Chasing the Sunset on Lake Trasimeno

Several weeks after I arrived in Italy after spending time in Florence, sipping wine in Tuscany, and visiting The Leaning Tower of Pisa, I headed to the picturesque area of Lake Trasimeno. This is where I would be working to help renovate a bed and breakfast for 2 weeks in exchange for accommodation and homemade Italian food.

Work Away is a work exchange program where locals can post help wanted information for travelers. Travelers in return commit to staying and helping for several weeks up to several months in exchange for room and food. In Italy, as you can imagine, much of the help needed was in B&B’s, wine vineyards, olive groves, language learning, etc. After some research, of course I decided I wanted to find myself by the water. Therefore, this lake region in central Italy between Umbria and Tuscany was perfect for me. I was in Torricella near the main town of Magione right on Lake Trasimeno.

The countryside near the lake

Torricella was quite interesting. A very small village of only 120 people, 2 small coffee shops that also functioned as a bar, restaurant, gelateria, tobacco shop, and any other odd or end you may need sat on the town’s only main street.  The locals knew who the “3 Volunteers” were immediately, everyone knew everyone, and everyone knew everyone’s business, families, dogs, and histories. It was a small little sleepy town during winter, but I imagine it to be a bustling paradise during the summer as the Lake is  just gorgeous. We worked Monday through Friday from 9:00am until 2:00pm and then had the afternoons and Sundays free to explore. We were cleaning, renovating, painting, re-arranging furniture. I don’t think I had done so much manual labor since college! But, it helped with all the homemade Italian food we were eating. We worked with a crew of about 10 Italian men who were very pleasant and loved to sing while they worked. One thing about Italian men – they love to sing! In South America everyone dances. In Italy, everyone sings! This is also where I spent my Thanksgiving, and we prepared the Italians their very first Thanksgiving dinner.

Ancient villages line the 70km around the lake, and are known for their stunning sunsets. This area is also perfect for nature lovers. There is endless amount of hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and even horseback riding. There are 16 different walking trails of various difficulties and 16 bicycle loop paths to take in the sights of the entire Lake area.

The two B&B locations on the lake we were doing work on were  Casa Sul Lago and B&B Emporio. I would highly recommend this area in Italy during the summer, spring, or fall for anyone who loves to be outdoors. This could be an amazing getaway and escape from the big city sightseeing of Rome.

Boats on the Pier

Notes from the pier my first day on the lake…..

First full day in Torricella happens to be a beautiful sunny Sunday with just a cool breeze in the air. Just enough to shuffle the brightly colored orange, yellow, and green leaves that are falling from the trees. After spending the morning chatting with Ursa and Thomas, fellow volunteers, I head straight to the pier. The pier is practically our backyard with a little park that overlooks the sail boats and the fishing boats. I sit and read and listen to the leaves blowing in the wind until my attention catches with the passing of a jogger, a couple on bikes, and the lady who just rode through the park on a horse. There are a few fisherman that line the pier and a father with his son. The view is beautiful and an ideal location to spend an entire Sunday just relaxing and taking in the beauty of being outdoors.

Castle on an island in the middle of the lake

Thinking of traveling and working to help with expenses, work away is definitely worth checking out! Alternatively, have a project, farm, business that you would want help with and be interested in welcoming a traveler into your family for a short time? You could also register as a host on workaway. It has hosts from all over the world.

*Side note: I am not  mentioning work away for any benefit, affiliate program, etc. I simply like the ease of the website, the idea, and the experience I had so wanted to share information.

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