Help with off grid housing in Coursegoules, South of France

Infos

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  Description

  OFF-GRID EXPERIENCE in SOUTH OF FRANCE
  mid JUNE to mid-SEPTEMBER 2024.
  
  This family home/ estate, is almost as it was since the 19th century !
  No running water, no electricity, 3 miles earth track road ,
  We do our best to find a balance between keeping this spot, most self-sufficient as possible and yet bring some technology … no electricity in the houses, but one solar panel in order to charge our cell phones or lap tops . Water is taken from the well with buckets ... but we also have a generator in order to pump water for the vegetable garden, once a day and a jeep to travel.
  
  We live there during summers only. Grow our organic vegetable garden, shower outdoor in the field, do our best to improve many details on the property and hope you will help us with gardening, building, fixing, cooking, cleaning, improving inside & outside.
  
  OFF-GRID EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH OF FRANCE
  June to Mid-September 2024
  Step back in time with us at our family estate, untouched since the 19th century. Located 3 miles down an earth track road, we live off-grid with no running water or electricity. We balance self-sufficiency with select technologies—using solar panels to charge phones and Star Link for WiFi. We like paradox. Water is drawn from a well with buckets, but we also use a generator to pump water for our vegetable garden.
  
  OUR LIFE STYLE
  • Organic permaculture gardening
  • Outdoor showers and living
  • Cooking and eating mostly vegetarian meals from our garden
  • Practicing yoga and enjoying nature
  
  HELPER SKILLS NEEDED
  • Friendly, adaptable, and autonomous
  • Interest in ecology and sustainability
  • Ability to work both independently and in groups
  
  HELPER TASKS
  • Daily care of the 150m2 organic garden
  • Harvesting and preserving fruits and herbs
  • Construction and maintenance (woodworking, clearing barns, fixing doors, building platforms, or stone wall construction)
  • General cleaning and upkeep
  
  ACCOMMODATION
  • Stay in a 25 sqm collective tent for 3 with real beds and furniture
  • 2 independent bedrooms
  • Share most meals with us, with some flexibility for personal time
  • Enjoy the beauty of nature with evening candlelight and oil lamps
  
  LOCATION
  • Maison Marthe, in a nature reserve above Nice and Cannes uphill French Riviera
  • 45 minutes from Vence (06140) and 1h30 from Nice (06000) by car
  • Nestled at 850 meters in the mountains with stunning views and a nearby river (Le Loup)
  
  FACILITIES
  • 3 dry toilets, outdoor shower, and a well
  • Gas cooker, oven, barbecue, and a large wood oven for bread
  • Starlink Wifi
  • Solar electrical access to charge cell phones and laptops.
  • Evening lighting with candles and oil lamps
  • Comfortable beds, quality linens, and towels provided
  • Library with many French and English books
  
  PHILOSOPHY
  Experience the slow life in the highlands of Nice, near the Col de Vence (06140). Enjoy peaceful surroundings, organic food, and meaningful conversations under century-old linden trees. Embrace a lifestyle of simplicity, nature, and community. We will share with you the slow life philosophy of our project. In the highlands of Nice, close to the Col de Vence, (06140) where hides a timeless territory, a precious heaven in between mountains. You might have the feeling to be at the end of the world, but you will also find yourself at table for lunch, meeting interesting people. We believe charring good food, go back to a sense of nature, read, relax can be a powerful means for positive change. Here you will find just total peace and simplicity, the natural silence only enhanced by birds and the breeze. We enjoy sharing meals with our international friends visiting for a few days. This property far away from cities or villages , will be very calm at moments and yet busy because of our sens of "Tribe" mini of 6 Maxi 12 (2 permanent host + 2 or 3 helpers + 2 to 3 family-friends). You will be happy to join us under a century old linden tree for gorgeous sunsets with local wines and evenings by candlelight, sharing conversations together.
  
  DETAILS
  • Welcoming 2-3 helpers at a time, for a mini of 1 week and a maxi of 4 weeks
  • Helpers should speak basic English
  • Work 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
  
  TRANSPORT
  • Nearest airport: Nice (06000)
  • Nearest train stations: Antibes (06600) or Cagnes sur Mer (06800)
  • Car or BlaBlaCar: Vence (06140)
  • Helicopter can be an option Latitude & Longitude given upon request (smile/ joke)
  
  JOIN US
  Come live the off-grid dream with us.
  Enjoy the tranquility of Provence, the camaraderie of our tribe, and the satisfaction of hard work in nature.
  We look forward to sharing our unique lifestyle with you!
  Welcome to this unique place where time seems suspended: candlelight, old stone walls, handcrafted well, outdoor bathing, dry toilets and yoga platform in the wonderful Provence wilderness. We can't keep all of this to ourselves, so expect the company of some very friendly flies and spiders along with wild rabbits and deer.
  
  Oriane

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Bénévolat

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Entretien général

  Aide informatique/internet
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  YOGA
  you are welcome to practice yoga with us in the morning
  
  FRIENDS / TALKS/ EXCHANGE
  focus on art, and ecologie
  friends frequently walk by for lunch or stay a few days.
  you will have the mix feeling to be at "the end of the world", but you will find your self with big tables for lunch, and meet lots of interesting people who speak French and English
  
  RESSOURCING
  you will experiment an incredible way of life such as :
  - washing with cold water in the middle of the field (but you may heat the water, if you prefer)
  - use dry toilets out doors
  - discover evenings with no electrical lights, just candles, stars and conversations until late.
  - be waken-up by sheeps who have escaped, to come to our field because grass is all ways nicer from the neighbours !
  - walk during kilometers without meeting any one, gives you a great feeling of freedom
  - admire a sky full of stars & falling stars (there is no light from the cities, which explains why its so bright)
  - Walk to next village (45 minutes)
  - Walk to the river (1h going down the hill + 1h return)

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  Aide

  We are happy to welcome 2 or 4 helpers at the time,
  minimum of 2 weeks, maximum 1 month, from JUNE 10th to September 20th
  Helpers must speak a minimum of English as this will be the common language between all of us.
  6 hours a day / 5 day a week
  
  EVERYDAY HELP NEEDED FOR
  - 150 sqm ORGANIC VEGETABLE GARDEN: planting, watering, pruning, weeding, and clearing the vegetable garden, trees around the house, land clearing.
  - share the COOKING with me, mostly with the garden's organic vegetables (creative work)
  - Help for lunch and dinner, help cleaning and wash dishes in tour, every day
  
  PROJECTS
  - 2 Barnes : organise tools , get rid of the rubbish, broken tools, etc
  - Out door shower- platform to build in wood & instal cloth to create intimacy
  - create an herbarium booklete of local plants with a mix of botanical drawings & photographies (art direction work)
  - videos, reals about our life style, in order to build-up reputation of this futur Ecolodge to be in function in two years time.
  
  MEALS
  prepared & taken together, good food, lots of talks, please read the reviews of previous volunteers, on Workaway site

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Courant

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  Hébergement

  sleeping in large Safari tentes (25 sqm) provided with real beds, and sheets
  + 2 bedrooms independent

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  Autres infos...

  TIME OFF WHERE TO GO
  
  RIVER LE LOUP (1h walking down, 1 hour walking back up)
  WALKING BALLADE to different villages such as Courmes or Coursegoules. (1 hour walk)
  HORSES for ballade/ride at the private club "Ranche El Bronco" in Col de Vence - Coursegoules (90 minute walk to the ranch)
  BOOKS (you will find many english & french books in our library)
  BALS in a village near buy, where its a lot of fun to go dance !
  I drive to the city of VENCE every 3 or 4 days, so I can give you sometimes a lift back and forth.

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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 should have Star link by the end of July Otherwise you need 5G BOUYGUES card the best connection . Other providers such as FREE - ORANGE - SFR are bad connection

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  One van can be parked in a place with shade and enaugh light to fill the solar panel if you have one on your roof

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  5 heures par jour 5j/sem.

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