Reflections on 2 weeks at Kalikalos

Hello everyone! I'm Fiona, and I've been living at the Kalikalos community for the last ten days. Sitting in the rain (very unusual!) on my last working day here,  I felt drawn to writing about my experience here before it fades into my return journey home.......

So, where to start? I've lived in community a lot over the last few years, and I've been away on retreats and workshops a lot too - so I'm quite used to sharing intimate space with others - both those I know, and those I come together with for a short space of time. I'm also used to living in parts of the world where things may not function as they do back home (India, Russia) - but there is something unique and for me utterly charming and captivating about Kalikalos, and I intend to share that with you in this blog.

I will start with a few "snapshots" of my time here: long, lazy afternoons on the beach, swimming and floating in the deep blue sea, eating cherries straight off the tree, spontaneously dancing together in the evenings, eating delicious vegetarian food, chanting by moon and candle light for my friend who has just been ordained, cooking together,  gardening together, washing up together outside in the warm sunshine (so different from washing up inside in the cold), being a "body" for the Bowen technique workshop that was taking place, hearing shouts and screams from the other workshop space (a leadership course!), playing with 2 cute dogs who arrived for an overnight visit (planning to stay longer, but frightened by the thunder!), admiring a beautiful tortoise who also visited overnight, watching Enrico, the 8 year old son of one of the staff playing with his two insects he is keeping in a jar, a healing swap with an amazing energy worker, early morning chi kung, yoga and meditation sessions, making natural cosmetics, a "men's group" (can't tell you much more about that - for obvious reasons!!), nights out at the local taverna, some tears - and above all a lot of laughter and hugs!

As always, with these comparatively short but intense times away, I have made some good friends, and feel that I have known people for far longer than just 10 days.

So, what makes it for me "unique, utterly charming and captivating?"  First of all, the place is absolutely beautiful. The hills, the many colours of bright flowers and their different scents, the blue, blue sea - and the clean, pure air. And for me, life is so much easier in the heat and the sunshine - bare feet on the ground, loose, bright clothing and a deepening suntan!

It's also that Kalikalos is small enough that you know from the very beginning that your presence and your contribution matter. Because it's comparatively small (about 11 of us in my first week, and about 18 the second week) you get to know people quite well. Also, living in a smallish space with a lot of different people doing different things, all of whom have different needs and wants, can really bring you up against your "edges." I have become aware (again!) of my patterns and tendencies when I am in community situations - and have felt that it is a safe, supportive space to share about them, and to work through what I want to address.  Sometimes this week, I have let go of what I wanted to do to help someone else, and the other way round - people have often gone out of their way to help me.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, this place seems to attract some really interesting people - and we are all so different! People from Findhorn ( a community in the Northeast of Scotland) and Auroville (a community in South India), people with gardening and permaculture expertise, body workers and healers, people from different countries and cultures, and with different interests and talents. I will miss you all!

Well-Being

My last day. Today is one of the cool days that seem to come once a week in this glorious land basking in radiant sunshine. Later perhaps there will be a “Katabatic Wind” that happens when the heat of the hills draws air off the sea, creating gusts that bang the shutters to and fro all night. At least the mozzies and midges can’t battle against those winds, unlike the calm hot nights when they get under the skin. Bring a net if you have one.

The bell will ring in five minutes. The rhythms of Kalikalos are wonderfully reliable. There will be bread, olives, tomatoes, feta, and copious mild olive oil for lunch on the terrace under the vines where grapes and !Kiwi! fruits slowly ripen. A small strong sweet Greek coffee, a nap, and then a drive down the hairpin road to the pale glowing shingle beach, float in salty blue sea. Watch the deep blue sky shade to silver as the sun sinks behind the mountain, and the moon, full tonight, glows pale in the East.


My window to the rosy sunrise over the Aegean.

Life here feels timeless, ancient, and utterly present. Although the names and faces of people change, there seems to be a spirit of the place that welcomes into its heart those who come this way, that lives here throughout the year, breathing in, and breathing out. Claudia, Jessica, Dera - angels of love and light and service - David, Mark, Enid, Monica, Jock, lightly supporting and encouraging with humour and integrity and dedication.

When I considered coming here to facilitate the Well Being Retreat with The Work, the required tasks (washing up, food prep, gardening) looked like chores. Now I see that each contribution brings a sense of connection and fun. "Wash your plate and one other thing" sounds earnest and virtuous, yet brings a tremendous sense of well-being.

Tamara Alferoff, London