Italy
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23/09/2020
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We are a British couple living in the glorious Sabina countryside - an hour North of Rome.
Over the last two years we have been bringing an abandoned farm back to life.
We've just finished a major renovation project inside the house, and outside we have 8.5 hectares of sloping Italian countryside, with gardens, veg plot, orchard, 400 olive trees and a small area of vineyard too.
We're currently looking for somebody who can help us to prune the grape vines and olive trees in early 2021, but we're also keen to host someone with landscaping skills, as we have several projects planned for the garden and pool areas.
As we like to travel, and head back to the UK a couple of times a year, we're also interested to hear from Workawayers who'd be happy to house sit for part of their stay.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Animal Care
We are really passionate about our project here, having bought our little farm in 2018, when the house was a 1970's time piece, and the land had been abandoned for several years.
We are looking forward to sharing the skills that we have acquired over the last couple of years - if we can learn to prune olive trees and grape vines, then so can you!
We are also really keen to host people who can help us to improve our trees - we still know very little about orchard maintenance for example, so we are hoping to learn some new skills ourselves.
Emma is an English teacher, so we can help you to improve your English, and as you spend time in the area we can help you to improve your Italian too.
There is so much to see and do in the local area, which is famous for its Sabina DOP olive oil. We are also only around 60km from Rome (an hour by train).
Depending on the time of year, we may ask for help with the following:
* Pruning olive trees
* Working on the grape vines
* Harvesting - grapes in September and olives in October
* Decorating: both inside and outside
* Scrub clearing (we have literally miles of brambles to clear!)
* General gardening
* Help with the farm land
* House sitting (including animal care)
We have a project in mind for the overground swimming pool, which we'd like to surround by decking for lazing around on hot summer days, and we'd also really like to hear from anyone with expertise as a tree surgeon, as we have several large trees in desperate need of attention.
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Italian: Intermediate
A newly decorated double room with an en-suite bathroom. We also have a further bedroom with its own bathroom if two bedrooms are required.
We have spent the last couple of years modernising the house, so we hope that you find it comfortable!
The bedroom has a TV in it, and of course there will be internet access - we are friendly and hospitable, but also appreciate your (and our!) need for privacy and down time in your own space.
In terms of food, breakfast and lunch are "help yourself", and supper is taken with us. We can accommodate some special diets if you let us know in advance, and we're fine with veggies and vegans. We love cooking, and depending on the time of year, supper could be washed down with wine that has been made with our own grapes.
If you're staying while we are back in the UK, you will have our brand new kitchen to cook for yourself in.
We may not be at home for some of the time that you spend in our home, so it's worth knowing that we live on the edge of a small village. We are rural, but not completely isolated, and there is a (sporadic) bus service from the village, linking us to the local train station.
The village itself has a friendly bar, a tiny shop, and two excellent restaurants, all of which are in walking distance.
If we are here during your stay, we can drop you at the local train station, from where you can be in Rome within the hour, or take a train to Orte, which has connections to Florence and to the North of Italy. There is also a direct train to the airport at Rome Fiumicino.
If you come with your own vehicle, you will really benefit from the gorgeous countryside and hilltowns which surround us.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Two
25 per week
