Great experience in a homestay in Lazio, Italy

United States

1

I genuinely tried my best to help and follow directions. Unfortunately the person you will be working with is not the host and does not speak English. Any mistake or misunderstanding was met with an overreaction of screaming and yelling that left me sobbing. I felt gaslit, I know I'm a good person and I did what she asked of me, but I felt like her expectations were impossible to gauge. I found myself afraid of her anytime she entered the room, wondering what I had done wrong that time. There were three of us there and all of us felt uncomfortable with the experience. I wouldn't not recommend

about 1 month ago

FRANCESCO replied

Dear Morgan, it is true that I have not been in the Villa, (unfortunally working reasons did not let me to be there), and that you could be a good person, but you let yourself be influenced and dragged along by the other two volunteers. But I've known my sister for a long time, obviously, and honestly, I trust her more than any of you. On the other hand, we've been hosting volunteers for a long time, and almost everyone has had a great time. Most likely, the problem isn'us...

Hungary

4

I had nice & peaceful time here; tasks, primarily gardening, cleaning aren't difficult, the location itself is beautiful and not touristic, full of small wonders ( a lot of lighting bugs, geckos, majestic mountains),however I need to mention that me and other volunteers had difficulties to communicate with Valeria, a sister of Francesco who have been absent the whole time. Even with use of translation apps we didn't understand each other correctly a couple of times which results in small conflicts, so it is definitely helpful to learn some basic italian and be patient! (no internet in house)

about 1 month ago

New Zealand

3

The gardening, organising and cleaning were satisfying. The lake is beautiful and hiking and swimming were fun. Working with Valeria was extremely difficult. Miscommunications from the language barrier led to her screaming at us. She accused me of lying about using a towel (until I showed her my travel towel as proof) and taking her food (even searched through my grocery bag)… I made an effort to connect and we shared some jokes, but her behavior was bullying and unpredictable making us all very anxious to the point of crying. She was also often late by hours, stranding us - very unreliable.

about 2 months ago

FRANCESCO replied

I cried too when you cut down my beautiful thyme, rosemary, and oregano plants without me asking, or when you climbed over the gate and entered the house through the second-story window, scaring the dog away, and left the gate open. What if the dogs bit you or you fell while climbing? I cried when you often left the lights on (the bills weigh heavily) or when you threw things in the living room without consulting me. And what about the blanket thrown on the stairs and the beer bottles left aroun

United States

5

The experience I had at the home was unforgettable. The peace and tranquility one finds is a truly valuable experience. The work was not unbearable or futile and being able to contribute upkeep to such a beautiful place makes all the time spent relaxing even more valuable. Francesco and Valeria were wonderful hosts who ensured me and my colleagues felt welcome and cared for. I couldn't recommend this experience enough.

about 1 year ago

Mexico

5

Nice place and nice people, I had the opportunity to meet people from other places and in general it was a very fun experience, the hosts were very kind people and I learned a lot

about 1 year ago

FRANCESCO replied

Very nice lady, the best that a host could have ... kind, polite, efficient.... a very good helper.

United States

5

If you like nature you will love Villa Capparrella, Francesco's family is respectful and very nice, willing to solve problems and ask about your interests, I had a wonderful summer in this place and Yethro is a very friendly and fun doggie .

about 1 year ago

FRANCESCO replied

Rhanks for your rewiew, you will be always welcome at our home

United Kingdom

5

Francesco is a wonderful and kind host who made everyone feel very respected and made an effort to get to know each traveller. His family Julia and Valeria are also great and have a wicked sense of humour.

about 1 year ago

FRANCESCO replied

Thanks Gabriel for yr stay and yr helping....

Spain

4

I think this is a very good experience for those who love nature, the lake, reading... The work is not hard, you have a lot of free time, so I recommend taking a book or a notebook to spend the afternoons at the lake. Valeria is a nice person, sometimes communication was difficult because I didn't speak Italian, but little by little we understood each other very well. I also have to say that the person who goes should take the opportunity to live with the other volunteers, you will learn more than you think.

about 1 year ago

United Kingdom

4

The experience was good, made most by the amazing scenery. The lake is truly magical. A true untouched piece of nature. The experience is not with the host but is with his sister who doesn't speak english, so communication was difficult and would have been useful to know before hand. The work is easy and the hours are respected but I was there for 10 days and only had 1 day off. The place is also far two hours bus from rome so not very accessible to explore on time off. Overall it was good and I would recommend but go for the nature not for the social aspect

about 1 year ago

Spain

4

The place is Marvelous just on the shore of the lake, although the house is not well maintained. There are many things to do around the place, all related to hiking or swimming. Sometimes if you work in the garden with the sun hitting you straight you get exhausted and you won't feel like doing anything much in the afternoon. From time to time, you get to go to Rieti, the nearest city, with a historic center that you will have covered in one day. The owners of the house are very nice, they try to make everything comfortable for you. The schedule is very flexible except for meal times.

about 1 year ago

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