Lisa

Australia
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
Hullo my name is Lisa and I am taking time out from my desk job in Australia, to explore the world and grow a little.

I love gardening, baking, bees, the great outdoors, chooks*, dancing, languages and I am quite handy with tools around the house and garden.

My particular interest is beekeeping as I would like to become a beekeeper when I grow up 🙂 but am open to other experiences leading to a self sufficient life 'among the gum trees' / in the country.

My personality tends to be sunny - I wake up smiling and ready to take on the day with positive enthusiasm.

I am looking forward to this workaway experience, to meeting new people, to learning and sharing knowledge and skills.

Thank you for reading my introduction, please feel free to contact me.

Lisa 🙂

*chooks are chickens - I kept egg laying chickens for 10 years in my garden in Australia
Interests
Carpentry
Sustainability
Sailing / Boating
Nature
Plant care
Mountain
Languages
Farming
Gardening
Hiking
History
Dancing
DIY & crafts
Cycling
Culture
Books
Camping
Cooking & food
Beach
Animals
Adventure sports
Languages
Languages spoken
Italian: Fluent
French: Beginner
More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
Animal Care
Life at a Farmstay
Gardening
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Languages
More details about your skills
GARDENING
Over the past 15 years I have planned and grown my own garden. A garden is constantly evolving and as a gardener I have grown with it in knowledge and skill - I mow the lawn, grow veggies, flowers and trees.
BAKING
I LOVE baking cakes of whatever is in season and almond based biscuits.
COOKING
Cooking with whatever is available is a creative challenge I enjoy very much.
LANGUAGES
I am fluent in English and Italian - in Australia I used to tutor children in Italian. I would love to do the reverse and help people learn English.
BEEKEEPING
My first encounter with bees was when a swarm decided to hang out in my garden. . and a couple of years ago I volunteered with two beekeepers in France. I helped in prepping for the season, cleaning frames, 'burning' boxes, inspecting hives, painting boxes. I would like to continue building on these experiences.
Age
55
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  No
- Special dietary requirements
  No

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10 Oct 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Volunteer with bees in Ales, ...)

The main purpose I workaway is to gain exposure and experience to beekeeping from beekeepers. Turned out Luigi is no ordinary beekeeper, he is a master beekeeper and he is also an intellectual with an active interest in the history of all things books and printing! What a fascinating combination. What a journey my stay with Luigi has been.

Luigi… read more meet me at the train station and upon arrival and upon arrival in Ales drove me around, to show me where all the amenities and attractions were. I was even introduced to family members and people we met along the way, including the local carabinieri! Everyone in Ales seems to know Luigi! Il paese (Ales) is only 1K away from the Mieleria, a pleasant and easy walk to go sightseeing or sit in the piazza and enjoy an aperitivo or a coffee at the local 'bar'. The bus stops are also in il paese.

Accommodation was above the Mielleria, a vast space for one person, which I found very pleasant. I had a space to sit and relax and read and my own bathroom. There is no kitchen as yet, however this was not an issue as Luigi's kitchen was accessible at all times and Luigi cooks all meals. He is a very creative and capable cook and wakes up early to prepare breakfast. A word of warning: all the meals prepared by Luigi are very generous portions, so if you are not a big eater, you better let him know 🙂 Luigi was kind enough to ask me to join the family lunch on a Sunday. It was a heartwarming experience and the food was delicious!

I have taken time to write this review, to allow myself time to ponder my stay. Looking back on my stay in September I can confirm that I really did enjoy my time at Mielieria Manias. Luigi had warned me that September was a little 'out of season', but as we discussed during my stay, the beekeeping season is really all year round and related tasks are vaired; as were my tasks during my stay: filling jars with honey, labelling jars, scraping wax from trays, melting wax in the solar wax melter, re-organisign storage, weeding in the garden, assisting with the varroa treatment of hives, monitoring small colonies, etc. Not all tasks were strictly 'bee' related but this is the reality of living on the land, in a natural environment. I enjoyed every moment. Most of all, I enjoyed the hands on experience with bees, limited as it was due to the time of year. I was very happy to see the small colonies, entrusted to my care, grow stronger and I was ecstatic when they started bringing in the pollen!

My stay with Luigi was educational in many ways and invigorating for my body, mind and soul. Living immersed in nature, with all the comings and goings of people and varied activities, I was never bored. Luigi is a third generation beekeeper, and my stay also exposed me to the beauty of continuation.

If you are interested in beekeeping and would like an authentic experience with a professional beekeeper, I highly recommend you contact Luigi, he will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you Luigi, for welcoming me and for sharing your knowledge.

(Very good)

22 Sep 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help in our house and garden, ...)

I really enjoyed my stay with Manu, Vanni, Nina and Gea; not only for the exposure to living life on the land but also because I felt welcome immediately I arrived.

My main interest is beekeeping and Vanni was always very happy to share his knowledge. He provided me with a number of opportunities for hands on assistance at the apiary, where we… read more inspected hives and discussed a number of hive health scenarios. Vanni also introduced me to the laboratorio where honey is extracted, stored, jarred and labelled.

Manu is an Earth Goddess! ... a gentle mother, an amazing cook, a herbalist always ready to answer all my questions about everything!! When I was not buzzing around with Vanni doing bee buzzness, I weeded Manu's herb garden. It is planned and structured and smells heavenly. As a gardener I do not mind weeding, and weeding a herb garden was a pleasure for all the senses.

I enjoyed spending time with Manu and Vanni. Vanni is a very interesting man, and he also has a great sense of humour, and a loving papa'. There is always laughter in this household - even the dogs are happy!

There are two dogs, two donkeys a number of chickens and geese and cats! I offered to feed the animals daily, as this gave Manu and Vanni a little break from what is a daily chore for them and for me it was a fun experience.

Another fun experience was having 'my own place' to stay as volunteers are accommodated in a Caravan - with electricity! I also had my own open air bathroom - with a BATH TUB! ..and hot water!. I loved having a bath in my outdoor bathroom. If a drop toilet is a new concept for you, do not worry, it is in good condition and not smelly. [redacted]

The location is immersed in nature and after a few days here I did not want to leave, not only because of the location but also because I enjoyed spending time with this happy household.

Oh! I must not forget to mention that Manu can do magic! She can cook up delicious meals from whatever is harvested on the day! .. we also enjoyed freshly baked bread on a number of occasions. Nina is a good little baker too.

This was my second experience of volunteering in Sicily and it was a very positive experience. If you love living on the land and from the land, I strongly suggest you contact Manu and Vanni, they are always happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you Manu - Thank you Vanni
Spero di rivedervi presto,
Lisa :)

(Very good)

26 Aug 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us create a ...)

My stay with Irene and her family was overall a positive experience.
The family house is situated in a beautiful valley at the foot of Ragusa Ibla. I stayed in a treehouse a short distance away from the house. I found the location of the tree house a little unnerving at first but after first night jitters realised that it was safe enough and… read more

(Very good)

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