I came to Crete to visit my friends from the dig I worked on last summer. I had perfect timing really, as the night I arrived was one of the summer's first glendi's. Glendi's are wonderful - a night full of of eating, dancing, drinking, and most likely a dip in the sea before the night is over, with or without clothing. Well, to be honest, never with clothing.
After 10 minutes at the glendi, after I was reunited wtih everyone, Barbara, the head of the excavation, asked me if I wanted to dig. I asked her if she would pay for my room. She said yes and so did I. So, I started digging today. It was great to be back at the site working again... everything came flooding back, including pain in my last three fingers on my right hand from picking. But it's all good.
I didn't really know what my plans were until my family is coming to visit on the 14th. I didn't know how long I was planning on staying in Crete, where I'd stay, or what I'd do. I just let it happen, didn't even think about it really. And see what happens... things work out if you let them.
My parents and both of my sisters are coming to visit and I can't wait. My parents came to see me when I was living in Athens two years ago, but my sisters haven't been to Europe for years. I'm making plans so that their first trip to Greece is fabulous.
It's always hard when you show people a place you love. If they don't appreciate it as much as you do, you can't help but be upset. Are they not seeing the same things you are? Why don't they love it as much as I do when it's obviously so wonderful??? I'm hoping that my sisters love Greece as much as I do...then maybe one day, if I ever live here, they'd summer with me.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
last day
Today is my last day on this farm in Paros. I'm going to miss it, but I know I'm ready to leave. I was going to stay another week, but the heat is driving me crazy - It has been a humid 105 with no wind except for hot blasts from North Africa.
My ferry leaves at 3:45 pm and arrives in Crete at around 8. I'm so excited to visit my friends from the dig last summer. They're all there working again during the study season. When I left Crete last summer, Barbara, the head of the dig, told me that she'd pay for me to come back... But then took it back in about January. Now I got an email from my friend Joe saying that she has been asking when I might come to visit because she has some money and might want me to draw some potsherds and small finds. I'm not convinced that this will actually happen, but I am prepared to ask for housing and a stipend for food if it does.
On July 21st, I'm leaving for Italy! I've never been before and I'm really excited. I'll be volunteering with the Association for Cultural and Linguistic Education there. They've recently purchased a few Medieval houses and need volunteers to restore them. I applied about 6 months ago, and since I hadn't heard back, I figured that I wasn't accepted or something. But then a few weeks ago, I got an email asking if I was still coming. So, I'm going! Here's the website:
It will be a nice change from the serious labor here.
I'm really going to miss it here though. It's a really special place. I told Jim I would return and I know I will.
My ferry leaves at 3:45 pm and arrives in Crete at around 8. I'm so excited to visit my friends from the dig last summer. They're all there working again during the study season. When I left Crete last summer, Barbara, the head of the dig, told me that she'd pay for me to come back... But then took it back in about January. Now I got an email from my friend Joe saying that she has been asking when I might come to visit because she has some money and might want me to draw some potsherds and small finds. I'm not convinced that this will actually happen, but I am prepared to ask for housing and a stipend for food if it does.
On July 21st, I'm leaving for Italy! I've never been before and I'm really excited. I'll be volunteering with the Association for Cultural and Linguistic Education there. They've recently purchased a few Medieval houses and need volunteers to restore them. I applied about 6 months ago, and since I hadn't heard back, I figured that I wasn't accepted or something. But then a few weeks ago, I got an email asking if I was still coming. So, I'm going! Here's the website:
It will be a nice change from the serious labor here.
I'm really going to miss it here though. It's a really special place. I told Jim I would return and I know I will.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
jim-isms
There's nothing I enjoy more than hanging out with someone who has really, really great stories to tell. Well, there's nothing I enjoy more than hanging out with someone who has great stories and can tell them really well. Jim is a really fantastic story teller. And he looks like a combination of Neil Young and the crazy guy from Back to the Future. Who wouldn't want to hear a story from a combination like that???
It doesn't matter what we're talking about. Jim has a story for every topic. The other day while we were waiting for the ferry to take us to Antiparos, I bought a pair of sunglasses from the kiosk. I said something about how cheap sunglasses are always the way to go because they seem to always get lost or broken and I KNOW that the second I buy an expensive pair, they'll only last for about 1/10th of the time I spent picking them out.
Jim disagreed. He has only had expensive glasses. In fact, the first pair of sunglasses he ever had were about 200 pounds.
I looked at him and said something like, "how did you afford that?" He had mentioned before that he was a struggling artist for many, many years. He was a leather worker, metal worker, taught himself how to gold smith, was a marble sculptor, made jewelry, made costumes for movies, the list goes on and on.
He said, "Oh, well I didn't buy them, I won them in a bet."
"Won them in a bet? Who bets sunglasses?" I asked.
He chuckled a chuckle that said, "oh man I haven't thought of this story for a while, but it's a good one." He paused and thought of the best way to start the story.
"Well, I was in the middle of making this leather bikini while I was living in Ibiza (Spain) and I needed some silver. I brought the bikini with me to my silver smithing friend so I could get some from him. His workshop was right on the beach - he claimed that he never lost inspiration there or something... I'm not sure if it was the women or the water or what, but he did make really great stuff. Anyway, I get up to him and tell him what I need and he starts giving me a hard time.
"I'll give you the silver if you get that girl to put on the bikini." My friend said, as he pointed to the most beautiful Spanish woman on the beach.
Shit, I thought to myself. Who is going to try on a half-made bikini? And from a guy that looks like this? I had been working all day, you see.
So I figure that I need the silver much more than I need my dignity, so I walk over to her. I tell her about my situation, how I need the silver to finish this bikini, blah blah blah. He takes one look a the bikini, jumps up, and says, of course I'll try it on.
That was easy, I thought.
She went to try the bikini on and I went back to sit with my buddy in his workshop. And his face when that beauty came back wearing the bikini was just priceless.
And the best part about it was that she loved the thing. She actually wanted it right then and there! I told her it wasn't finished and that she could buy it from me later if she wanted, but she insisted on having it right then. She said she didn't have any money, but she did have these really expensive sunglasses.
She took them off and handed them to me. She told me how much they cost her and I tried them on.
I said ok and we made the deal. She didn't even take the bikini off-she just wandered back to her sunbathing spot and continued doing whatever it was she was doing before I went over to her.
I turned to my friend and looked at him through my new shades. His face! He put together a bag full of silver for me. Man did that silver sparkle in the sunlight -- I was really happy I had my sunglasses."
It doesn't matter what we're talking about. Jim has a story for every topic. The other day while we were waiting for the ferry to take us to Antiparos, I bought a pair of sunglasses from the kiosk. I said something about how cheap sunglasses are always the way to go because they seem to always get lost or broken and I KNOW that the second I buy an expensive pair, they'll only last for about 1/10th of the time I spent picking them out.
Jim disagreed. He has only had expensive glasses. In fact, the first pair of sunglasses he ever had were about 200 pounds.
I looked at him and said something like, "how did you afford that?" He had mentioned before that he was a struggling artist for many, many years. He was a leather worker, metal worker, taught himself how to gold smith, was a marble sculptor, made jewelry, made costumes for movies, the list goes on and on.
He said, "Oh, well I didn't buy them, I won them in a bet."
"Won them in a bet? Who bets sunglasses?" I asked.
He chuckled a chuckle that said, "oh man I haven't thought of this story for a while, but it's a good one." He paused and thought of the best way to start the story.
"Well, I was in the middle of making this leather bikini while I was living in Ibiza (Spain) and I needed some silver. I brought the bikini with me to my silver smithing friend so I could get some from him. His workshop was right on the beach - he claimed that he never lost inspiration there or something... I'm not sure if it was the women or the water or what, but he did make really great stuff. Anyway, I get up to him and tell him what I need and he starts giving me a hard time.
"I'll give you the silver if you get that girl to put on the bikini." My friend said, as he pointed to the most beautiful Spanish woman on the beach.
Shit, I thought to myself. Who is going to try on a half-made bikini? And from a guy that looks like this? I had been working all day, you see.
So I figure that I need the silver much more than I need my dignity, so I walk over to her. I tell her about my situation, how I need the silver to finish this bikini, blah blah blah. He takes one look a the bikini, jumps up, and says, of course I'll try it on.
That was easy, I thought.
She went to try the bikini on and I went back to sit with my buddy in his workshop. And his face when that beauty came back wearing the bikini was just priceless.
And the best part about it was that she loved the thing. She actually wanted it right then and there! I told her it wasn't finished and that she could buy it from me later if she wanted, but she insisted on having it right then. She said she didn't have any money, but she did have these really expensive sunglasses.
She took them off and handed them to me. She told me how much they cost her and I tried them on.
I said ok and we made the deal. She didn't even take the bikini off-she just wandered back to her sunbathing spot and continued doing whatever it was she was doing before I went over to her.
I turned to my friend and looked at him through my new shades. His face! He put together a bag full of silver for me. Man did that silver sparkle in the sunlight -- I was really happy I had my sunglasses."
Monday, July 9, 2007
the wall hillary built
Jim put me in charge of their lovely backyard garden. For the past few days I've been giving it some love. Well, all the love plants need are poop, water, and mulch... So I've been doing that.
At lunch the other day I told Jim that we could really use a back wall for the highest bed of the garden. He had told me a story about how a few years ago there was an enormous flood and it nearly took out the entire garden before flooding the house. After the flood, Jim built a few permanent walls behind the garden, but nothing really finishing off the final bed. He liked the idea and we started building today.
I used a jackhammer for the first time. I liked it.
At lunch the other day I told Jim that we could really use a back wall for the highest bed of the garden. He had told me a story about how a few years ago there was an enormous flood and it nearly took out the entire garden before flooding the house. After the flood, Jim built a few permanent walls behind the garden, but nothing really finishing off the final bed. He liked the idea and we started building today.
I used a jackhammer for the first time. I liked it.
07.07.07
A few days ago, Jim, Charlotte (another wwoofer from Napa), and I went into town to run some errands and see an art exhibit of a friend of his. The town is small and like most every other Greek island towns. Lots of white, lots of blue, lots of people, lots of shops. While Jim was catching up with his artist friend, Charlotte and I found the local English newspaper.
The newspaper was filled with notes from the municipality about new laws and regulations, a list of upcoming birthdays, and events. In one corner was an advertisement for a party for Live Earth on 07.07.07--the next day. I knew that the Live Earth concerts were happening, but I completely forgot they were so soon. We had to go!
The party was on the island of Antiparos, the island next to Paros. 1 euro gets you across. It's so close, I could swim across with no problem...except for the ferry boats, kite surfers, and ritzy private boats. So Charlotte, Jim, and I make plans for the weekend. Charlotte and I take the ferry across at around 4pm so we have some time the check things out around there before the party starts at 10. We get a campground set up, as we expect the party to be a rager and the ferrys stop crossing at 1am. Jim would feed the dogs, do some things at the house, and then take the ferry across at 10 and meet us at the party.
We were all expecting this huge beach party with bonfires and music and happy people dancing and happy people swimming and beer and fun!
Charlotte and I decide to make our way to the party place around 10:15 after sitting on the dock for a while. Jim missed the ferry so he wouldn't be in until 11. We figured we'd stake out a good place to hang out at the party because we figured there would be a ton of people there and limited chilling space.
The bar wasn't full of music and happy people dancing and happy people swimming... it wasn't even on the beach, so swimming and bonfires were impossible. The bar was actually this really ritzy place with posh couches and fancy waitresses. Oh man, we both thought. This is NOT what we were expecting. The people there didn't even look like they were having fun. Total buzz kill.
Jim met us at the bar and after giving it a shot, we all decided we could find a better time on the island. We walked through the square, people watched for a while, but in the end, sat on the beach for a few hours drinking and talking about how lame the party was.
Jim slept in his car at the port, which is really funny because he's so tall that I can't believe he couldn't come up with a better alternative. Charlotte and I slept head-to-foot in her 1 person tent. Close quarters with a girl that I just met and am not really sure if I even like yet. She's very intense, has lived on an organic farm in Cali for many years, and would tell you that she knows everything about farming if you asked her.
Although the party wasn't what we thought it would be, we all got a kick of what we thought it would be like. We're all determined to find a raging beach party before I leave here.
The newspaper was filled with notes from the municipality about new laws and regulations, a list of upcoming birthdays, and events. In one corner was an advertisement for a party for Live Earth on 07.07.07--the next day. I knew that the Live Earth concerts were happening, but I completely forgot they were so soon. We had to go!
The party was on the island of Antiparos, the island next to Paros. 1 euro gets you across. It's so close, I could swim across with no problem...except for the ferry boats, kite surfers, and ritzy private boats. So Charlotte, Jim, and I make plans for the weekend. Charlotte and I take the ferry across at around 4pm so we have some time the check things out around there before the party starts at 10. We get a campground set up, as we expect the party to be a rager and the ferrys stop crossing at 1am. Jim would feed the dogs, do some things at the house, and then take the ferry across at 10 and meet us at the party.
We were all expecting this huge beach party with bonfires and music and happy people dancing and happy people swimming and beer and fun!
Charlotte and I decide to make our way to the party place around 10:15 after sitting on the dock for a while. Jim missed the ferry so he wouldn't be in until 11. We figured we'd stake out a good place to hang out at the party because we figured there would be a ton of people there and limited chilling space.
The bar wasn't full of music and happy people dancing and happy people swimming... it wasn't even on the beach, so swimming and bonfires were impossible. The bar was actually this really ritzy place with posh couches and fancy waitresses. Oh man, we both thought. This is NOT what we were expecting. The people there didn't even look like they were having fun. Total buzz kill.
Jim met us at the bar and after giving it a shot, we all decided we could find a better time on the island. We walked through the square, people watched for a while, but in the end, sat on the beach for a few hours drinking and talking about how lame the party was.
Jim slept in his car at the port, which is really funny because he's so tall that I can't believe he couldn't come up with a better alternative. Charlotte and I slept head-to-foot in her 1 person tent. Close quarters with a girl that I just met and am not really sure if I even like yet. She's very intense, has lived on an organic farm in Cali for many years, and would tell you that she knows everything about farming if you asked her.
Although the party wasn't what we thought it would be, we all got a kick of what we thought it would be like. We're all determined to find a raging beach party before I leave here.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
exhausted
Hi from Paros!
It's so beautiful here! Jim and Irene, the farm owners, are lovely and I've fallen quickly in love with their 2 dogs and 3 cats. My love for shoveling cow poop and carrying it around in wheelbarrows is slightly less, but it comes with a real education of permaculture, which is great.
I arrived at the farm on Sunday evening after spending about 40 hours in Athens. It was great to be back in Athens - I ate at my favorite restaurant, climbed up Lykavetos with new friends at about 3am, and had about an hour of sleep before having to leave for the ferry to Paros. Note to self: NOT a good idea to be on a ferry hungover when you already know you get seasick.
After I got off the boat (I've never been so happy to get out of a moving vehicle in my entire life), I took a public bus to a few towns over. Jim, Irene, Charlie, and Freddie (the 2 dogs), picked me up from the bus station and we went to the farm. I wish I had pictures to show you all (my camera broke the day I arrived - figures) because I'm not sure if you'd believe how beautiful it is. They have committed their lives to creating a beautiful place to live and work and the place just gushes with the type of energy that only comes from hours of serious heartfelt dedication and uncountable gallons of sweat. Believe me - I've worked for 2 days and think I've donated at least five.
Anyway, I had such a great first evening with them. They had some friends come by for dinner - Aussies that are on Paros for running Ashtanga Yoga seminars. After a really, really tasty dinner and great conversation, we went into town and saw The Good Shepard at the open air theater. The theater was so fun, but this movie is not one that you should watch after you've only slept for an hour, still feel pretty crappy, and are only running on adrenalin. It's too long and way to depressing. But the popcorn was good and the Mythos was as good as I remembered it to be.
Yesterday and today I woke up at 7, got dressed, had a small breakfast, and started work at about 8:30. I've been working with compost and mulch. Part of the permaculture philosophy is making sure that you're being smart with your resources. Jim has been taking advantage of the local economy here in Paros. He has collected grape seeds from the raki making farm down the road. Raki tastes like nail polish remover and is only tolerable with salty snacks and in small sips. It is made from the grapes that are too crappy to make wine out of. He used their "trash" seeds as compost during the growing season (which is winter). Now we're working with olive leaves from the olive oil making place in the center of town.
Oh yes, and lots and lots of cow poop that has been sitting in a pile for a year.
It doesn't smell and I've found some pretty cool potsherds while shoveling it. I actually used a pitchfork while digging in piles of crap. All that was missing was the clothespin on my nose.
I'm having a really great time and I think my time here will fly by.
I'll write more later - I'm so tired!!!
It's so beautiful here! Jim and Irene, the farm owners, are lovely and I've fallen quickly in love with their 2 dogs and 3 cats. My love for shoveling cow poop and carrying it around in wheelbarrows is slightly less, but it comes with a real education of permaculture, which is great.
I arrived at the farm on Sunday evening after spending about 40 hours in Athens. It was great to be back in Athens - I ate at my favorite restaurant, climbed up Lykavetos with new friends at about 3am, and had about an hour of sleep before having to leave for the ferry to Paros. Note to self: NOT a good idea to be on a ferry hungover when you already know you get seasick.
After I got off the boat (I've never been so happy to get out of a moving vehicle in my entire life), I took a public bus to a few towns over. Jim, Irene, Charlie, and Freddie (the 2 dogs), picked me up from the bus station and we went to the farm. I wish I had pictures to show you all (my camera broke the day I arrived - figures) because I'm not sure if you'd believe how beautiful it is. They have committed their lives to creating a beautiful place to live and work and the place just gushes with the type of energy that only comes from hours of serious heartfelt dedication and uncountable gallons of sweat. Believe me - I've worked for 2 days and think I've donated at least five.
Anyway, I had such a great first evening with them. They had some friends come by for dinner - Aussies that are on Paros for running Ashtanga Yoga seminars. After a really, really tasty dinner and great conversation, we went into town and saw The Good Shepard at the open air theater. The theater was so fun, but this movie is not one that you should watch after you've only slept for an hour, still feel pretty crappy, and are only running on adrenalin. It's too long and way to depressing. But the popcorn was good and the Mythos was as good as I remembered it to be.
Yesterday and today I woke up at 7, got dressed, had a small breakfast, and started work at about 8:30. I've been working with compost and mulch. Part of the permaculture philosophy is making sure that you're being smart with your resources. Jim has been taking advantage of the local economy here in Paros. He has collected grape seeds from the raki making farm down the road. Raki tastes like nail polish remover and is only tolerable with salty snacks and in small sips. It is made from the grapes that are too crappy to make wine out of. He used their "trash" seeds as compost during the growing season (which is winter). Now we're working with olive leaves from the olive oil making place in the center of town.
Oh yes, and lots and lots of cow poop that has been sitting in a pile for a year.
It doesn't smell and I've found some pretty cool potsherds while shoveling it. I actually used a pitchfork while digging in piles of crap. All that was missing was the clothespin on my nose.
I'm having a really great time and I think my time here will fly by.
I'll write more later - I'm so tired!!!
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