Diana

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

I like helping with houses & gardens. You can put me to indoor or outdoor tasks from painting to planting, cooking to cleaning. With instruction, I like to learn new skills.

Description

I grew up on a farm so I feel happiest when I'm in a natural environment - forest, garden, park, mountain, river, sea....

I like volunteering opportunities to help maintain & conserve habitats - from tree planting to wetland restoration, citizen science data collection to plant propagation.

I started travelling in my teens visiting my older sister living in the mountainous region of Alto Adige, north of Bolzano. We made several trips south looking for historical remains of the Phoenicians, ending up in Sicily. Later, I helped her restore an old olive press in Tuscany & worked in the olive grove.

I also spent a summer on Fetlar, Shetland Islands, volunteering for an ornithological survey of the Storm Petrels & Fulmars.

Immediately after completing my degree I took a job in Damascus, Syria. I'm so pleased I saw the country in the 70s when it was possible to visit Krak des Chevalier, Palmyra & Aleppo.

I started teaching English as a Foreign Language in Barcelona & nipped up the Pyrenees most weekends to hike in the mountains.

One thing lead to another & I ended up working, marrying & living in Brazil - starting in Rio de Janeiro, then Sao Paulo &, finally, Vila Velha in Espirito Santo, near Bahia. The Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Rainforest) is my favourite biome. We kept an old fisherman's shack for our holidays on Ilha Grande, off the coast between Rio & Sao Paulo. It was bliss - no cars, no roads, no electricity & the most beautiful forest & seascape. The only access, where we stayed, was by taking lifts with locals crossing over in their boats & as there was no quay in 'our' bay we had to hop into the sea where the surf started & swim to shore.

Returning to the UK in the early 2000s I joined an international company & travelled extensively.

Now I am retired I have more time to volunteer & travel. I'm hoping joining WorkAway will help me find new friends & new opportunities.

Interests

Sustainability

Events & social

Culture

Charity work

Plant care

Photography

Music

Languages

History

Gardening

Drawing & painting

DIY & crafts

Cooking & food

Books

Animals

Yoga / Wellness

Sailing / Boating

Outdoor activities

Nature

Mountain

Hiking

Dancing

Cycling

Camping

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Intermediate

More details about my language interests
I like to teach English & want to improve my Spanish & French

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Hospitality/Tourism

House sitting

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Able to teach about:  

Helping around the house

Languages

More details about your skills

House & garden maintenance
Allotment planting & harvesting
Soft fruit pruning & picking
Animal care
Painting
Cooking
Baking
Lived in Europe, Latin America, Middle East
Speak English & Portuguese

Age

70

What else ...

I like to sketch & paint watercolours
I sew & embroider
I have some experience of Venetian rowing (like Gondolieri) & dinghy sailing
I like riding & cycling
I play tennis & table tennis

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements