House sitting in Ceres, Italy

Details

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  Description

  ***URGENT!! LOOKING FOR HOUSE SITTERS - FROM END JULY TO SEPTEMBER***
  
  WE WILL TRAVEL WITH OUR VAN AND WE NEED SOMEONE LOOKING AFTER OUR HOUSE FROM THE END OF JULY TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER/BEGINNING OF OCTOBER, EVEN IF ONLY FOR PART OF THE PERIOD
  
  Hello! We are Riccardo and Cristina and our 3 small kids, living here year-round for over 8 years. We are a family living in a simple and at the same moment, full and satisfying way, taking away rather than adding. We try to make our sustainable living each day, wondering what we can do to reduce the impact on our environment.


  
  Located 35 km north-east of Torino, near the small village of Ceres, our home is located on the mountainside along the trail to the Sanctuary of Santa Cristina. Surrounded by chestnuts, birches, hazels and aromatic plants, the property presents itself as the entrance to the Val d'Ala. The stone house, ingeniously built in 1888, is South-facing, receiving the full power of sun and moonlight. The house sits 950 meters above the sea, with a stunning view of the mountains.


  
  Here we do many different things. We cultivate a vegetable garden in steady expansion. We also study and collect wild herbs and mushrooms with which to prepare delicious and healing dishes, teas and oils. We follow and support an almost completely vegan diet. There are chickens which are free to roam and feed in our forest, providing us with fresh eggs every morning. In the forest, we have a small apiary. We breed the bees with methods based on respect, inspecting them a with constant commitment to create a healthy environment for them.

  
  We also host small events for meditation, yoga and other rituals
 connected with plants.
  
  You can visit us and thus support a small nascent reality. We want to be based on self-sufficiency, nutrition healing, the use of sustainable products and natural agriculture inspired by the message of Japanese author Fukuoka.


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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will have the opportunity to live in a secluded mountain location, far from any noise, and enjoy fresh mountain air and a meditative atmosphere. There will be many interesting things to learn if you choose to help us maintain this place.
  
  Here, we continuously learn how to coexist with nature and respond to its natural power and cycles. Every day, we address natural overgrowth, adapt to changing climates, and manage the unpredictable durability of our tools. We are constantly adapting to nature's whims, learning to flow without resistance, thereby becoming stronger and more resilient in the process.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  We will be traveling around Italy with our van from the end of July (around the 25th) until the end of September/beginning of October. We are looking for people who want to stay at our place for the entire period or even just for part of it and replace us during this period.
  
  What we ask is to take care of our small rental, the animals, and the minor household chores related to a house isolated and immersed in nature like ours. Based on our experience with previous sitters, we know that the necessary commitment to complete all the tasks averages around 3 hours a day, with some days having almost nothing to do and others being a bit busier.
  
  To go into more detail:
  
  We have been renting out the attic of our house for many years. The calendar is very full, and we have an average of 2 to 3 guest turnovers per week. It will be your responsibility to clean the attic after each turnover, carefully cleaning the space and replacing the sheets and towels. Optionally, preparing simple vegetarian meals if requested by the guests would be a great help to us, of course guided by Cristina's recipes and advice if needed. Sometimes guests will ask to be picked up in Ceres and brought up by car, so we require the ability to drive on dirt roads with a small off-road vehicle that we will leave at your disposal.
  
  ANIMALS
  Currently, we have a dog and two cats that need to be fed every day. They are very independent and do not require much care beyond the basics. We also have a few chickens that you will need to feed and water and open and close the coop door in the morning and evening.
  
  GARDEN
  We will ask you to take care of our garden in a very basic way, removing some weeds and tying up the tomatoes if necessary. Nothing difficult, even someone inexperienced in gardening can help us keep it looking decent.
  
  OTHER
  It will be necessary to keep the house and outdoor spaces clean and tidy.
  Keep in mond that there are always small unexpected events and things to do in a house like this. Be prepared to spend quiet days but also to solve some problems that might come your way, nothing that cannot be solved with a bit of good will.
  
  Write to us for more details. ;)

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  Italian: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  You will have the house at your disposal, including a room reserved for you with a double bed. The kitchen is also at your disposal, you will only need to take care of groceries which you can conveniently purchase in the village by using the car that we will leave at your disposal.
  
  We don’t use any chemical soap or product because the water of the house is going directly into the woods, so we ask guests to bring only natural biodegradable soaps.
  
  The weather in the mountains changes quickly. When the sun is out during the summer it can be very hot but during cloudy or rainy days it can be quite cold, so we suggest you bring adequate attire for all types of weather.
  
  The clothes you’ll need:
  - working clothes;
  - hiking/working waterproof shoes;
  - waterproof/windproof jacket;
  
  The stuff you’ll need:
  - slippers (for the house);
  - towels;
  - head lamp;
  - bottle of water.
  
  A minimum of adaptability and practicality is required since we live and work in the nature, without some of the comforts we are used to.

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  What else ...

  In your spare time, there are plenty of trails and mountain activities to do. There is also a train connecting our village to the surrounding valley and Torino, passing through the international airport. Torino is a beautiful city, with all kinds of cultural activity and concerts where you can enjoy amazing night life.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  3 hours a day, 7 days a week

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