Volunteer exchange in Basel, Switzerland

Dave (me) loves to cook and the BnB thrives on his cooking skills, website reviews and best of all word of mouth!
Also known as “Dave Cuvee” to guests and social friends, creating quality, delicious meals with love and passion is my destination.
Most helpers leave here with extra kg, I am not not talking about extra carry luggage 😉

Brandy is a female Hungarian Vizsla born 20.10.2013. She is in training to search for truffles in the local forests. Brandy is a middle size dog weighing ca. 19kg and is very active. She is very intelligent, playful and uber friendly to everyone she has contact with. Brandy is being trained and fed by Dave, but she requires walks and exercise when Dave is at work. You should be a very dog friendly person.

Dave speaks fluent English and Swiss German (20+ years in CH), tattoo artist/piercer by profession, multilingual, grew up in NYC, is the owner/operator of a tattoo studio in Basel. He has a very flexible work schedule which finds him at home often.

Dave is also father to a young boy named Jonathan 01.2005 who speaks both English and German fluently, enthusiastic gamer, and lives part time in the house.

Our Diet:

As a family we eat a wide variety of foods at our home and BBQ year round. Naturally enjoying wine from our vineyards to compliment the foods we eat. In regards to food and cuisine, we are extremely international in our tastes… Thai, Indian, Chinese, French, Italian, American, German, Japanese, etc, etc…
Dave is an outstanding cook and will be cooking when his schedule allows. We strive to eat locally grown foods which are bio and fresh when in season, from our garden… and enjoy as well a wide variety of cheeses. Brandy eats all natural, raw meat and bones only and her diet/meals are completely handled by Dave.

Location and home description

Our home is located in a small village of approx. 600 people, 30 minute train ride in either direction to Basel or Zurich by train, local transport by bus to the train station is 5 minutes or 20 minutes walking. There are 4 bedrooms in the house, 2 full baths, large eat in kitchen, foyer, living room, dining room, fireplace, balcony, large cellar/garage, situated on a south facing hill. The house is surrounded by a large garden (partly fenced for Brandy), vineyard, terrace and clubhouse with views of forests and pastures.
The vineyard is maintained biologically, with 3 varieties of grapes, Cabernet Cortis, Cabernet Carol and Saphira. Annual production is ca. 300ltrs depending on mother nature.

Best destination to arrive is Basel.

The house is fully equipped with internet/wifi, modern stove, oven, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, 2 refrigerators and 3 freezers. The river Rhine flows past the next village and the German border is a 5 minute drive away. Your room is located on the second floor of the house, there is a full bath upstairs and downstairs for your use.

What type of host are you?

Private/Individual/family

What are you looking for help with?

• Animal keeping
• Cleaning
• Teaching/Language Exchange
• Farming/Gardening
• General Help
• Hostel/Hotel

Whats required:

• Help around the household, light housekeeping, help preparing meals, laundry, and other small tasks to help things run smoothly.
• Help maintaining garden, vineyard and surrounding property (seasonal)…
• Companionship and Walks with Brandy

How many volunteers could you host?

A couple of volunteers

When would you need volunteers?

All Year Long

How many hours of help per day?

4-5 hours of help per day

How many days of help per week?

5 days per week – 2 days off

Note about the volunteer work and other expectations

In general the schedule is very flexible & relaxed with Dave & Brandy. You will find yourself with much free time during your stay.

• Min. required stay 3 weeks
• You must be very dog friendly!
• Single travelers only
• Non Strict Vegetarians welcome, we are omnivore!
• Best destination to arrive is Basel.

Are accommodation and food included?

Yes, we offer food and accommodation

What type of accommodation can you provide?

Private Room

Diet – nutrition information

Non Strict Vegetarians welcome, we are omnivore!
View my cooking … Davecuvee on Instagram

VISA – could you provide Visa support/info/invitation letters?

Maybe. We can help with an invitation letter, if the candidate has good qualifications.

Volunteers’ benefits:

What You Get In Return;

• Own room,
• regular meals,
• host who loves to teach,
• language exchange,
• learn vineyard maintenance,
• world cooking,
• gardening,
• sharing experiences with other helpers…
• my travels, adventures, etc

Visit Davecuvee on Instagram to view my cooking.

What to do in the free time

• Swimming in Rhein
• Solo Uno, a most pleasurable experience to relax the body, mind and soul for a few hours
  Highly recommended visit during your stay, close to our home
• Basel, a very beautiful city, over 50 museums, lots to do…
• Bad Sackingen, a few minutes away by car from our home…
• Zurich, my least favorite city in Switzerland… Although I do appreciate what it has to offer regarding music & concerts venues and also ZRH being international as an airport, I go only when needed.
• I would suggest Luzern as an alternative option for a day trip… not only do you have the beautiful lake, sights of the Alps, scenic old village, there is an excellent museum called the “Swiss Transport Museum” which is very, very cool! The museum is also a great escape if the weather changes abruptly 😉

*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️There are super saver train fares available within Switzerland and I can help you avoid paying high train fees, so do not book anything in advance.

Language

English, German

How to get to your site

I can usually pick you up in Basel during daytime hours
Airport is BSL, Train station in is Basel SBB.

Is there internet access?

Yes!

“Paying guests” Option. Could you accommodate “solidarity” tourists?

Maybe. This needs to be discussed via e-mail

CONTACT DETAILS

Instagram.com/Davecuvee
website: bnb-aargau.ch
Hostname: Dave H

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