Help me keep up with Mother Nature while discovering Puglia, Italy

Details

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  Description

  I am a retired, active single male American Ex-Pat, living 5km west of Ostuni, Italy. My property is 12,000 sm with over 100 olive trees, fruit trees, garden, bee hives and a dog (sweetheart female rescue pup, Lucca).
  I like to cook and bake, so am happy to have you share meals with me during your stay. I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but am able to prepare dishes to accommodate if you are. Maybe you can introduce me to new cuisine as well. I do not have hired house cleaners, etc. I was raised to be self-sufficient, with skills to cook, iron, clean, make minor repairs, do laundry, etc., although I am not fanatical about any of those things and sometimes simply go to the beach and leave the work for another day. I would simply ask that you tend to your living area, be respectful and do what you can to spoil Lucca.
  As an American, my primary language is English, but I am studying and getting better with Italian as well.
  Gender, age, orientation, philosophical position, etc of interested Workawayers is not an issue for me, as long as you are comfortable with mine. I am currently 68 myself and have a family of 5 kids, 9+ grandkids and now my girst great-grandchild back in the States. They come to visit on ocassion and I would like to go see them at some point as well.
  I will gladly respond to questions as you introduce them.
  **These time frames are currently unavailable:
  25 May - 29 June, 2024
  
  
  Seeking a single or couple to help:
  30 June - 16 July, 2024
  
  
  Early Novembrr the olive harvest starts...

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Puglia is a beautiful region and offers many unique features. I am in the Valle d'Itria area, West of Ostuni. The valley is dotted with Trulli (the conical stone houses) and makes for amazing bike rides. A 25 minute drive from Adriatic beaches when the sea is calling, 5 minutes by car to Ostuni (15 minutes by bike) for the Wed/Fri/Sat markets, caffe's, sight seeing, etc. It's a 45 minute drive from BDS (Brindisi airport) or a little over an hour from the Bari airport. Also, the train service to and from Ostuni is reliable and convenient. The lifestyle is relaxed (sometimes frustratingly so) and familial, the food and wine is amazing, the weather is moderate with winter temps from 5 - 20C with a rare snowflake. Summers can get toasty, but there is often a breeze and, the sea is not far.
  I am not a degreed professional, but have many years of diverse experiences to share. I have owned/operated restaurants in the States, been married and divorced 3 times, worked in the remote areas of northern Alaska, served in the USAF (3.5 of those 4 years, I was stationed at a base here in Puglia), jumped from a plane, was a licensed Real Estate agent, lived in 7 of the 50 states, adopted 3 young children from fostercare, volunteered in various roles, etc. Here, I have taken up canning (jams, pickles, peppers, etc) language skills, gardening, beekeeping, wine drinking and relaxing among other skills... I am sure we will learn great things from each other.

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  Help

  As one would expect, with olive groves and a fair amount of land, there are always weeds to cut, branches to trim, fruit and veggies to harvest and various plants to water and tend to. I normally take most of it on myself, hiring local tractor operators to mow the groves a few times/year and working with friends and neighbors when the olive harvest time arrives. I would love help with the detail maintenance things, like cutting the small shooter branches from the base of each olive tree, keeping up with the weeds around the tree bases and along the stone walls, etc. I have a list of other things that I hope to get to some time too (power washing the patio walls, cleaning out the outdoor grilling room, patching the plaster of the buildings' walls as needed then painting, maybe even designing and constructing a hen house...)
  It would be great if you are comfortable operating a gas-powered weedeater, a power washer and, of course the basic set of hand tools (shovels, small axes for trimming away the shooters, wheelbarrow, rakes, brooms, garden shears, etc). I have the safety equipment, like safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, but you would need to bring along work boots, clothes that protect you from debris, maybe a hat and, of course a swimsuit for afternoons at the seaside and clothes that will allow you to be comfortable walking around town, going for an aperitif, etc.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Italian: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I am studying Italian, as a now legal resident of Italy.
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  Accommodation

  The setting for my property is peaceful, lush with vegetation and diverse trees. There are other homes in the area, with year-round residents in most, but I have privacy. There is a main house, with 3 bedrooms, one bathroom, living room, large kitchen, a laundry hut and a great inlaid stone veranda. There is also a separate apartment with one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen/dining area. If you were to spend time here, you could have a private room in the main house or, if not previously reserved for booking.com guests, you could have the apartment to yourself. Both units have full electrical service, potable water that is piped to the property as part of a community sytem, screened windows and doors, with wall-mounted heat/Air Conditioning available when needed.
  The sunsets from the veranda are incredible. The veranda has a large covered area, for all-weather use, and an even larger open area that wraps around the side and front of the house, overlooking the lower gardens. Lucca, the sweetheart female dog (but with a male name - long story...), has run of the veranda and lower gardens, with fencing and gates so she does not get out on the roads.
  All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) will be provided by the host.

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  What else ...

  Puglia is not Rome, which is awesome non-stop architecture, ruins and other postare moments. Puglia is lush, green, tranquil, easy-going. We have many ancient villages, unique cuisine, and amazing wines, along with wonderful Adriatic and Ionean beaches. It is a part of Italy too many miss in their quest to see the more touristy areas. Puglia will welcome you and share its beauty and tranquility.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  I have good fibre optic/wireless wifi in the home.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  I have a long, but straight and reasonably wide drive to the property, with ample parking space.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  I have a dog (female black Alsatian/ mix rescue baby) and a fenced property.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week