Hosting couples for olive harvesting on the sea slope of Etna volcano, Sicily, Italy

Details

• 

  Description

  Hi !
  It is now several years since we started hosting with Workaway, at the beginnings it happened just because of curiousity, to follow it was a real help. Because we are aging, and health as well is not so good as before :(
  
  We PRESUME that more or less things will work this way:
  - second half of September:
  general clearing of the terrain, to make easier to walk in it (we already started this)
  - October:
  collecting white grapes to make white wine and, immediately after, red ones for red wine.
  - November:
  presumably, collecting olives in the hope to make again some oil, and possibly harvesting pistachios and avocados as well.
  - to follow:
  time to start pruning, and cleaning the terrain.
  Of all these tasks, pruning the vineyard is probably the most intellectually interesting, because one has to think well before pruning any plant, there's nothing of mechanical in this.
  Anyway, with so much terrain around, there's ALWAYS something to do.
  
  About the physical effort involved, please have in mind that this is a small terrain, where we (if lucky) produce about 500 liters of wine and 150 kgs of olives, certainly not huge quantities !
  
  ========= DESCRIPTION:
  
  == PLEASE, READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS:
  We host quite freely, without making differences in race, nationality, colour of the skin, religion, habits, political opinions, age and whatever, BUT:
  1 - WE DO NOT HOST SINGLES. WE DO NOT HOST SINGLES. WE DO NOT HOST SINGLES. WE DO NOT HOST SINGLES.
  There are many reasons for such a choice, but too long to explain here. Main is, anyway, that many tasks requires to be at least in 3.
  2 - WE DO NOT HOST VEG-something - we are speaking of the diet.
  Here we explain, it's simplier. Pal is highly anemic since birth, and intolerant to 90% of raw vegetables, to many even when cooked, as well as to a quantity of fruits (fructose...). A veg- diet would simply kill him.
  This would imply to cook completely different meals every day. We once did, it was a very complicated and unsatisfactory experience, that we wish not to repeat.
  3 - Also, please, no dogs, no cats, no children. They would not be SAFE here.
  So, if you are in the conditions 1 or 2 or 3, please do not post requests, they would be all refused.
  
  == JUNE 2017 !!! Read this !
  We completed a new bathroom into the house, and since now we can as well host in it, we mean at the 1st floor, if preferred. There's a modern bathroom, and a double bed that, if wishing, can be split to obtain two single ones. The 1st floor is a rather wide environment - about 100 square meters - so there's plenty of space. It is connected by a closed staircase with a door to the ground floor, where we live, so intimacy is granted. We tried to add photos but without success, we can send them privately if wished.
  
  *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️ PROFILE *️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
  
  My husband and I (both N. Italians, from Modena, the city of Ferrari) bought this house on the slopes of Etna, with a view on the the Ionian Sea and Etna summit.
  The small house of dawns, we could call it - sunbreakings are usually awesome.
  
  The house is surrounded by 2,5 acres (10.000 square meters) of own terrain in part dedicated to vineyard and orchard, with a shadowed caravan in the middle of the garden.
  The location is surrounded by green (we are fond of Botany and there are more than 2000 types of different plants) and has a great tranquility .
  In the past - in pre-Workaway times, we mean - we have hosted here people from all corners of the world - being always being pleased with our hospitality.
  
  We prefer relatively long stays - not less than 15 days a month being better.
  
  We in general have no breakfast (of course you can prepare it for yourself, we provide all the necessary), have lunch at 12 and dinner at 19. We often wake up at 5 and at 21 we're already zombies - we want to sleep.
  Of course we don't expect you awakening before dawn, but please consider that we're not at all creatures of the night.
  
  We don't provide alcoholics in general, soft drinks, desserts, junk food - please assume to be on your own for these.
  
  Last but not least, we don't commit at all our guests. You'll be free on your own to decide your working hours, and your working days, on a gentlemen's agreement basis.
  We'll explain you what there's to do, but will never oblige you to do it from 8 to 12... free, if you wish, to do from 15 to 19 - or in the night, if being a vampire.
  Or not to do at all, and working longer next day.
  Or working full-time an entire week, and taking the next totally free to move around.
  Only exception, when starting to collect grapes and olives.
  ALL tasks that we propose are NOT dangerous. We'll never put in your hands a grinder or a chainsaw, neither will ask you to go on a roof or climb a tree.
  
  This is a private house, NOT a farm, we absolutely do not sell what we produce, so we ourselves are not committed to reach a "result" whatever.
  
  We love to see coming here couples, staying, working and eating with us, with the hope to let them go away as new good friends, and just good memories of us, ok ? :)
  
  Having own mean of transport will help you MUCH if wishing to wander around. You may consider to rent one: a small car - off peak touristic season - can cost less than 100 euros per week. Public transports are scarce (and almolst unexisting on weekends), somewhat unreliable and often not reaching at all interesting places to visit.
  
  We modify often our profile, because experience after experience we better understand what WAs wish. And we noticed that many desire to acquire also new skills.
  From this point of view, Dada can "teach" much on education - she works with marginal childs. As well as, she can teach how to prepare excellent lasagne or tortellini starting just from flour...
  Pal has competences in Natural History - in special way in Invertebrate Zoology (was a professional malacologist), Paleontology and Botany. And can teach as well as to prepare a caponata, or sarde a beccafico etc. Or how to prune grapes... what else ? Boh...
  Notice to birdwatchers - we're preparing a list of the birds that can observed in/from our garden, 40+ species so far.
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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Well, if having already some interest in flowers, fruits & co., , this is Heaven. Left aside the innumerable plants of the garden, we've seeds of thousands of species, that we share freely. Also learning some Italian recipes may sound appealing.
  If not having at all interest in these things, probably this is not the right place.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Need help in specific seasons for harvesting grapes and olives - pruning and weeding - small house help. Please understand that, when harvesting, the task, once started, must be finished without interruption, otherwise the collected fruits decay. Grapes requires two separate "sessions", each one of 1 day of relatively hard work. Olives requires from 2 to 4 continuative days of light help.
  
  in particolari stagioni chiediamo aiuto per la raccolta di uva e olive - potatura e diserbo -
  piccoli lavori di muratura

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner

  This 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.
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  Accommodation

  Within the house, 1st floor or in the caravan outside. This somewhat depends on circumstances.
  meals with owners
  the property is 1.3 km from the village so it is useful a mean of transport; owners can just guarantee the collecting from and leaving to the nearest railway station (Giarre-Riposto). In working days, since 6 to 19, there's a bus connecting more or less every hour Sant'Alfio to Giarre and Riposto. From Giarre RS there are frequent trains to Messina, Taormina, Acireale, Catania and Siracusa.

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  What else ...

  highly touristic area full of interesting places
  Etna, the sea, Taormina, Acitrezza, Aci Castello, Gole Alcantara in the immediate vicinity. Messina and Siracusa in two hours of train. Western and Southern Sicily are too far from here (the island is more or less as big as Belgium, but with poor connections, some train lines are exceedingly slow)
  
  zona altamente turistica ricca di luoghi interessanti
  Etna, mare, Taormina, Acitrezza, Acicastello, Gole Alcantara nelle immediate vicinanze

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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