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Help with gardening and DIY in my little cottage at Lake Iseo, Northern Italy

  • Favourited 12 times
  • Last activity: 31 May 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    My name is Laura. I worked as a lecturer of the Italian language for several years. Currently, I work in a different field but I am also studying environmental psychology.
    Last year (2023), in November, I bought this cottage at the lake, half concrete made (ground floor), and half wooden made (first floor). It's my first "sweet home" and a peaceful place to stay and to study, far away from the traffic and the noises of the town. For me, this cottage is a little paradise and shortly, I would like to use it for some social purpose like a "summer camp" for young people with special needs (autistic or Asperger teenagers, for example).
    I've just finished (at the end of May) renovating the wooden first floor of the cottage.
    However, there is still a lot to do on the ground floor, where there is the basement with a large room + a laundry + a bathroom, and in the "non-garden". Well, currently it is a super steep piece of land, more than a garden. There are some olive trees to take care of, and a lot of bushes to cut. I would need some help especially with cutting grass, bushes, and trees, but also with (simple) stair construction.
    A person who knows about green maintenance/gardening would be very welcome; the land shape (so steep!) is not simple to cope with.
    Behind the cottage there is a forest, and in a 20-minute walk, Lake Iseo with its mountains, Montisola island in the middle, and a lot of lovely places to visit.
    Sulzano, the village where it is located, is a good starting point to explore Lake Iseo, Franciacorta, ValCamonica, the Alps, and the Lombardy region.
    At the lake, you can enjoy fish cuisine, canoeing, cycling, warm temperatures from April to October, and many many one-day trips around the lake.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Lessons in Italian language or Japanese language (if requested), cooking together some recipes, suggestions about the places to visit in the surroundings.

  • Help

    Help

    Tree&bush cutting, olive trees' care, gardening (grass cutting, managing invasive plants, simple stairs building, mainly), repairings here and there, painting the iron-made frame/structure of the terrace/balcony, and other little things related to the daily maintenance of the cottage.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    Italian: Fluent
    Japanese: Fluent
    English: Intermediate

    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.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    In the cottage, there is a bedroom for my family and a bedroom for our guests (1-2 single beds). There is a bathroom on the first floor, where the family lives, and a bathroom on the ground floor, that can be used during the summer. On the first floor, there is also a large terrace with a panoramic view of the lake and the mountais, a kitchen, a sitting space and my studying space. The workawayer can cook on his/her own or together with me from Friday to Monday. I work for 3 days per week far away from the place, and I am away from home in those days. So the lunch and the dinner too in those days should be arranged by the guest himself/herself, autonomously. From Friday to Monday, I am at the cottage to take care of it.
    The guest-workawayer should have a certain grade of autonomy.
    I am not a super chatty person but I would love helping my guest with his/her learning of Italian and enjoying his/her company while we work together at the cottage.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    One day or half day trips around Lake Iseo and Lombardy region, canoa, cycling, visiting Montisola Island in the middle of the lake, Lovere willage, called "the pearl of Lake Iseo", the Zone Natural Park or Torbiere Natural Park and so on.
    The nearest airport is Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport (1 hour by car).

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    One

  • ...

    Hours expected

    4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 561436157455

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