Left by Workawayer (Sam) for host
Lucre, Pedro, and Ilu, thank you for the unforgettable time learning the tricks in all kinds of work, sampling the delicious local cuisine, and taking in the views of the garden and towns across the Alicante region.
Lucre, Pedro, y Ilu, gracias por las semanas inolvidables aprendiendo los trucos de todos tipos de trabajos, probando las comidas
… read more locales deliciosas, y aprovechando las vistas del jardín y los ciudades dentro del región Alicante.
Working here was my first volunteer gig with WorkAway, and now I get why reviews always start with something like "how could I describe this experience??". It would take too many words to try and convey the whole thing, but I'll share what others could find useful.
As others mentioned; the work can be tiring, but it's not hard labor like construction; there's some lifting but always a variety of tasks to avoid straining yourself. There is also always something to do, you won't get bored, but's not so urgent that you're forced to work long hours. There is total respect for making sure you have a good balance with time off and rest.
Since I was here at the beginning of spring with rising temperatures and sunlight, work was a mix of: quick tidying pass through the garden before tours, tidying up garden of weeds and dead leaves, preparing mineral rich soil as plant food, and lots of removing shade cloth from garden beds.
As for the family, I would describe Lucre, Pedro and Ilu as, above all, passionate.
Pedro has years and years of experience with hands-on work, and he is a fountain of information about all things botanical, environmental, and ethnological of Spain. Everything he does he applies himself to fully, nothing half-assed ever.
Lucre will look after you as if hired by your own mother. She is generous with offers of all kinds: laundry, transportation, and utmost with her tasty homemade meals.
Ilu naturally is a mix of the two. She works hard, coordinates the WorkAway volunteers, plus she made sure I had opportunities to see the local sights and nightlife.
Ilu speaks enough English to facilitate, but I'd definitely recommend knowing Spanish here. You'll pick some up over time for sure, but knowing Spanish helped a lot make work easier and down time more fun.
Oh! And their little perro is the most well behaved dog I've ever met! What a treasure.
The location couldn't be better in my opinion. Of course, everyone looks for different settings. Here's what you'll find here:
- an incredible diversity of decorative and functional flora and fauna in a peaceful, lush garden
- access to the coast by a quick drive/bus or easy bike ride
- a short walk into a quaint town of a few thousand, with all the basics (grocery, restaurants, healthcare/pharmacy, retail, etc.)
- unbeatable climate (coming from a Californian!)
After four weeks, it was hard to turn down the offer to stay longer, but I had another host awaiting. I would have loved to see the garden bloom even more!
