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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
26 Dec 2024
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Description
Who we are
We are Konstantinos and Marion, two enthusiastic, open-minded people who are on the way to create a self sustainable place here in the beautiful mountains near the coast.
Konstantinos is a professional skipper, skipper instructor and diver for 20 years. He is very talented in handcraft, art, engineering and technics all kinds and highly interested in construction with alternative methods, like for example cob combined with artistic approach. He speaks English and Greek.
Marion is a professional occupational therapist, highly interested in all kind of natural healing/healing plants, permaculture,...After 10 years of working as OT she quid and followed her heard, soul and the winds. She traveled and worked in different kinds of "jobs" 5 years around the world and found here in this peaceful, magic place a great homebase. She speaks little greek, fluent English and German.
Where we live:
We live in a small, cute, simple house (3 rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom (right now due to construction IN PROGESS OF CHANGE) in a very small village in the mountains near the west coast with mostly elderly people. Here is NO cafe or super-/mini market. The next town is about 15 km from here, the sea straight line 7 km, by car ~20 mins.
The house gets heated in the winter with wood at a so-called "maschina" (an amazing piece of steel artwork, for heating with wood, baking and cooking (we also have a gas cooker...)
The surrounding is stunning! A 360* view of mountains surrounding a big "valley" area, and we are close to the sea as well (which you can see from one of our lands...).
We both love to be out here in the nature! If you share the love and also a life kind of "off grid", and also don't mind to get your hands dirty, as well as doing all jobs who need to be done with love this is the right place for you!
Our farm
We have a big garden, in which we grow vegetables and fruits like mandarins, oranges, kiwis, pomegranates, figs, walnuts, almonds, lemons as well as seasonall veggies and salads, also a greenhouse and 2 ha land with around 200 olive trees for our own olive oil production. All is produced ecologically, this land never saw artificial pesticides, although not certified.
Our vision
Our long term vision is to create here in this beautiful place sustainability in everything needed. From pressing our oil to making natural soaps to art to....... We have a long way in front of us but: the path is the goal!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
What to learn/ expect
If you are up for a working adventure where you share your knowledge/learn from our knowledge while living in the nature and want to help us to get closer to our dream, then come and work with us with love, positivity, peace, flexibility, patience and belief!
Kostas has a huge knowledge about all construction/maintanance work which he combines lovely with art and love. Also he knows a lot about (greek) history, greek orthodox faith, myths,... You can learn a lot from him!
Marion knows a lot about plants and natural healing, also about making natural cleaning products, olive oil based creams, tinctures,... She is happy to share her knowledge.
Our common language here is English and Greek.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
What are the tasks
- upkeeping / cleaning / maintenance of the house and outside, RIGHT NOW mostly construction / renovation work, add-on a new workshop plus on top of it a kitchen/living room/balcony area and making it generally sustainable
- building stone walls (with gabions) around the property and the garden to landscape and stabilize
- Olive harvest (~beginning of October preparation, mid October harvest for ~7-10 days)
- wood (cut/collect)
- upkeeping the garden and olive grove with all included tasks
- collecting/storing herbs
- making natural cosmetics (cremes / soap,...)
...
If you have any experience / knowledge (or want to learn about that) in gardening, alternative construction, stone work, sustainability, grey water, generally in "off-grid" living and creating, you found a great place here and are more than welcome to live with us!
You are asked for ~5 hours work per day for ~ 5 days a week (with lots of flexibility) to help us around our house and garden, right now mostly in construction works around the house, in exchange with food, accommodation and the chance to live and work with us, get new friends, learn, share, experience. All tasks are for our own private progression to fulfil our dream of living here off grid. We are not a business.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
Greek: Fluent
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Food and accommodation:
Our food is for a big part homegrown or from the small local sellers. We eat meat (when there is not a fasting period, as we are Greek orthodox)
Depending on how much volunteers we host at a time, we offer a simple shared room with two beds (bunk beds), or if you wish, you can also put up your tent in the garden or bring your own camper.
We can host 2 persons, preferably male or couples, as we have lots of construction projects.
In exceptional circumstances (depending on project or during olive harvest) we can host maybe more, if they have a camper,...
Hosting families depends on the circumstances, families with their own camper is mostly no problem, if accommodation is wished, it depends.
Pets are not allowed due to "our" (and more of the surrounding) wild cats in which territory we live and our dog Aris (greek-sheperd, ~2 years old)
What else ...
What to do in your free time
As we are " in the middle of wilderness" in the mountains, you have lots of possibilities to hike/walk/climb (on your own responsibility!)
The sea is by car around 30 min away.
Also here are lots of ancient areas around, for example Nikopoli, Kasopi, Zalogo, Nekromantio, 5 orthodox monasterys and a lot of tempels before and after Christ.
Here is a lot to explore and on Sundays/the evenings we often make excursions/trips in the area.
How we live
We live here a nature based life, we get usually up early and work during the day, then rest in the evening and Sundays. As we live on the shadow side of the mountain, in winter time the sun goes down pretty early and the days are much shorter.
A word of advise: if you search for a lazy time / a free guesthouse or a beach / mountain vacation, you are wrong here. We love our life and our work and want you also to love do what you are asked with love and happiness.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (3)
He stayed 2 weeks with us and helped us a lot (!!!) during the olive harvest!
The olive harvest is a exhausting but satisfying task, close to nature and it needs strong persons (physically and mentally) to endure it. Smida was absolutely up to the task and really good.
We had interesting… read more
I stayed 2 weeks with kosta and marion and I was lucky because they had to harvest the olives, I was able to learn the whole process from preparing the land to pressing the olive to obtain the oil. kosta taught me a lot about olive trees and the harvest. I really had a good time with them, they were very welcoming and… read more
Communication was easy, even if his English was basic we understood each other always.
We wish you a great travel with your bicycle filled with beauty, peace and magic.
You are welcome back any time!
thanks really a lot for all. I wish you… read more
He came in a time where due to an accident I have to lay straight in the bed and he helped us in so many ways.
He cooked great meals, helped to prepare the garden, painted windows and lots of more, all with happiness and skills.
With him we felt more like family than just a helper and we… read more
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He stayed 2 weeks with us and helped us a lot (!!!) during the olive harvest!
The olive harvest is a exhausting but satisfying task, close to nature and it needs strong persons (physically and mentally) to endure it. Smida was absolutely up to the task and really good.
We had interesting… read more
I stayed 2 weeks with kosta and marion and I was lucky because they had to harvest the olives, I was able to learn the whole process from preparing the land to pressing the olive to obtain the oil. kosta taught me a lot about olive trees and the harvest. I really had a good time with them, they were very welcoming and… read more
Communication was easy, even if his English was basic we understood each other always.
We wish you a great travel with your bicycle filled with beauty, peace and magic.
You are welcome back any time!
thanks really a lot for all. I wish you… read more
He came in a time where due to an accident I have to lay straight in the bed and he helped us in so many ways.
He cooked great meals, helped to prepare the garden, painted windows and lots of more, all with happiness and skills.
With him we felt more like family than just a helper and we… read more
