Live, help and enjoy Bella Umbria, Italy

Details

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  Description

  We are a couple from England who love Italy. We live in a most beautiful part of Umbria where we have restored a stone built Umbrian farmhouse . We have 2 hectares of land with 100 olive trees. We live close to our neighbours who were one part of the original Italian family. They have welcomed us and we have learnt a lot from them. Our project and current lifestyle was born out of a wish to live closer to the land and grow produce in a way kinder to the environment.
  We try very hard to lower our carbon footprint in whatever ways possible and take great pleasure in re-using materials and re-cycling and upcycling.
  The setting is wonderful : we are within walking distance of the medieval hill top town of Lugnano in Teverina, of which we have a full view from our house and garden. We are one hour north of Rome by train and two and a half hours south of Florence. Siena is just under two hours to the north.
  Our background and main careers have been in town planning and social work. I am Eric, a town planner by profession, now enjoying garden design and landscaping, olive growing and creative writing. Helen, who has Greek origins and a background in social work, now works as a silversmith and jeweller as well as being involved in our project.
  We welcome helpers who are conscious of climate impact and and although not entirely vegetarian we appreciate a thoughtful approach to the food we produce and consume.
  We also welcome and encourage an interest in the local community and culture. We always offer to include our volunteers who wish to join us in cultural and social events, right down to meeting our friends and getting to know the surrounding countryside

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The lifestyle around us is predominantly agricultural with small farms, olive groves and vineyards, mostly cared for by local families. Culturally the area is alive with festas in the surrounding towns and villages especially during the summer. There are also free concerts, a film club and great opportunities to mingle in the local culture.
  We encourage volunteers to visit nearby towns and cities, including Rome, Orvieto, Arezzo, Viterbo, with their long history of art and architecture; and Lake Trasimeno. All of them can be visited by public transport.

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  Help

  Over time our volunteers of many nationalities have made significant contributions to our project: The majority of the work is outdoors and the main tasks, depending on season, are:
  cultivating and preparing our vegetable garden; harvesting vegetables and fruit
  pruning our olive trees and maintenance of the olive grove;
  General garden maintenance, hedge cutting, grass mowing, weed clearance, tree maintenance etc.
  None of the tasks require special skills just a willingness to learn and a practical approach. Some can be strenuous and some require the use of garden machinery such as a petrol lawn mower, electric hedge cutter, strimmer etc however we always consider and prioritise safety.
  In late October we harvest our olives and we need helpers to prepare the ground, lay out the nets, pick and pack the olives and transport them to the olive mill.
  
  We also have building maintenance tasks such as painting, decorating and small repairs.
  
  
  Please note: we don’t have a fixed broadband connection.We use our mobile phones to access the internet. An Italian sim card can easily be purchased if you need heavy internet usage.
  No smoking indoors. We are non-smokers.

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  Languages spoken

  Greek: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Italian: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  Our volunteers stay in one of two twin bedded room on the top floor of the house, with its own shower and toilet and plenty of privacy. We are both keen cooks and happy to provide food and share all meals. We are equally comfortable with the use of the kitchen for special meal preparation.

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  What else ...

  There are many walks in the local countryside amongst the beautiful local landscapes and olive groves. Lugnano in Teverina is within walking distance and it has local shops - grocery, post office, bank with ATM, pharmacy, cafes, restaurants, a weekly market, church, a public outdoor swimming pool and a bus service connecting to Orvieto, Amelia and Narni. Day trips by train to Rome, Orvieto and Viterbo are easily possible from our nearest station, Attigliano, 10kms away.

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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