Helping hands welcome for urban and countryside life in Salento, Italy

Details

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  Description

  I am a translater und German language teacher, aged 63, living in a spacious apartment with roof garden in the historic center of Lecce, together with my litte dog Frida. Lecce is an university town, also named "Florence of the South" because of its beautiful historic baroque center. Little shops, restaurants and pubs wait for you to be discovered. You can reach the city center by walking or with a bicycle. In the warm season I usually spend long weekends in Ostuni in the countryside, where 70 olive trees, a vegetable garden and bees have to be taken care of.
  I am looking for an open minded and uncomplicated person - I would prefer mature, experienced women of my age or younger - to share both urban and countryside life. In Lecce you will have a lot of free time and your days off to discover Lecce and make trips to different places and beaches of Salento. In Ostuni we will work together on the olive trees, the vegetable garden and - if you are interested - also in bee keeping. Sometimes I have to travel, so I also need a person that is independant, and can live in the coutyside alone, has a driver licence and is able to drive in Italy, and able to keep the trullo and the garden (a lot of watering!) as well as the dog when I am away.
  Staying with me, you can learn a lot about culture and language in Puglia, discover arts and cooking traditions, discover places in Lecce and in Valle d'Itria with its typical trulli houses, learn how to plant, grow, harvest and cook typical products, how to take care of olive trees and even of bees. So you will have both experiences - the urban and the countryside life in Puglia!
  The farming situation in Ostuni is no business, its normal gardening and beekeeping for my own needs - just to have my own healthy food.
  
  Ich bin Übersetzerin, Dozentin für Deutsch als Fremdsprache, 60 Jahre alt, und wohne mit meiner Jack Russel Hündin Frida in der Altstadt von Lecce, in einer Wohnung mit einer großen Dachterrasse. Lecce ist das "Florenz des Südens", eine tolle barocke Altstadt, kleine Läden, Restaurants und Kneipen laden zum Bummeln ein. Zu Fuß und mit dem Rad kann man die Stadt gut erkunden. In der warmen Jaheszeit verbringe ich oft verlängerte Wochenenden in einem Trullo bei Ostuni mit 70 Olivenbäumen, einem Gemüsegarten und 6 Bienenvölkern.
  Ich wünsche mir eine freundliche und aufgeschlossene Unterstützung, die dieses abwechslungsreiche Leben mit mir teilen möchte - am liebsten eine reife, erfahrene Frau in meiner Altersgruppe oder jünger. In Lecce gibt es viel freie Zeit, ich benötige lediglich Hilfe beim Einkauf, Pflanzen betreuen auf der Dachterrasse sowie bei den Hausarbeiten. In Ostuni hingegen wohne ich ländlich, und die Olivenbäume, der Garten und die Bienen machen viel Arbeit.
  Manchmal muss ich verreisen, und ich benötige dann eine selbständige Versorgung von Haus , Garten und Hund (der Garten in Ostuni braucht vor allem Wasser) daher ist es wichtig, einen Führerschein zu haben und auch in der Lage zu sein, in Italien Auto zu fahren und alleine auf dem Land zu wohnen.
  Ihr könnt bei mir viel lernen über Land und Leute, Kunst und Kultur entdecken, Lecce erkunden, typische apulische Gerichte zubereiten lernen, in Ostuni Gemüse und Obst ernten und einmachen, Liköre herstellen, Olivenbäume und Bienen betreuen, Spaziergänge am Meer machen und natürlich auch Italienisch lernen. Es ist also alles dabei, urbanes und ländliches Leben!
  
  Die Produktion in Ostuni ist für den Eigenverbrauch bestimmt, Gartenfrüchte und Bienen sollen mich gesund ernähren.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will get to know the urban lifestyle in Lecce as well as rural life in Puglia, get insights into arts and culture, learn how to cook traditional food, you can discover the language and people, and learn about biological olive tree keeping and gardening, you can discover the beauty of nature.

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  Help

  I would like you to help diring harvest periods in the countryside in Ostuni with gardening, olive and fruit trees and bees. It is no business, its normal gardening and beekeeping for my own needs and consumption. In Lecce you would have your days off and can do trips and discover Lecce and other places in Salento.
  I would prefer to host women of my age or younger. The working hours are 4-5 hours per day, depending in the harvesting period, for 5 days per week.
  Sometimes I have to travel, so I also need a person that is independant, and can live in the coutyside alone, has a driver licence and is able to drive in Italy, and able to keep the trullo and the garden (a lot of watering!) as well as the dog Frida while I am away.
  You can arrive to Lecce train station from all major cities in Italy. Ostuni is connected to Lecce by public transport (treno regionale), it takes 50 minutes from Lecce to Ostuni. My place in Ostuni is in the countyside with no public transport arriving there, it is 4 km from Ostuni. Normally we drive to Ostuni and back to Lecce together with my car. So you will be independent to move rather in Lecce and less in Ostuni. Of course during the good season we will drive to the beach together and have dog-walks or just swim...

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Italian: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I am a native German and Italian speaker. I am fluent in English and French, I am currently leaning Spanish. I can teach Italian or German,and I am interested in Spanish conversation, but this is not really important.
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  Accommodation

  In Lecce you live in your own room on the roof terrace level with little bath room.
  In Ostuni you would have a bed in the little kitchen, we share the bathroom which is in the trullo (my sleeping place). The shower with warm water is outside all year. In summer time there will be a glamping tent with compost toilet. We cook and eat together, mainly products from the garden in Ostuni. We prepare and eat breakfast, a light lunch and a biger dinner in the evening, depending on the work to do.

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  What else ...

  In Lecce you will have access to good Internet connection, in the countryside (Ostuni) we have internet but connection quality is not always good.
  
  Salento is an interesting region that offers many touristic sights. In your spare time you can discover Lecce and the whole Salento, by walking, bicycle and public transport. I am also happy to make trips with you and/or can give you suggestions about places, beaches and sights to visit.

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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

  You can stay with your camper on the land in Ostuni

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Maximal 4-5 Stunden am Tag, 5 Tage die Woche

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