I used workaway and had amazing results.
March 2014.. First experience, I had just finished my yoga teaching credential and found a resort in Northern Italy above Lago Maggiore, in a place called Pettenasco. A holistic resort for spiritual types but also companies went there to do team building. 2 full time vegetarian chefs, a 5 team administration group.
There were about 10 of us workawayers while I was there. It was the beginning of Spring and not the ideal weather for events and conferences.
Work: I worked as a kitchen aid. 4 days a week, about 6 hours per day. I still cook those vegetarian recipes. This gig was upper echelon, I was at the top of the caste system here. I worked with local Italians as an assistant, prepping salad, making dressing, keeping the kitchen organized while they cooked, handing stuff to dish team.
Experience in high-end restaurants as a captain and a bartender, I flowed between back and front of house, engaging many guests.
Other positions held by other, lower caste types: cleaning, room flipping, general maintenance, bramble and garden work (lowest tier), dishwashing, admin. All to support the guests and the revenue driver for the resort.
Chicks:I hooked up with a few of the staff, younger chicks early 20s. All walks of life here, gap year types from Europe, Americans on some kind of freelance mid life crisis excursion, older kama-sutra dude who sold his home and has been travelling via workaway for years. 18-50 years old.
There were guests who were older, but I was told about quality groups coming on over the summer peak.
Benefits:Amazing people, some annoying, but overall great people. At this point I only spoke english and spanish. As immersion goes it was nil because everyone comes together in English. I did study on doulingo and other aides i bought there in italy, and had conversational abilities and developed vocab in kitchen work.
All support lived in a chateau that was 15 minute walk away. Wifi, shower, kitchen with food stocked, gathering area outdoors. Some dorm style rooms, some singles.
Travel: With 3 day weekends, I went by train to: Turin, Milano-several times, Genova, Cinque Terre. I had an 18 yo musical student I met years before in Madrid. We stayed at her flat in Milano- hairy bush as is standard with Italians.
April 2014: Second experience. Sicily at a hotel that was in a family heirloom from 1800s.
Work Prep for and serve multi-coursed dinner service. The chef (40) and his assistant (30), spoke minimal English. I was prep cook, and meal service here. The owner (60s) and her daughter (30) and another female waitress (25) spoke English. I spent lots of time around all of them, admiring their mini castle and learning meat based italian cuisine.
They had a large event, a kind of poetry reading. The owner's daughter was artsy and had an amazing gathering. At this, I had a bartending stand and was making one single craft cocktail that we made for the event Monteferru Mojito. I was overworked at this point, and tired, decided to leave the next day, with the other guest worker.
Into a pint glass, add:
- quartered limes
- fresh mint from the bush
- a heaping of cane sugar
Muddle.
Add 1.5 oz acquavita, ice, cover, shake.
Strain over ice, top with soda water.
Garnish with lime and mint sprig.
Stir and serve.
Chicks Super small town of like 2,000 people. Somewhat incestuous (not really). I met lots of locals, not much opportunity to isolate any. Mostly 6s. It was during the time of world cup, we would gather at the bar and watch futbol outdoors. Great times.
Left the place with the other workawayer, 33 years South African- from money. I was trying to hit it when we left to spend a week in Cagliari. No dice. I ended up leaving to go to Palermo.
Benefits Language immersion. Went to immediate ability in Italian. Finished duolingo and read through grammar books. Read bukowski in Italian. Could travel, converse for all basic needs. Book hotels over the phone!
Stayed in a furnished modern flat 3 minute walk from the hotel. Also living here were the male cooks. We played cards into the night, smoked lots of pot, and drank beer.
Travel Would not have gone to Sicily if not for this opening I found. I loved Sicily, the city I worked in + Cagliari.
