Help with the restoration of an ancient small castle/farm of the 12th century in a magnificent and preserved landscape, South of France. I will be happy to welcome you and share some happy work moments in the South of France near the Pyrenees Mountains.
I am restoring a building originating from the 12th century located at about 600 m altitude near the city of Foix (medieval city of about 10 000 inhabitants). It is an ancient small castle from the Cathar period transformed later on into a farm with about 20 hectares of meadows and forest in a magnificent and preserved mountainous landscape. There are many beautiful location to visit (including ancient Cathar castles) and possible activities in the surroundings (lake where you can swim or sail, mountain hiking, gliding, paragliding, rock climbing...).
I definitely need help right now to restore a few wood windows (sanding and painting) and in the meadows and forest (cleaning, collecting wood...) but there are many other things to do. It can be for example helping with housework (cooking, cleaning...), with maintenance and repair of motorized tools, with construction work, with gardening or planting trees... depending on your skill and wishes.
It can be useful if you have some experience with at least one of these tasks but in any case I'll be happy to teach if you are willing to learn. More important than your experience is your will to help, learn and share. Specifics are negotiable but I would generally expect 4-6 hours of work 5 days a week.
It can be possible to include in your stay a few days in the city of Toulouse (regional capital of about 500 000 inhabitants, fourth largest city in France) if you are interested. It is a one hour drive by car. This is an Eco-friendly project and my family and I are vegetarian.
Gardening
Building
Babysitting / child care
Cooking / shopping
General Maintenance
Farming
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
25 hours/week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
I am looking for respectful and responsible people willing to help, learn and share. As previously mentioned, I need help right now:
- to restore a few wood windows and window frames (sanding, repairing with a filler, applying primer then paint),
- in the meadows and forest (cleaning/clearing bushes; collecting and storing stones; collecting, cutting and storing wood...).
But there are many other things to do, depending on your skill and wishes:
- helping with housework (cooking, shopping, cleaning...),
- maintenance and repair of motorized tools (I have in particular a tractor/loader to maintain and fix),
- helping with renovation of the building (removing old wood and insulation on the ceiling in one of the room, creating a new bathroom, fixing roof windows in the barn, wood shutters to built, remove old plaster and put a new one in one of the room...)
- helping with the renovation of the outside (clearing vegetation from the walls, cutting old trees, dry-stone wall to fix or built, ),
- creating an orchard (including digging holes and planting trees), a vegetable garden and a pond,
- child care (6 and 8 years old)...
It can be useful if you have some experience with at least one of these tasks but in any case I'll be happy to teach. More important than your skill is your willingness to participate in the project and do a good job.
There are two rooms for our guests including private ecological dry toilet on the third and second floors. The bathroom (shower) is shared on the second floor. Kitchen and dining room are on the first floor (we will eat outside on the terrace during summer). Non-smoking house (smoking possible in outside areas).
Vegetarian breakfast and meals are provided. You are welcome to cook (vegetarian) with the food provided.
I'll be happy to teach some French, salsa dancing or healthy nutrition if you are interested.
TLS (Toulouse-Blagnac) and CCF (Carcassonne-Salvaza)
The nearest airports are Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) and Carcassonne-Salvaza (CCF) where I can pick you up. I can also pick you up to the Toulouse or Foix train stations.
Males & Females welcome
Couples accommodated
Families accommodated
Pets allowed
I'm looking forward to meeting you !
Help with the restoration of an ancient small castle/farm of the 12th century in a magnificent and preserved landscape, South of France. I will be happy to welcome you and share some happy work moments in the South of France near the Pyrenees Mountains.
I am restoring a building originating from the 12th century located at about 600 m altitude near the city of Foix (medieval city of about 10 000 inhabitants). It is an ancient small castle from the Cathar period transformed later on into a farm with about 20 hectares of meadows and forest in a magnificent and preserved mountainous landscape. There are many beautiful location to visit (including ancient Cathar castles) and possible activities in the surroundings (lake where you can swim or sail, mountain hiking, gliding, paragliding, rock climbing...).
I definitely need help right now to restore a few wood windows (sanding and painting) and in the meadows and forest (cleaning, collecting wood...) but there are many other things to do. It can be for example helping with housework (cooking, cleaning...), with maintenance and repair of motorized tools, with construction work, with gardening or planting trees... depending on your skill and wishes.
It can be useful if you have some experience with at least one of these tasks but in any case I'll be happy to teach if you are willing to learn. More important than your experience is your will to help, learn and share. Specifics are negotiable but I would generally expect 4-6 hours of work 5 days a week.
It can be possible to include in your stay a few days in the city of Toulouse (regional capital of about 500 000 inhabitants, fourth largest city in France) if you are interested. It is a one hour drive by car. This is an Eco-friendly project and my family and I are vegetarian.
Gardening
Building
Babysitting / child care
Cooking / shopping
General Maintenance
Farming
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
25 hours/week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
I am looking for respectful and responsible people willing to help, learn and share. As previously mentioned, I need help right now:
- to restore a few wood windows and window frames (sanding, repairing with a filler, applying primer then paint),
- in the meadows and forest (cleaning/clearing bushes; collecting and storing stones; collecting, cutting and storing wood...).
But there are many other things to do, depending on your skill and wishes:
- helping with housework (cooking, shopping, cleaning...),
- maintenance and repair of motorized tools (I have in particular a tractor/loader to maintain and fix),
- helping with renovation of the building (removing old wood and insulation on the ceiling in one of the room, creating a new bathroom, fixing roof windows in the barn, wood shutters to built, remove old plaster and put a new one in one of the room...)
- helping with the renovation of the outside (clearing vegetation from the walls, cutting old trees, dry-stone wall to fix or built, ),
- creating an orchard (including digging holes and planting trees), a vegetable garden and a pond,
- child care (6 and 8 years old)...
It can be useful if you have some experience with at least one of these tasks but in any case I'll be happy to teach. More important than your skill is your willingness to participate in the project and do a good job.
There are two rooms for our guests including private ecological dry toilet on the third and second floors. The bathroom (shower) is shared on the second floor. Kitchen and dining room are on the first floor (we will eat outside on the terrace during summer). Non-smoking house (smoking possible in outside areas).
Vegetarian breakfast and meals are provided. You are welcome to cook (vegetarian) with the food provided.
I'll be happy to teach some French, salsa dancing or healthy nutrition if you are interested.
TLS (Toulouse-Blagnac) and CCF (Carcassonne-Salvaza)
The nearest airports are Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) and Carcassonne-Salvaza (CCF) where I can pick you up. I can also pick you up to the Toulouse or Foix train stations.
Males & Females welcome
Couples accommodated
Families accommodated
Pets allowed
I'm looking forward to meeting you !
I would recommend this stay to anyone! Alex and his family were so incredibly welcoming, providing all I needed for a comfortable stay and great veggie food every day. His daughters, despite not speaking English, were very friendly and helped me practise my French. Alex and his wife were wonderful hosts, insightful and intelligent, offering engaging conversations. Alex was quick to impart his knowledge regarding the tasks that were to be completed at the chateau and as a result I never felt out of my depth despite a lack of previous experience in manual labour.
The place is very remote and as a result you are tied to Alex's schedule but he was helpful in picking me up from Toulouse and then, at the end of the trip, dropping me to Foix station.
I hope to return one day and continue working on my French soon!
