Final Day of Workcamp

The beginning of the end of the work camp was last night . We celebrated with a bottle of champagne(special offer-slightly vinegary!) and a three course meal, as the succesful negotiations for next year are now in the hands of the lawyers. Jock has already started planning workshops for next year and we are looking forward to being back at Kalikalos. But do still let us know if you know of anywhere bigger near here so we can expand.






The work camp has ended in glorious sunshine on a deserted beach.


We were so keen to get to the beach that we were up early, posponed the circle sharing to the evening, and were hard at it cleaning the kitchen and doing all the last minute jobs (that increase as you do them).


Jock needed to do official closures (telephone etc) so we left him hard at it in Zagora, while we sat in the square and took it easy. He joined us in relaxing once we
reached the beach.



There were six or seven people on the first beach, too many for us , so we moved to the adjacent beach where there was just us as you can see. October bliss in Greece!



Now we are off to the taverna on a balmy night with the moon pink and reflecting in the sea.




It's a hard life on a work camp!


Pam Cohen, Jilly Cooke and Judith Bone--the last survivors of the May 2008 workcamp.

Kalikalos expanding

Kalikalos is looking for a place... places, is looking to expand. The dreams of several sharing circles and much confirming experince from Staff, participants and guests are clear that such a vision of community is worthy of continued growth. The practices of community, of supporting another human being in their truths, enjoying nature, bringing Holistic Education, giving opportunity, retreat, heart and soul, are here to stay and prosper.

Can you help?

We are looking for another place in the Pilion region of Greece, temporary or permanent, and also potential places elsewhere in Europe that offer similar opportunity.

What we need

A site with a buiding, or buildings, which has some land attached to it, 3 stremata or more (Greece, more elsewhere) on which some vegetables can be grown, a temporary group room structure, several tents and a yurt or two can be erected. The site would not be in a busy place from either traffic or tourism, at least in the immediate vicinity of the land and be within 50 minutes walk to the beach.
If renting, the site would be for available from mid May to mid October, though could miss out the Greek holiday period from mid July to August end. We do work to the property and land to improve and maintain the site, creating community through work projects and look to be of benefit to the local community somehow.

ROB DREAMING, Sussex, England

Workcamping

Another mad day passes. Reality never did shapeshift so fast as as I recall being out here before... workcamp no exception.

Not a huge amount of work to do here for the staff, mostly because the continuing lease of this particular place is still under some intense negotiations with the owner. A very protracted and complex set of legal, social and financial issues have made life uneasy for Jock, the creator of Kalikalos, and the future shape of the project difficult to forsee, but we are getting a lot of invaluable help particularly from our Greek friends here at the centre and some others who have come a long way from Athens and the large island of Evia to help also... stay posted!


The photos are I guess self explanatory.



As a result of several councils (talking circle sharings in which the wisdom of the group is sought) some of us postulated what Kalikalos would look like in five years time in our personal visions. These ranged from having 5 centres in different countries in Europe to Kalikalos designated in the Pantheon of Greek Gods and Goddesses as the God of community! More of the 5 centres thingy later

ROB

JACK BOND - 008

Hello my name is Jackdaw Parsons.I am 11 years old and im english.I have been living in ireland for 10 years though.We stayed in kalikalos for 3 weeks (We being me and my mum lusi).I have had a really enjoyable time at kalikalos, and am really felling sad that im going.I am also happy that i am going because i haven't seen my friend Joe for 6 weeks!Anyway back to kalikalos its the most beautiful place i've ever been to!The lovely beaches the wonderful meals and last but not least the friendly people.

On our first week we where being staff members.We did alot of work and met alot of nice people I really like the inspiration behind the kalkalos project called Jock. He's a really great man and his dream kalikalos has been a great success.On our second week here we where workshop participants. A wonderful man called Jeff Foster he was doing a workshop called nonduality.Its all about oneness and everything bieng connected.Me and my mum got on so well with Jeff and his partner Amy that we got their e-mail adress and they said they would vist us in Ireland.On this third week we are starting the work camp. Anyway this is a picture of me in a place called damouhari where a bit of the movie Mamma Mia was filmed me and my mum went there to have a meal in the taverna and do some sight seing. Anyway thats all from me overall i had a great time in kalikalos!!!



Jackdaw Parsons
Ireland

Path of Love

Er
I arrived four weeks ago to staff for a couple of weeks, then travel and then facilitate or be one of the facilitators for the last workshop of this year called Path of Love.

Expectations, hmm. I'm sure they have a use to a degree, but good not to hold on them eh..? Hang on, isnt that what an expectation is? OK, lets put them in the circle and eject them. Thanks.

Anyway, the week of the workshop, everything was changing on a daily (hourly?) basis and testing fluidity to deal with things...which was of course part and parcel of the Path. I think I only used the Sh** word twice. One of the faciliators was not well, four people had cancelled the workshop and the one participant was merged with the staff and LCG's (Live in Community Guests). Merging continued as a theme somewhere as I got the group to experiment with exchanging names, identities and generally check out another person's shoes... Blurring definitions.



The weather on a continual expectation to shine with sun, was cold and raining torrentially, so we huddled inside around fires to share and work with what came up. Of course, when I started to get the hang of working inside and plan things with an everchanging amount of participants, (staff etc needed to work, just chill ((sorry, warm up)) or whatever) my plans (expectations?) were laughingly thwarted by the sun appearing beaming. That was the second "S" word utterance made in full prescence of the morning circle sharing. Felt good!



Thankfully, the last two days remained hot and sunny, and my original intention to do the work on the beach manifested. The entire contents of the centre streamed on to the sand and stones and as you can see enjoyed a spot of lunch. Clarity at last! On the last day, the one participant ~Julie, got my and Belinda's full attention and we completed the workshop, then to blend, blurr or otherwise merge gracefully into workcamp mode...

I've been coming out to Greece to help Jock with his project since 2002 and it has been a continuing inspiration, life-changing, health-giving experience. It has been my Path of Love, since I now run talking circles in Brighton and whereever, and have some direct connection with one of the most beautiful places I know, this the region of the Pilion.

More to come I'm sure. Everyday out here is a life-experience doubled.
ROB Dreaming
www.heart-source.com

happiness

I came to Kalikalos a week ago because my friends were running a workshop & had told me what a magical place it is here. I wanted some sun, to practice living in community & to deepen my experience of life as a 'path of love' (the workshop title).

The community here has been incredibly enriching for me, I've felt a sense of calm contentment & excitement for life that has been really beautiful. Holding talking circles every day has helped me to feel almost instantly connected to complete strangers. and I'm usually pretty shy around people I don't know. but then Kalikalos seems to attract some very special, warm hearted people.



Sunshine was one thing that didn't happen for a few days, it was colder than England, ugh! but somehow it's so great here that huddling up with other lovely people just deepened the connection & I had a wonderful workshop experience. Then 2 days after I arrived the sun shone - suddenly out of the cloud came radiant blue skies, turquoise seas & deep happiness.

We all scooted down to the beautiful deserted beach & were so exuberant clothes just came flying off! In minutes we were skinny dipping in the sea & basking in the gorgeous feeling of sunshine on skin. Then the dolphins came out to play too which was amazing.



After the workshop I'd signed up for a few days of the 'workcamp' to close down the centre for the winter - work has such a different meaning for me here though - the ethos is that it must be enjoyable & I feel like I'm contributing to something I love, so it's a pleasure. We stopped for lunch & had what Jock calls a 'snack lunch' - most delicious & elaborate snack meals I've ever had!





Fortunately the sun has delighted us on many a beach day since. today we had a picnic lunch on the sand looking out over the most beautiful sandy cove. It was just perfect.


Julie Wright, Brighton

SWEET PILION

Back at home with the sweet memories of Pilion. It all is in me, arriving by the climbing roads, up and up, bend after bend. The sun, the heat, and then the coolness of the lush mountain. It embraces me, makes me forget the tightness I have lived with for so long now.

Meeting the friends who arrive from the beach, and seeing the freshness in them after their swim in the crystal clear turquoise waters. Next morning the sharing with the staff. Bliss. Is there anything better than sharing in a circle? I feel welcomed, loved, accepted, free - and expected to do things, cooking, washing-up!

A few days later I attend Jeff's workshop on advaita. It has been raining for a few days now. I sit wrapped in a blanket listening to Jeff talking about NOTHING. I have no comments, no questions, just sitting in beingness. I am.

The place is full of wonderful, warm people who create fun, great food, laughter, joy, tears. And I am part of it. I had forgotten how healing this kind of a community can be.
We are also part of the village community where nobody speaks English. The lady from one of the restaurants comes and cooks a Greek dinner for the lot of us one evening. Next time I'll find a person to teach us Greek dances and we will all dance madly the Zorbas!

In spite of the rain we had, I managed to swim quite a few times, walk the donkey paths down the mountain slopes, sit in the cafes drinking Greek coffee, watch the world go by and feel whole and happy. I definitely will be back.

I found a photo of a sun hat hanging from a tree and a man sitting under it. I also managed to catch Jock sorting out compost.

With Love
Johanna - Inverness