Yep, with you there. We couldn’t fine one suitable sit in Portugal in November, but at least we’re fully booked for December. Sits in Southern Europe really are a bit hard to come by, if you have to keep to a schedule and route. We did see a few last minute listings but alas, already had other plans by then. It may be that Europeans don’t plan so far in advance, well, non-Brits anyway.
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Ok, thanks. Yes, that explains why I don’t think I have ever seen a sit posted months in advance there!
This suggests I must book my May 1st flight to Rome, (camp out, hostel…), change my Sitter location to Rome, and THEN start applying to these last minute sits, go visit HO in person.
In contrast, I have just booked my next summer sit July-Aug 2023 here in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada. Also Jan-Mar 2024 HO looking to book too, 14 mths ahead.
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What good luck that you will be near your family for the holidays!
The Meetup App is a good way to meet people with similar interests. My husband and I also volunteer when we sit, it’s a good way to meet people, activities at the local library are also helpful.
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We are only five miles from home! Downtown Detroit with Betty. It’s a great location with many restaurants and museums nearby. A quick weekend close to home after hosting our family Thanksgiving. It’s a perfect way to relax and Betty is a sweetheart.
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A few more pics from my SF sit. HOs left me a ticket to SF Museum of Modern Art. Special exhibition of work by Joan Brown, a local artist who did a lot of animal art. So these aren’t the guys I’m sitting with, but…
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Great exhibition to enjoy @toml
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Is he wearing a bow tie…adorable!
OH i love the bride cat with all the fish! Beautiful!
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I can 100% confirm your suspicions about planning, at least in Italy @botvot & @DavidZ081. I have lived in central Italy for 18 years and no one plans anything. Restaurant reservation? Ring on the same day. Hairdresser appointment? Nah, just show up. The number of times I’ve been treated with amazement/amusement for trying to make an arrangement 3 weeks in advance made me give up & go with the flow.
Having said that, I sense that the majority of Italy & Spain based owners, and I think I will add France & Greece too, are British expats or English speaking expats at least.
I did my first THS sit in Rome during a lockdown break in 2020 in Rome (as it’s local for me). I can recommend looking out for it - 5 Saluki brothers in their own oasis with really relaxed, kind owners.
Good luck with Italy; you’ll love it!
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LOVE those update photos you did for the owners!!
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2024? I love when owners plan far ahead! It always feels good to know what we’ll be doing in advance.
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Huge comfort to HO and 10 clicks work for me to:
- Record a video 2) share to Youtube (private view w link only) then 3) share to Owner (send link in a text message).
So easy, so I figure why not routinely share every sit?
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After 12 months of planning, some last minute family and health issues that nearly derailed the whole trip and 30 hours flying from Australia to the UK, we have started our grand 5 month adventure at our first of 11 sits in England. Our first international house sitting gig!! We can’t quite believe it’s finally happened. We found our way out of Heathrow (eventually) to catch our bus and train a couple hours south to Portsmouth Harbour hotel for our first night. Highly recommend a visit there. The UK train strikes on Saturday didn’t derail (pun intended) our short trip to Southbourne near Emsworth in Hampshire where we are now looking after 2 beautiful black cats who are very camera shy. Our home owners were very welcoming, collecting us from the train station & leaving us some welcoming wine to enjoy (which we did). Yesterday we ventured in to histoical Emsworth to meet up with our future home owners who we will be sitting for over Christmas/New Year. It’s not even too cold at 10 degrees! So far so good!
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Hi @Crookie what a physical and planning journey you’ve had to get to the UK thank you for sharing and welcome …
A little about Emsworth for our members to enjoy, including the wonderful fish and chips
About Emsworth https://emsworth.org.uk/
Emsworth is a beautiful small town lying at the top of a channel in Chichester Harbour, nestled between the South Downs and the sea. The town has a strong fishing, sailing and boat building heritage but is most famous for producing oysters up until 100 years ago, when all the best hotels and restaurants in London were supplied daily with Emsworth oysters by train.
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@Angela_L we had wonderful fish & chips at The Bluebell Inn Emsworth https://bluebellinnemsworth.co.uk/ which is also a husband creche!
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OOH A Husband Creche, @Crookie … do they take reservations and are they open 24/7 365 days a year? 
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@Crookie
Sounds like you are off to a good start. I did 3 groups of 2 month UK sits over spring and summer and had a great time.
I arrived in Sydney yesterday and am in an airbnb in Monterey, near the airport before heading to Perth for 2 weeks with 2 chihuahuas and a cat, then back to Melbourne for a short sit with a pair if cats, then 3 weeks with a beagle.
Take care.
tom
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@Angela_L they take walkins, no bookings required, so you can dump him & run! 
DM me the address please @Crookie
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I’m on a sit and am snowed in. You have to take a private road up a fairly steep hill to get to the driveway for the house. I was told if it snowed 2-3 inches the road would be plowed. First it snowed 4 inches and wasn’t plowed, fortunately enough melted over a few days that I could at least get my car down the hill. Then, 3 days ago it snowed 5-6 inches, still not plowed. Feeling a little trapped. 
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