, but if you like fresh air, nature, wild Atlantic storms, a cosy fireside, coastal walks and star-studded nights and don't mind getting your hands dirty, this is the place for you. Also I'm a teacher of English as a foreign language so every work project is an opportunity to improve your English.
  
  Generally speaking we are only interested in two WorkAways at a time (couples or good friends willing to share a double bed!) The usual stay is around 4 weeks.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Projets artistiques

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Enseignement

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général

  Aide informatique/internet
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  I am a teacher of English as a second language and am happy to help guests improve their English as we work together, prepare meals etc and informally during social time. I have English grammar and vocabulary books you can use while you are here. I can also teach you a bit of Irish (aka Gaelic) if you are interested.
  
  We are very interested in literature, films and music and can tell you a lot about nature, wildlife and the local coastal environment and local history and current affairs. We can give very good tips on what there is to see and do in the area and in other parts of Ireland. You are welcome to join us, (or not), for yoga, dancing, walks, badminton, drumming and any other social activities and we love to cook and swap favourite recipes. You will get to know our friends and neighbours and will hopefully feel right at home. And I swim in the sea/lakes all year around so you are welcome to join me (or just stand and laugh) as you wish.
  
  Also, I am a professional interculturalist and so can give you good insights into intercultural communication and Irish culture in particular. You will definitely learn all about the sea, nature and the shoreline, rural living and how to recycle, upcycle, repurpose, cook and have a good time with very little expenditure! (One of your main tasks is to gently but firmly help me to reduce my hoarding....)
  
  And it's a two-way street so we'd love to hear your stories too and learn some of your languages.
  
  Also, you'll learn patience! I am always late for everything... sorry in advance!

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  Aide

  Depending on the weather (and we get a LOT of weather!) we would be doing tasks outdoors (weeding, beach-combing for driftwood, sawing firewood, gardening, collecting seaweed for compost, doing light track repairs, stone wall building, clearing out out-buildings, lining a duck pond, planting, creating a living willow wall, building a bonfire pit and barbecue, creating dead-hedges etc) or indoors (varnishing, painting, sanding, window washing and doing light house repairs and lots and lots and lots of clearing, cooking and cleaning. We love food (and Adam is vegetarian, well, pescatarian really), so we are always interested in recipe swaps and filling the freezer with new kinds of meals.
  
  You'd have be prepared to get wet and dirty (we provide hats, scarves, wellies and lots of practical work clothes/ gloves) but the help is fulfilling (creating order out of chaos!), varied and interesting.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Allemand: Courant
  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Courant
  Irish: Courant
  Espagnol: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  I'm an experienced teacher of English as a foreign language so every work project is an opportunity to improve your English. And I love languages so happy to do a language swap. Particularly keen to improve my French and Spanish and learn some Arabic, but am interested in getting a smattering of any language really. Can help you with English, German or Irish in return.
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  Hébergement

  You would have your own bedroom in the house with us. It's our study/guest bedroom. (There is a double bed so it's suitable for couples/close friends/family only.) It has its own entrance and a great view of the sea. There is an adjacent toilet/shower which is mainly for your own use - we mainly use the upstairs bathroom. And of course you can share our kitchen/living room and downstairs living area. It's warm and cosy and has a desk and chair suitable for laptop work.

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  Autres infos...

  Your own transport would be highly recommended as there is no local transport, but if you are happy to stay local there are a lot of lovely walks all around. We are happy to give you a lift if we are going into the local village or town for shopping etc, but we don't provide a taxi service. Be aware that where we live is remote: the nearest village (population 180) is 10km away (a one and a half hour walk - 3 hours there and back) and the nearest 'town' (population 1,000) is 20km away.
  
  That said, you are welcome to join us for sea/lake swimming, dancing, yoga, drumming or badminton which we go to most weeks.
  
  However, we have lots of books, films for you to borrow and we are happy to invite you for a game of cards or pool (billiards/snooker). There are interesting things nearby - ancient Celtic settlements and Bronze Age stone circles, a Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre (Dzogchen Beara) for meditation, art galleries, music in the pubs at night.
  
  Depending on our own work/study or family commitments we may be restricted in how much time we can spend entertaining guests, so it would be good if you were pretty self-motivated. That's why we would prefer couples or two friends who could keep themselves amused if necessary! That might mean curling up with a film or a good book in bad weather...
  
  We can usually only accommodate WorkAway guests off-season, (Oct - May) but keep an eye on our short notice availability also! The usual length of a stay is around a month.
  
  Also, it is relevant to know that Adam and I are both vaccinated against Covid 19 and take Covid regulations seriously. We have elderly and medically vulnerable family members and would expect any guests in our home to respect that and to also take reasonable steps to avoid Covid risk where and when necessary.

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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 pretty good WiFi connection from a mast, but if there is a big storm (which happens a few times a year, usually in winter) we can lose connection on the whole peninsula. This doesn't last very long but can happen. We are happy to have people who work on their projects from time to time, but if you never take your nose out of a screen it will be boring for everybody!

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  I would need to know the size of the van first. Huge wouldn't really work. And you wouldn't have access to electricity though we are glad to supply water, showering/toilet/cooking facilities. Just get in contact and we can work it out.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  We have a friendly, neutered male dog and three cats, so your pet would have to fit in with our menagerie (but it's something we could discuss). More than one dog, or a dog who tends to harass cats wouldn't work. No 2 meter pythons please!

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  4-5 hours a day, five days a week.

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