Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
3 Apr 2024
Reply rate
81.8 %
Usually responds within 5 days
Feedback
57
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
Dear All,
We are building a mixed team of 6 people for 5 weeks : 11th February - 15th March 2024, to help with a variety of land and building based projects .
We have just one male place left open, all the other places have now been filled. The location is a spectacular - an ancient dry stone walled olive grove on the lower slopes of the Monte Pisano over looking Pisa, The Leaning Tower and The Mediterranean Sea. During the season we operate as an eco friendly farmhouse holiday business. The location is truly awe inspiring.
Over the course of the 5 weeks we will be olive tree pruning, dry stone wall building, path building, allotment planting & gardening, window and shutter painting, fence setting & road laying. Any prior experience in any of these tasks is very much welcomed but not strictly essential.
Hi, My name is Colin, my partner is Luisa and our son is Max and he's 21 years old and at university. We've lived here for 22 years - we love it ! We upped sticks from London to start a new life and don't regret that for a minute. We love life, we love people, we love what we do. We farm olives on a small scale - completely organic - on 4 hectares of terraced hillside. We have an allotment. We have fruit trees. We are surrounded by forest above and fields below. We have a small holiday business that pays the bills. We have guests from all over the world. When we're not looking after the holiday business, we love to play music - we've built a cool recording studio in an old animal shed.
We love the land and we love to share this beautiful place. Being a beautiful place it needs love and attention and we ask for hands from time to time to help out. In exchange for the help you'll learn some cool skills which will help you in your travels and more and you hang out in an amazing place meeting amazing people from all over the world !
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travellers benefit from spending time in a beautiful place, meeting people from all over the world, learning lovely skills like olive picking and pruning, responsible fire making, dry stone wall building, Italian cooking etc etc - all skills that can help them travel and offer worthwhile help on the way! If there are any musicians - we have a cool recording studio - great fun laying down a live track after a day in the olive grove. If you meditate, there is a cave - sit inside the mountain and get in touch with yourself. Great walking trails in the hills with fabulous roaming forested countryside.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Hi, We own and run a lovely holiday business, recording studio and hillside olive farm in Tuscany on the hills just outside Pisa. It's divine, it's paradise, it's hard work - here and there ! We need help in the autumn and the spring to harvest the olives, clear land, plant trees, rebuild dry stone walls, prune the olive trees, cut the grass, paint a few fences and general maintenance jobs here and there. We like to host teams of people so if you traveling with a mate or two, even better! If you have any of these skills - cool - if not - no problem - we'll teach you. Get in touch - thanks!
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
German: Intermediate
Spanish: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
I speak English and Italian, as Italian is similar to Spanish, it would interest me to have the opportunity to learn some Spanish !
Accommodation
Very comfortable. We offer travellers two beautifully restored and very well equipped farmhouses that are used in the holiday season for guests the world over. You get to stay in your own farmhouse which has two big bedrooms, two bathrooms, large kitchen, spacious lounge. You share the bedrooms. Females in one room, males in another. Everyone gets their own bed. Outside we have an original wood fired stone build pizza oven - learn how to make top pizzas - very cool. The place has decent Wifi, Smart TV, gorgeous views, amazing location - we can see The Leaning Tower of Pisa which is 10 kms away from here and The Mediterranean Sea. We're close to Pisa & Lucca, an hour from Florence and 30 minutes from the beach.
What else ...
We don't ask people to do more than 5 hours a day 5 days out of 7 tops, we might ask for just a few extra hours in special cases, so there is plenty of time out and loads to see and do. We are just a 20 minute bus ride from Pisa and Lucca and an hours train journey to Florence. We are 30 minutes from the coast and the beaches are fantastic. All of these are amazing places - must sees - absolutely! We are located on the Monti Pisani - great hillside walking - old castles, birdwatching, nature trails - right outside the door!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Hi, we’ve got stable cable based internet about 16 Gig a second. Good for videos and some smart working. Heavy files get sent overnight.
Space for parking camper vans
A small VW type camper an works fine, big ones no. You’ll gave access to running water, electricity and a safe parking place - you’re welcome!
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (42)
The team of… read more
They were both very warm and inviting. Their farmhouses were very comfortable, clean and well maintained. The view of the village below was breathtaking!
We ate well-the olive oil, bread, pasta was delicious!
I was able to travel on the weekends to Lucca, Florence,… read more
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:
(4.8)
Communication:
(5.0)
The team of… read more
They were both very warm and inviting. Their farmhouses were very comfortable, clean and well maintained. The view of the village below was breathtaking!
We ate well-the olive oil, bread, pasta was delicious!
I was able to travel on the weekends to Lucca, Florence,… read more
During my week there I had the opportunity to live with five other solo travelers and get to know them living together in our own little home. It is a very special workaway and social experience that you can find on that hill. Between the… read more
We would happily welcome Brandon back anytime.
I cannot fault my workaway experience. The people were amazing, the food was delicious, the location was superb… overall a 10/10 week.
Colin and Luisa were very generous and let us use their music studio. Many good jam sessions were had (the soprano sax will be dearly… read more
Ahlia is both a natural leader and a great team player.
I would absolutely recommend her.
Ogni giorno di lavoro erano nuove esperienze, nuove conversazioni profonde e nuovi apprendimenti di vita.
Senza dubbio mi hanno insegnato che tutto è possibile e che l'energia… read more
We wish him well and is always welcome here !
Thanks… read more
The work was varied and interesting, I had no previous experience with any of it but Colin was amazing at teaching us how to do the tasks and guiding us through them with patience. Over 3 weeks we pruned many olive trees,… read more
The work didn’t feel like work as it was always done in a good mood and with an amazing view of the region. This is indeed such a magnificient place to… read more
Thank you Colin, Luisa and Max for a… read more
We were expecting to learn more about… read more
Colin prepared delicious lunches for all of us and dined together with us every… read more
Work was pleasant, thanks to the beautiful view around Toscana and precious advice from Colin. I… read more
The working days were organised according to the weather, and we were mostly involved in olive trees pruning and carpentry/painting works helping the local… read more
We had a problem and Colins and his family did not hesitate to help us.
We live together with other Workawayers, we always have lunch together the delicious food prepared by Colins.
The house is beautiful, an incredible view, the rooms are… read more
Colin and Luisa are some of the most lovely people I have ever met, with a lifestyle that seems to make them truly happy. Being taken in as part of their friendship circle and adopting their way of living made me… read more
The accommodation is great and beds super comfortable, I was sharing a room with 2 other girls who felt like sisters to me… read more
Learned a lot how to build walls , maintain the historical olive farm, why is it important and keep it in original conditions. Honestly the work was sometimes hard: digging, picking, moving rocks, pruning trees, but with… read more
Right from the first day, there was a super friendly vibe that continued throughout the whole time I spent there. We all made pizza in the pizza oven together, and Colin was interesting and fun to talk with.
Colin is a very driven man (he sure kickstarted a… read more
