Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
7 Jul 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 83 days
Feedback
62
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
I live in a little paradise near Gedinne, on the French border, surrounded by forests and meadows. Animals, flowers, and trees surround me all year round. It’s the perfect place for nature lovers. I strive for self-sufficiency, so I devote myself fully to this goal and I am almost completely autonomous.
I am a certified herbalist, a French cuisine chef, a biodynamic farmer, a carpenter, and a teacher of wild and edible plants. I produce medicinal and aromatic herbs, herbal teas, soap, I cook, cut wood, build tiny houses, and I have countless ideas and ongoing learning projects. I love pottery, reading, sharing my knowledge, discovering new things, and exchanging with others. I don’t own a television and I don’t smoke.
My interest in culture led me to travel around the world for one year, seeking meaningful encounters, traditional ways of life, and enriching exchanges. I speak fluent French and English, and a little Dutch.
Since I work part-time outside my property, I am supported by Ariane and Pierre, a dynamic and creative couple in their fifties, who help welcome volunteers. You will therefore share some activities with them from Friday to Sunday. After raising their three boys and developing their garage business, they now aspire to reconnect with nature and human relationships, and they care deeply about nurturing life. Their energy and good mood are contagious.
Your stay with me will be a pleasant and enriching experience in direct contact with nature.
Looking forward to meeting you,
Antoine, Ariane, and Pierre.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
Interests
Self development
Farming
Vegetarian or vegan
Sustainability
Drawing & painting
Art & design
Books
DIY & crafts
Plant care
Cooking & food
Gardening
Camping
Nature
Outdoor activities
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
A stay at my place is always an opportunity to learn and live many enriching experiences:
-Through the exchange of knowledge about wildlife and plants, soap making, herbal teas, self-building, and autonomous living.
-Through practical work by taking care of the property: pruning, planting, harvesting fruits, maintaining fences, huts, ponds, and caring for the sheep.
-Through cultural and generational exchanges, and shared moments around the fire or during communal meals.
-Through the occasional visit (on Sundays) of instructors who introduce us to various techniques by sharing their expertise.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
The next two available weeks for stays are from August 25th to September 1st, and from October 27th to November 3rd.
I am looking for help with the general care of the property: pruning, planting, fruit harvesting, maintaining fences, huts, ponds, caring for the sheep, etc. The activities depend on the season.
You should enjoy working outdoors in all kinds of weather and getting your hands in the soil. Some tasks will be done together, others independently.
I ask for 5 hours of help per day, including meal preparation time, 5 days a week, for a stay of up to 1 week. Arrivals are only on Mondays. Thursday is a free rest day.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Dutch: Beginner
Accommodation
You will stay in a cabin located just a 5-minute walk from my place, which can accommodate up to 3 workawayers. It is also possible to stay with your own tent. If you come alone, you will likely have a pleasant experience with other workawayers.
A wood stove is available to heat the cabin and create a cozy atmosphere. It's often a great opportunity to practice the art of making fire or to learn it for the first time 😉.
You can enjoy outdoor hot showers thanks to collected rainwater, and I provide you with drinking water in a jar. There is very little electricity, so you’ll need to manage the battery according to your needs. It’s the perfect place to disconnect from the internet and reconnect with nature.
Please bring ecological soap to help preserve the environment and its biodiversity. You will also need waterproof shoes and old work clothes.
Depending on our schedules, some meals will be cooked and shared with me, with Ariane and Pierre, or among yourselves.
The property is accessible by bus from Gedinne train station, on foot, or by hitchhiking. When possible, we can also come and pick you up by car.
What else ...
From home, many trails would bring you to marvellous area, such as the Millennium tower (234 steps for a great view) or the beaver pound.
By car or bike, you could also visit the local brewery, a hawkfarm, a bison ranch, middle-aged castle, the Hans cave, ...
You are 10 minutes walking (1-2km) from a little shop, a pharmacy, a butchery and a bar. The next little town (Gedinne) is 6 km far away. There is a library, a tourist information center and free WiFi.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
I have a lot of place, campervans and motorhomes are welcome to stay in the middle of nature.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Esmée
Feedback (32)
The work here was enjoyable and varied, from making herbal teas, tinctures and soap, to harvesting herbs and flowers and cutting hedges. This is a great place for nature lovers with lots of… read more
The place itself is wonderful, and was perfect for me to be out of the city for a week and fully submerge myself in being outside, a lot of walking, reading and working physically. I saw a deer and a baby deer (or a small type of deer from the Ardennes), birds, met Moon (the dog), the sheep… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
The work here was enjoyable and varied, from making herbal teas, tinctures and soap, to harvesting herbs and flowers and cutting hedges. This is a great place for nature lovers with lots of… read more
The place itself is wonderful, and was perfect for me to be out of the city for a week and fully submerge myself in being outside, a lot of walking, reading and working physically. I saw a deer and a baby deer (or a small type of deer from the Ardennes), birds, met Moon (the dog), the sheep… read more
The two are absolutely welcoming people, that always greet you with a big smile and make sure that you have everything that you need; so I really felt at home right from the first minute.
We spend some lovely hours working together in the garden, making cheese,… read more
Thank you very much for your presence, the smiles and the good mood!
ps: Salads are already starting to grow!
Nancy and Antoine are wonderful hosts. The atmosphere was really welcoming and it felt like meeting old friends :)
They are very open-hearted, provide you with the best food ever and make sure that you feel comfortable with your tasks etc. Furthermore, they both really know a lot and it was interesting to learn a… read more
We had great moment working all toegether !
Thanks for your spontaneity, your laughs and fun !
We were both happy to welcome you for your first workaway :)
I visited Antoine and Nancy for my first work-away experience and it has been a super awesome experience. Nancy and Antoine's warmth, kindness, passion, energy, fun, and creativity really make them and their home very inspiring and a wonderful place to stay.
Some of the many highlights were learning about their self-made products in their… read more
Rencontrer Antoine et Nancy dans leur petit coin de paradis Ardennais a été une vraie bulle d’oxygène et une belle source d’inspiration. Un rythme de vie easy shanti, un vrai partage d’expériences et de connaissances, des blagues et un retour au calme. La recette parfaite pour remettre du lien… read more
Also the workaway team, excisting out of Alena&Femke, were super nice and lovely to interact with.
I even had the pleasure to meet some of A&N's wonderful, funny and open friends, Arthur&Carline.
Actually,… read more
Emi et moi avons été super bien accueillies par Antoine et Nancy dans leur petit paradis. Nous avons passé de très bons moments avec eux ainsi qu'avec les autres bénévoles. Ce sont des hôtes 5*, hypers bienveillants,respectueux des rythmes et singularités de chacun. Ils nous ont régalés de bons repas et de… read more
Ce sont des personnes de confiance, pétillantes, qui gardent toujours le sourire. Le travail à été merveilleusement bien réalisé, cela nous a bien aidé. Ils ont coupé et porté du bois, placé les clôtures, aidé au jardin et fait de l'écoconstruction. Ils ont plein de compétences… read more
Ils ont plains d'expériences et de connaissances à faire partager et offrent un quotidien très confortable. Je conseil vivement à tous ceux qui s'intéressent aux modes de vie alternatifs et à la nature !
Merci beaucoup à vous deux de partager vos projets et votre vie avec nous, les voyageurs. Vous m'avez redonné… read more
Working with them is so much fun and you learn a lot all the time, they are the greatest teachers! I can't thank you enough for… read more
A lot of nice exchanges and playing music together. Thanks for everything
Regarding the work: Ask prior to you stay what work has to be done so you know if you have the right cloths. Some of the work we did was pretty heavy&dirty… read more
Thanks a lot for your help
They were very attentive hosts, making sure we were comfortable, cooking delicious food, teaching us about all their projects with medicinal plants and biodiversity conservation. Our work was varied and enjoyable. We were always doing something different, like picking flowers, cutting wood, putting… read more
We slept in our tent as there was another workawayer in the cabin, but they gave us a big mattress and lots of blankets. The work was fun and fair (4 hours… read more
He did a great job and helped us a lot with carpenter work, cooking and gardening.
We wish you all the best for the future
Both are mature, enthusiastic, autonom, creative and hard-working.
Thanks a lot for your excellent help and all the best for your trip
Both are mature, enthusiastic, autonom, creative and hard-working.
Thanks a lot for your excellent help and all the best for your trip
Antoine et Nancy si jeunes et déjà si "évolués" sur le monde d'aujourd'hui!!
Comme cités dans certaines citations: il y a des personnes et des moments qui marquent nos vies même si cela ne dure qu'un instant :-)
Je vous kiffe grave yo :p
Bisou
Super cool beeing there. Peacefull quiet place ..
Thank you for everything!
She cooked amazing dishes and has very nice projects. We definitely recommend her.
I am really grateful the universe made us meet and share some moments with those souls.
Have a beautiful journey.
She helped us a lot by cooking, gardening, burning wood and plucking medicinal herbs. Everything was always perfectly done.
She has a great feeling with animals (our dog loves her) and very good social skills. She's also connected to nature, we had an amazing time.
Anke is an amazing person, always smiling, in good mood and an example of kidness. She's a modest person with a great wisdom about a lot of things. We have learned so much!
She's able to do everything, even build a stone wall. She helped us a lot in the garden (composting, taking of the weed, cleaning the greenhouse,...).
We thank… read more
Nancy and Antoine ensured every day I had everything I needed. The cabin was just perfect, in the middle of protected nature! The location of their home in the Ardennes is ideal for nature lovers! Exploring the area was so… read more
Both have a great respect for nature.
They have a lot of knowledge that they share with us. (biodynamics, medicinal plants and aromatics, history of the region ..)
We never get bored! There's always something to do!
With pleasure we will return to see this little piece of… read more
