[qeorge]

Mentioned in the article, you can get free room and board in some amazing places in return for your labor. Check out http://www.wwoof.org if you're interested.

My folks have spent a month Italy each of the last 7 years, at virtually no expense beyond the airplane tickets. They work on an olive farm, and stay in buildings constructed in the 1300s.

[DanielStraight]

First time I've heard about wwoof. Thanks for the tip. Any tips on how to make the most of it / find the best hosts / etc?