Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Last replied
27 Mar 2024
Reply rate
86.4 %
Usually responds within 3 days
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Details
Description
We are Manuel and Fiona, an Italo-English couple living in Crete, Greece, with our 2 teenage daughters, aged 13 & 14, who attend Greek school here. Our "day job" - in the summer season - is running our outdoor activities business (Fit in Crete) - we offer guided tours for hiking, e-biking, kayaking and swimming in the area of West Crete. We're both keen swimmers and swim all year round. We also enjoy playing beach volleyball, Manu likes to kayak and Fiona likes to bake and cook with the delicious vegetables that are plentiful locally. We've bought an old house to live in - which we are renovating - in a village near Kissamos, surrounded by olive groves and nature, with amazing panoramic views over the bay.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
With us you can practice or improve your English or Italian - Fiona used to teach English at a local language school and Manu is a native Italian speaker. You can also learn some Greek, from the kids or by practicing around Kissamos, everyone is always happy if you try to speak Greek to them! We'd be happy to share our experiences of starting and running our business here in Greece, or teach you about making some delicious Greek recipes, as well as show you the best of the amazing natural environment we've chosen to live in.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We hope you would do 5 days of help, with 2 days off per week. Ideally, you would be flexible about when you take days off, understanding that you'd want to get out and explore but it would be ideal if days off could be taken when we are not able to work together.
We come to the house most days during the week, so you would often be working together with us but if you're happy to we may also ask you to do tasks independently and manage your own time. We need help with all sorts of building and DIY jobs - nothing particularly specialised: things like painting walls, fixing old shutters, replastering small cracks in walls, installing furniture (e.g. built in wardrobes etc), refinishing and repairing old furniture, decorating, putting up curtains, mirrors etc as well as moving furniture around and generally helping us to take the property towards a more finished state.
The garden and outdoor areas also need a lot of work, this could include digging, laying decking, building outdoor furniture and pergolas with wood or metal, outdoor landscaping etc as well as planting, helping to plan and plant the garden as well as looking after the plants and small vegetable garden we already have started.
If you do have specific construction experience e.g. tiling, plastering, drywall, wood constructions, plumbing etc we'd be happy to have your help with some of the bigger jobs, which may include working alongside local tradesmen.
We also have a number of olive trees, so if you come at the right time there could also be the olives to harvest.
There's lots to do, so let us know your skill and interest area and we can probably find something you will be able to help with and enjoy doing!
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Greek: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
You will stay in a house in the village, about 4km away from Kissamos. It is currently liveable, we've been living there for a few months - windows, bathrooms, kitchen etc installed and useable - but as described above there are many small jobs to do before it could be described as "finished".
There are 3 bedrooms, with twin/double bed, 3 bathrooms, balconies and a shared kitchen. We have solar hot water, wifi, electricity. The bedrooms are basic but furnished with proper beds and mattresses to sleep on. There are amazing panoramic views from the balconies!
We will usually join you and stay at the house on some weekend days, and usually organise a meal together about once per week. The rest of the time we will give you a food allowance per person to buy groceries and cook at home, or use as you like (e.g. towards eating out). We can accommodate up to 5 helpers at the same time.
We suggest a 2 week trial period, after which the length of stay can be as flexible as you like, as long as we all agree. We can accept helpers from October until April.
What else ...
West Crete has a lot to offer visitors - fantastic beaches (3 of the most famous nearby are: Balos, Falassarna and Elafonissi), and tons of swimming, hiking and biking opportunities. We have a couple of electric bikes available for helpers to use. There's various hiking options near the house, and Crete is known for it's gorges - which need a bit more planning transport wise, but rental cars are easily available in the non-peak summer months if you want to explore a bit further off the beaten path. It may be possible to join us on kayak or bike trips some days if you are interested.
Kissamos is a lovely little agricultural town, about 4km away from the house - which is populated all year round and where you can find small supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, shops, and most things you need. Chania - the nearest main city - is also connected to Kissamos with regular public buses. We are generally pretty flexible with our outlook on life and like to meet people with different stories and experiences to share! We are open and respectful to everyone. Couples or friends are welcome as well as single travellers.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
There is parking for a small campervan. You would need to use indoor facilities (bathrooms etc) in the house.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
