wwoof

WOOF stands for 'willing workers on organic farms' and it's a worldwide organisation. Travellers, or oter interested parties can join wwoof and in exchange for food and board, you work on the farm and in the kitchen, doing whatever needs to be done for usually around 5 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. I'm going to be working on a farm in Veneto (the region where Venice is, in the north) in August.

They have goats which they milk to make cheese, they have an agriturismo (farm stay), they teach yoga and are affiliated with a company that organises mountain bike riding, skiing etc. It looks quite interesting. I'm sure it will be hard work but at least it will give my wallet a break and also give me the opportunity to speak Italian.

The website is http://www.lacortedeglielfi.it/ but it's all in Italian. You can look at the pictures though!

In early September I'm heading to Arezzo for a jousting festival, and then I'll be going up through various countries, namely Hungary, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway (not necessarily in that order)and some others for about a month, maybe longer. We will see is my bank account still loves me at that point...