Experience simple, countryside living on a small farm inside a natural park in Marvão, Portugal

Detalhes

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  Descrição

  Roll up your sleeves and join me in some delightful, dirty tasks here on my small farm in the interior of Portugal. My farm (just under 1 hectare) is set within a beautiful natural park in the interior of Portugal near the Spanish border. The farm has been left for some time but has a small house where I live, lots of open flat land, a handful of olive and fruit trees, neglected shelters previously used to house animals, an old bread oven/smoke house, a detached garage, and a small ruin. It's a wonderful, peaceful property set within a small, mostly abandoned hamlet halfway between the small city of Portalegre and the hilltop villages of Marvão and Castelo de Vide. It's the perfect place to connect deeply with nature, embrace the slow, natural rhythms of life in the countryside, practice community in action, and gain some skills and stories to share.
  
  I'm interested in people coming for short term exchange up to a week, to help alongside me with the various tasks that are part of life here.
  
  I am a first-generation Portuguese immigrant and former professor of the performing arts from Portland, Oregon, USA. Now I spend my time doing massage therapy from my home studio, teaching a bit of yoga, and living slowly, deliberately and in a growing connection with this place. I spent the last few years living on an off-grid, organic farm where I practiced ancestral living and honed my skills as a gardener and someone capable of greater self-reliance and reduced consumption. The experience and influence remain and I still work hard but with a bit more comfort and playfulness in my life.
  
  I am accompanied by a very old, fluffy, ball of unconditional love and loyalty that is my dog Subi. She is very intuitive and gets along well with other animals should you also have a well-behaved, well-socialized beastie friend. She is also quite old and increasingly slowing down and facing ailments associated with her age.
  
  My home is my sanctuary and I enjoy the peace and quiet that I came here for which is also necessary to do the tasks that I do on-site. We'll be a good fit if you are really keen to spend time in nature, with nature, for nature, as nature meaning not needing a lot of stimulation, noise, and distraction. That doesn't however exclude playfulness, humor, and spontaneous kitchen dance parties.
  
  Please note that this is a queer-friendly space. Freaks, faeries, and feminists...oh my.

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  Tipos de ajuda e oportunidades de aprendizado

  Projetos artísticos

  Ajuda em projetos ambientais

  Ensino

  Jardinagem

  Cuidar de animais

  Criar/cozinhar refeições caseiras

  Ajuda a cuidar da casa

  Manutenção geral

  Cuidar de casas e pets
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  Interesses

  

  Filmes e TV

  

  Autodesenvolvimento

  

  Fazenda

  

  Política/justiça social

  

  LGBTQ

  

  Cultura

  

  Música

  

  Livros

  

  Faça você mesmo

  

  Idiomas

  

  Jardinagem

  

  Culinária e comida

  

  Escrever

  

  Yoga/bem-estar

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Camping

  

  Dança

  

  Atividades ao ar livre

  

  Caminhada
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  Objetivos de sustentabilidade da ONU que este anfitrião quer atingir

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  O que é isso?
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  Oportunidades de intercâmbio cultural e aprendizado

  In addition to learning new skills through the hands-on tasks we will do and the informal exchanges that take place throughout your stay I'm happy to take volunteers along to local events when the timing aligns or to take a day to visit another area, go for a hike, or take in a show or movie at the local cultural center.
  
  There is an increasingly diverse community here and usually at least one or more opportunities per week to participate in some manner whether it's gathering for a pizza party, a harvest celebration, a performance, a workshop, a tea ceremony, or a village celebration, there is a surprising amount of activity for such a small area.
  
  More details or options can be discussed when making arrangements on an individual basis.

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  Ajuda

  There is an indescribable joy and contentment that comes with helping the land together, seeing the immediate impact, and knowing that we are with every step becoming better stewards of this earth. We are communal creatures and derive great satisfaction from participating in community and seeing our work live on in the lives of others. Experiential learning is key here and we will ideally swap skills and stories while co-creating.
  
  There are many ways to contribute here and the tasks depends on the season and what is needed at any given time. At this point, I am not taking on any larger projects so tasks would be more day to day tasks like:
  -clearing the land (cutting grass, pruning, clearing bracken, etc)
  -harvesting and processing what is in season
  -weeding
  -pruning trees (if you have the appropriate knowledge)
  -moving and stacking fire wood
  -digging channels around the property to prevent flooding and encourage water to flow where it is most needed
  -repairing stone walls
  -cleaning around the house
  -food preparation
  -dog care
  -house/dog sitting
  
  In 2026 I will also be working more outside of the farm and potentially needing general support (cleaning, cooking, pet care, shopping, etc) and maybe even some dog/house sitting opportunities for the right person.
  
  ***Aside from help here on the farm there are things that I'm very interested in and would love to learn more about. If you have expertise in any of the following and would like to share, please be in touch!
  
  -ceramics (especially wood firing, creating natural pigments, foraging clay, ceramic sculpture)
  -food (love learning regional cuisine, more plant-based options, kitchen wizardry, etc)
  -wine (do you make wine? are you a sommelier? want to geek out on wine together? extra points for low intervention!)
  -marketing (hellp me promote the women's gatherings I host here in Portugal)
  -bodyworkers (While I am regularly caring for others, I rarely receive much needed bodywork and would welcome an exchange)

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas
  Inglês: Fluente
  Espanhol: Intermediário
  Português: Intermediário

  Este anfitrião oferece intercâmbio de idiomas
  Italian and French are at the top of the list for me currently.
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  Acomodação

  Accommodations are limited here. Sleeping on the land is wonderful, but understandably not for everyone.
  
  I have lots of open space for a tent and I have had people pass here with vans and smaller campers with no problem though the only parking is in the driveway at the entrance of the house. Larger campers would likely not navigate the walled entrance with steep incline well.
  
  The bathroom is at the front of the house with a door that separates it from the rest of the house and can be accessed at any time. This entrance also features a lovely nook with picture windows looking out towards the garden and a table/desk to work at or to sit and enjoy a cup of tea. There is a covered patio just outside the house.
  
  The house where I live is small, the size of an average studio apartment. It has an open kitchen/dining with wood burner and 2 small bedrooms. One is my bedroom and the other is a sitting room with a couple of comfy chairs and books.There is now a sofa bed in this spare room that might be used during your stay. Downstairs I have my massage studio with separate entrance.
  At this time the best option would be to host 1-2 (a couple) workaway volunteers at a time. I cannot accommodate families.
  
  Wifi is through my mobile phone and works well for internet basics and streaming. I have had mostly good luck with Zoom meetings but it's not always consistent. We are in the countryside.
  
  I will provide food to make meals during your stay. We can eat collectively and divide food prep and clean up duties on a rotating basis. I am a vegetarian-leaning omnivore and am happy to accommodate vegetarians. I focus on eating locally and seasonally and am happy to take you to a local market to do a tour and buy fresh produce for your time here when schedules permit. Vegan meals happen often by accident here but please know that animal products are prepared and used in my kitchen.

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  Algo mais...

  This area is naturally, historically, and culturally rich and offers a lot to explore during a short period. There are many walking paths in the area and September through May are wonderful for enjoying a nice, long stroll. The farm is located about a 15 minute drive to most places of interest. If you wish to do a lot of site-seeing you'll need your own transportation. However I am happy to arrange pick-up/drop-off from Portalegre for those who wish to bus out here. Shorter walks are an option directly from the farm and Subi is always happy to accompany you.

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  Mais alguns detalhes

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    Acesso à internet

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    Acesso à internet limitado

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    Temos mascotes

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    Somos fumantes

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    Pode hospedar famílias

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  Espaço para estacionar campervans

  Contact me regarding the size and needs of your camper. More details are in the overall description.

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  Pode aceitar animais

  Please contact me directly with details about any pets you will be bringing with you. My property is not completely fenced in and neighboring properties are full of sheep. My dog is socialized, elderly, and gentle.

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  Quantos Workawayers pode acomodar?

  2

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  Meus animais / animais de estimação

  

  Subi

Segurança do site

Converse com Workawayers que já visitaram este anfitrião

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