Marie

Hello! We are Marie and Jack, a mother-and-son team who enjoy travelling, discovering new places, and experiencing life at a slower pace. We are originally from Toronto, Canada, but have lived within the EU and England for more than a decade.

We are both independent researchers and photographers, with a particular love of history, heritage, architecture and the stories connected to places. Much of our travelling is centred around discovering historic towns, villages, buildings, landscapes, battlefields, museums and archives rather than simply passing through as tourists.

Jack is a historian with a particular interest in WWI and WWII, military history and heritage. He is also an experienced drone photographer and enjoys documenting historic landscapes, buildings and places from a different perspective. He is happiest when he can combine his interest in history with photography, research and exploration.

I am an independent historical and genealogical researcher with many years of experience in photography, visual documentation and evidence-based research. I have spent the past decade researching genealogy, family histories, WWI and WWII, military records, historical photographs, archives, cemeteries, battlefields and heritage sites throughout Europe and North America.

Photography has been a major part of my professional life, and I am particularly passionate about analogue photography and photographing architecture, landscapes and heritage. I love looking closely at old buildings, interiors, gardens and historic places — noticing details and stories that can easily be overlooked. Our travels often give us the opportunity to photograph and research these places together.

Animals have always been a central part of our family life. I grew up with four cats and three dogs, including a much-loved St Bernard, and later shared many wonderful years with my beloved dog Smokey, who travelled with us through our life abroad in Costa Rica, France and California and lived to the remarkable age of 19.

Jack has also grown up surrounded by animals, including two dogs, two cats, a rabbit and two newts, and has always been comfortable caring for them. He has a particular love for cats, while I have always had a special fondness for dogs.

During the year we lived in Costa Rica, we both volunteered at Kids Saving the Rainforest (KSTR), a wildlife sanctuary and rescue centre in Quepos. Jack had the opportunity to help care for a variety of rescued animals, including titi monkeys, capuchin monkeys, exotic birds and a bat. He also became particularly involved with three rescued monkeys and helped care for and train an anteater as it was prepared for release back into the wild. We also supported other private animal rescue efforts during our time there.

Over the years, while living in Canada, Sweden, Uk, California and France, we have regularly helped friends and neighbours by looking after their pets. We have always enjoyed the responsibility and companionship that come with caring for animals — whether feeding them, walking them, keeping them company, or simply making sure they are happy and comfortable while their owners are away.

Although our current lifestyle means that having another permanent pet of our own is not practical, we deeply miss the companionship and joy that animals bring to everyday life. House and pet sitting feels like a wonderful way for us to continue spending time with animals while enjoying our travels.

We understand that pets are family and that leaving them behind can be difficult. We would take the time to understand their individual personalities, routines and needs, and care for them with patience, affection and responsibility. We are very attentive to routines and would make sure that your pets continue to have the familiar rhythm they are accustomed to while you are away.

We are non-smokers and live a quiet, tidy lifestyle. We are respectful of the homes we stay in and would take great care of your house, belongings, garden and daily routines while you are away.

We love the slower rhythm of house sitting — morning walks, relaxing with a pet, reading, photographing the local area, visiting historic places, researching the history of the region and becoming part of the daily rhythm of a home for a little while.

For us, a house sit is not simply accommodation. It is an opportunity to temporarily become part of a place — to care for a home and its animals while also experiencing the surrounding community, landscape, history, heritage and culture.

We would be delighted to care for your pets and home, giving them companionship, affection and attention while you are away, and giving you peace of mind that they are safe, happy and very well cared for.

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