Silvana

Italy
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Travel information
Travelling
All'interno della rete tutti sono importanti. partita dalla marcia Perugia/Assisi il 10 ottobre, continuo a collegare amici vecchi e nuovi con fili colorati verso sud over the rainbow 🌈 #swapzone
Description
I live in the area of Monferrato in Piemonte, Italy.
From 2010 I had guests in couchsurfing and from 2015 I hostEd Workawayers to restore partly my home and help with maintenance of the land. So I can understand better both rules as host or worker.

(My host profile:
https://www.workaway.info/418892364542-en.html )

I ran for a couple of years a small airbnb at home and I got the superhost because my guests appreciated very much my hospitality.
Now I decided to travel as well because I love meeting people and finding new inspiration and ideas, learning and sharing my experience and skills.
I can’t travel as a “tourist” because I always need to do something and feel useful. So workaway is what suits me better.
I'm handywoman and can do work and reparation around house and garden. I can drive car without problems both in busy towns and country roads.
Some years ago I started by traveling in Morocco with wa then got friends there and helped them in tourism as virtual assistant, translator and pr or organizing events and trips. More or less I did similar things these last months in Sicily and Puglia.
My job has been teaching English to primary children for more than 20 years but I also worked in offices, events, restaurants, as postwoman, housewife, mum... so my experiences are very varied. Fluent in English, French, some Spanish and German.
At present I can travel full time because I retired recently.
I have a good relationship with children but now I prefer working also with adults or open air.
It’s funny because, after a bad experience I had with a dog two years ago, I started choosing hosts with animals. I took care of dogs, cats, chickens till now and it’s always a pleasure😀 They love me and are so special! I always miss them when I leave😍
In Italy I volunteer in a school for refugees and illitterate women. I’m also in International Civil Service so I join their programmes as well.
I'm talkative but, when i'm working, I prefer silence to concentrate .
Interests
Beach
Nature
Camping
Sailing / Boating
Dancing
Charity work
Farming
Gardening
Sustainability
Animals
Pets
Languages
Art & design
DIY & crafts
Writing
Music
Blogging
Cooking & food
Vegetarian or vegan
LGBTQ

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Being an elderly companion
General Maintenance
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Hospitality/Tourism
Charity Work
Art Projects
Some knowledge of:
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Language practice
Teaching
More details about your skills
As I said, I'm a handywoman at home, I can paint, repair, organize better spaces, sew, cook..... Traveling in Workaway and International Civil Service,I had the opportunity to use and increase my skills in many areas.
I have a strong sense of aestetics and harmony.
Love to improve and simplify things. DIY and lateral thinking are the qualities i most appreciate in people and i like to cooperate with them.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
More details about my language interests
In Workaway I had often the opportunity to be useful as interpreter and translator for people (mostly expats with projects in Italy) giving help to manage bureaucracy. I’m quite skilled about it also because I often need to face it concerning my property and project at home
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Age
63
What else ...
I traveled several times to Morocco because I love the country and its people but now I’m open to new destinations if people and projects have something in common with me.
Wide spaces, respect and care of the environment and good simple life and people are my favourite, sharing ideas and experience my goals.
I believe that’s very important to create as much as possible a network of people working with similar goals. It’s what I’m doing both in my area and when I travel. It works 😀
In 2020 and 2021 I’ve been Workawaying in Greece, Spain, Puglia, Liguria and Sicily. Covid didn’t make things simple of course but I was quite lucky having just a couple of flights cancelled.
My plans were to travel as much as possible after my retirement and I ‘m someone that doesn’t surrender easily. So I moved despite the pandemic but always respecting rules and choosing remote locations.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  RACISM & INTOLERANCE
- Special dietary requirements
  No, at present I prefer vegetarian food and I don’t eat much pasta despite I’m Italian..;)

Feedback

19/11/2021

Left by host (Nature, art, history and fun ...) for Workawayer (silvana)

Silvana è veramente una persona piena di entusiasmo, comunicativa e si adatta facilmente a qualsiasi tipo di lavoro.
E' rimasta con noi per 3 settimane condividendo l'appartamento con altre 2 workaway, aiutandoci con la raccolta delle olive, cucinando piatti creativi, accudendo i cani e le galline.... le sue preferite. Di sicuro non le piace stare… read more

(Excellent )

04/11/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Nature, art, history and fun ...)

Ho iniziato il mio viaggio dell'anno 1 d.C. (dopo Covid) con la marcia della pace Perugia-Assisi 🌈 cercando un nuovo significato in positivo a ciò che sta accadendo. E i primi host Workaway sono stati loro: Loredana, Tim, Ayla, Nina, Mila e quattro pennute galeine (a cui forse manca il nome, ma sicura che glielo troveranno😉). Che bello se il mondo… read more

(Excellent )

14/11/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Come and join me in the ...)

I visited Nirvana’s place in November for about a week. As she said there’s wasn’t much to to because the activity was closed. But she was so kind to host me despite it. Her place is perfect, very comfortable and in a very calm area. Beaches and villages to visit around super beautiful.
Nirvana is very cool and interesting. Conversations a real… read more

(Excellent )

30/04/2021

Left by host (Help welcome on rural olive ...) for Workawayer (silvana)

It was a pleasure to host Silvana and I hope this will have been the first of regular visits.

Silvana has a very positive attitude towards everything, is open-minded and has wide experience. She is incredibly thoughtful, and generous. Her communication skills and making arrangements was very easy.

It was a shame that Silvana was here for such a… read more

(Excellent )

30/04/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Help welcome on rural olive ...)

Susan is a very nice person and a perfect host. Unfortunately I couldn't stay longtime because of other commitments at home. Me too have a project in wa and a big property to take care. So, at present, I can do only short escapes nearby. Staying with her, in that beautiful corner of terraced Liguria was a breath of air for me. I love the smells… read more

(Excellent )

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Photos

Not many olives this year 🤷‍♀️🥲

My minimalist van😉

Ugo, my last pet is contemplative

Peace March Perugia-Assisi 2021

No one skilled at selfies in LaVallata🤷‍♀️

SCI workcamp in Plovdiv

Working with Graham was fun!

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All plants are giant in this beautiful botanical garden!

I’m tall and I prefer long tools

Mandanici:a very young project not yet in wa

Drying clothes in Marrakech

Best couscous in Rabat

Swap party

Collecting corn

Feedback

19/11/2021

Left by host (Nature, art, history and fun ...) for Workawayer (silvana)

(Excellent )

04/11/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Nature, art, history and fun ...)

(Excellent )

14/11/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Come and join me in the ...)

(Excellent )

30/04/2021

Left by host (Help welcome on rural olive ...) for Workawayer (silvana)

(Excellent )

30/04/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Help welcome on rural olive ...)

(Excellent )

10/02/2021

Left by host (Help me improve my English in ...) for Workawayer (silvana)

Silvana, a perfect collaborator, she stayed with me, unfortunately for a short time due Covid 19. I am happy to have met her.
She is a strong, independent, honest and nice person, she cooks very well and is very organized. I highly recommend it. We hope to meet her in the future. Hi silvana see you. And thank you for spending time with us.

(Excellent )

10/02/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Help me improve my English in ...)

Nunzio is a very nice and interesting person. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay much because my plans changed due to Covid restrictions. But I had time to discover a bit about his experiences and projects. From his trip along Via Francigena, to his experiences abroad as Workawayer to his plans about his place in Calabria. He’ a volcano of ideas and… read more

(Excellent )

25/01/2021

Left by host (Fight with me for food ...) for Workawayer (silvana)

I am very happy to have spent a couple of weeks with Silvana. She proved to be very nice, flexible and available right away. Very sociable with other guests and volunteers and very reliable. In this period (January 2020) we shared some very useful activities for my project: new holes for fruit trees, fertilization of olive trees, uprooting of some… read more

(Very good )

23/01/2021

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Fight with me for food ...)

In January 2021 I spent about two weeks in Maurizio’s plot in the beautiful valley of Fiume di Giozzo. A couple of young Belgian cyclists was there as well and we shared working tasks, food, free time and chats. I was glad having them with me because in that period Maurizio was very busy and he couldn’t spend much time at home.
Our work was… read more

(Very good )

02/12/2020

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Help me cultivate various ...)

I was very lucky to be invited to Giorgio’s beautiful botanical kingdom. At the beginning it seemed that our times didn’t match till January 2021. But then, contacting him again, it was possible to join end October/ November due to cancellation of other guest and needed help for olives harvesting. So I reached and stayed for a month
.… read more Unfortunately, when I arrived, the harvest had been finished more quickly than expected as there was already another very active volunteer from Czech Republic.
. So I was charged of taking care of the vegetable beds that are spread in some areas of the property: daily watering , weeding , fertilizing…then preparing some beds and planting new vegetables: carrots, fennels, onions, broad beans , salads. Giorgio collects every day some vegetables and prepares delicious soups and salads for his guests plus his favorite dishes of fish, meat, rice and pasta, cheese, ricotta…
My work was not hard, only some hours in the morning but, at the beginning, it was difficult for me to understand exactly how Giorgio wanted it to be done because it’s very different from what I am doing at home. For me it was difficult orienteering in the property and remembering where water taps of different areas are. He’s quite strict about it and he seemed to be a little annoyed at explaining every time to new volunteers.
Anyway I did my best and learned, growing fond of the vegetable beds as they were my creatures. It was a nice experience and I miss now being home in a season that doesn’t allow to grow much.
Other works that I did were: weeding the tiled spaces around the house, cleaning bathroom and kitchen and cutting branches to prepare sticks for the fire.
In the meantime other two volunteers had joined: an Italian boy and a German girl. It was a pleasure to work with them because they are very nice and interesting people. With them was also possible to play better cards in the evening and we had much fun!
My accommodation was nice in the front veranda and it was possible to have some privacy .the view as well gorgeous on the beautiful colours of the garden.
Giorgio has also two lovely dogs: Dora and Jack that was always sleeping on the carpet in front of my door at night . It was something very heart warming for me!
Two things limited a bit enjoying the place: the autumn season and the change of time made the night coming down at around 5pm and, moving by bike, it was quickly dark. Many shops in the village open around 4.30pm even in winter.. Moreover Sicily was declared orange zone during my stay so many activities were closed and it was not allowed to move out of the commmune territory.
But the beach is half an hour by bike, still perfectly enjoyable and quite desert in autumn. If you have time, pay a visit to the man living permanently where you see the Peace flag: a good coffee and a nice chat are always available there.
Last but not least Etna volcano is always visible on the horizon and is a permanent presence with its plume of smoke, its glowes and its nocturnal noises. I was so lucky to see it covered with first snow for some days !

(Very good )

05/10/2020

Left by host (Stay on Majorca in summer or ...) for Workawayer (silvana)

Silvana is a very interesting person, a young spirit, a restless person, what a pity I was so busy and I couldn’t have enough time to show my area like I would have wanted to do. But at list she was helping me with Graham, this common friend. Ah! Silvana is an excellent cook. What a pity that I couldn’t enjoy of her taste Italian cuisine because I… read more

(Excellent )

21/09/2020

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Stay on Majorca in summer or ...)

I’ve been working for Oscar a couple of weeks. He’s a very nice person: kind and caring. Despite he was very busy with his work at school and all duties concerned by moving to the new house, he was always attentive. Picking me at the airport and bringing me again when I was leaving. A true gentleman!
I was working in couple with Graham: a common… read more

(Excellent )

10/08/2020

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Help us with organic ...)

Unfortunately I can’t leave a positive feedback for this experience.
And it’s going to be long sorry!
. But I must tell the facts because, If I had known before how things were going to be, probably I would haven’t gone to that host.

Chrysi and her brother came to pick me st the airport and this was very kind of them. In the car Krysi asked me… read more

(Negative )

23/11/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (silvana)

Silvana. Was very nice persone and she is friendly . Positive adaptable . Likeable. And you can see smile her face all the time and when she was staying with us we didn't felt her as a strange persone and she speaks good English so I recommend everyone want to learn English to host her

(Excellent )

12/11/2017

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (To help to learn English ...)

I've been hosted by Youssef and his lovely family for some days in their beautiful town Essaouira. They are people who express the true sense of Moroccan hospitality and have taken care of me as a family member. Their house is very cosy and the view from the terrace facing the white mosquee and the fruit and vegetable market introduces you to the… read more

(Excellent )

21/11/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (silvana)

I host selvi in our family . He helped me in a lot of work insaide the project and outsaide . che is very friendly and is open minded. I'm happy that che visited us and had a good time with us. Thank you very much again for you help i Ihop you comeback agin
hope and we hop and wish meeting
h again. You are more than welcome anytime we wish you… read more

(Excellent )

12/11/2017

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Help us to build our family ...)

My stay here was great experience! Just some days but I really appreciated the beauty of the place. The tents are so cosy and facing that beautiful lanscape of dunes and mountains over the far horizon. Really the place where you can find yourself. Unfortunately there wasn't much to do because of the strong wind one day so I could just help… read more

(Excellent )

26/01/2016

Left by Workawayer (silvana) for host for (Your pair of hands would be ...)

Musti is a very nice person.
I couldn't imagine to be so lucky meeting him before going to Morocco.
At the beginning he told me he couldn't host me because he had other workers.
But, reading his profile and mails, i was so curious to know him, that i insisted to meet at least for a tea.
I was shameless but it was worth doing.
He's a… read more

(Excellent )

14/01/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (silvana)

My experience with Silvana was a gorgeous one on three levels.
--On the social level--
Silvana is very sociable, all smiles and easy to talk to.She has a nice sense of humour to put you at ease as soon as you meet her.Next, She shares everything with me ( food, help, housework...) always asking me if I need something .Too, she has great… read more

(Excellent )

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