Looking for HOUSE SITTERS in Ceres, Italy

  • Favourited 502 times
  • Last activity: 23 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Details

  • Description

    Description

    ***URGENT!! LOOKING FOR HOUSE SITTERS - MONTH OF DECEMBER***

    WE WILL TRAVEL WITH OUR VAN AND WE NEED SOMEONE LOOKING AFTER OUR HOUSE THE WHOLE DECEMBER

    Hello! We are Riccardo and Cristina and our 2 small kids (plus one more coming soon), 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 an apiary made up of about 20 families of bees. We breed them 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.


  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Babysitting and creative play
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    There are many different types of activities to do at our place and many different skills to learn. We use a variety of different tools and work with wood, metal, electricity and water. We will take care of the chickens, the garden, and the forest, learning together how to do it in the best way. There will be many interesting things to learn if you want to help us run this place.

    Most importantly, Workawayers will learn how to coexist with nature, and respond to her natural power and cycles. Every day we are learning how to respond to the natural overgrowth, the changing climate, and the unpredictable durability of the tools we use. We are always adapting to the whims of nature, learning how how to flow without resistance, becoming a stronger team in the process. You will get to realize many natural projects and feel the organic fulfillment of completing tasks that shape the wild landscape.

    
Plus our guests will have the opportunity to live in a secluded place on the mountains, far from every kind of noise, enjoying fresh mountain air and meditative atmospheres.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

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

  • Help

    Help

    There is always a wide variety of tasks to perform in a mountain house like this. We are looking for flexible people who are passionate about outdoor work and have basics skills of permaculture, gardening and general handwork. We hope you will enjoy our family and help give life to our projects, building or improving the structures we need to host people and events.

 We do not have WiFi in the house, but you should be able to find Internet via mobile data.

    Most of the time we will work together but we really appreciate people that are able to learn and manage their tasks independently.



    In the next period, it will be necessary to:

    - improve our vegetable garden by pruning, weeding, feeding, watering, etc.
    - create an orchard;
    - build a small green house;

    - do some general house renewing and maintenance.

    We ask our guests to be active participants in our daily activities like:
    - open and close the chicken coop and feed the chickens;
    - wash the dishes;
    - cook or help cooking;
    - light up the stove;
    - sweep and mop the floor;
    - keep the place tidy and clean.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Spanish: Fluent
    Italian: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    It depends on the period. We have a caravan parked few meters from the house, we also have a spare room in the house but we never know in advance where people will sleep! And we also ask to be flexible on that side. Sometimes we have to ask to our friends and guests to move into another accommodation just for a day or maybe forever, it depends on the people coming and going and on the events happening here. But we can tell you that we always try to do our best to give the best place to everyone!

    
Food will be prepared mostly by Cristina but some help will be appreciated, we really like to cook and eat all together! We prepare mostly vegan food. We eat 2 times per day, breakfast and early dinner, because it fits better our daily routine and we suggest to every person coming here, since is an isolated home, to provide themselves anything else they want to eat during the day.

    We have a washing machine but we try to use it conscientiously.
    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;
    - some comfortable sweaters.

    The stuff you’ll need:
    - sleeping bag;
    - 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.

  • What else ...

    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.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

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

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 228932517246

Feedback (11)



Feedback

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile: (5.0)

Cultural exchange: (5.0)

Communication: (5.0)