Where to begin?!
So much to cover since our last post, so sorry if this gets a bit long and is not quite as entertaining. We have been trying to settle in and want to answer a lot of your questions about what life looks like for us here so this is kind of an information dump but It is looking like we will be able to post about once a week, as we get to come into the village on our day off and that is the only place to get internet!
I'll start with last Thursday. We had been delayed a day due to bad weather, so we were planning on taking the morning and checking out a nearby archeological museum, packing up and moving on. However, after a leisurely morning of statues, coffee, and cheese pie, we were told that the ferry would not be leaving for maybe two more days, without any real explanation. We called Amanda (the woman who runs the farm) to let her know that we most likely would not be there for a couple days. She then called the captain of the ferry, apparently they are friends, and she called back and told us that in fact the ferry was running today, and we would need to catch a bus to the island. This would be our first, but definitely not last encounter of Greek culture, where nobody really knows what is really going on...
We got a taxi to the bus station, and somehow managed to buy two tickets to Kymi, which is the town that the ferry runs out of. It is another miracle that we actually found what bus we needed when the tickets look like this..
One 3.5 hour bus ride later, complete with some beautiful scenery, two sobbing greek ladies, and a chainsmoking bus driver, we pulled into Kymi and the ferry port..
The ferry ride was a little under 2 hours long, and we pulled into the port of Skyros island just after dark. Amanda met us at the dock and drove us "home", about 25 minutes away.
We met everyone on the farm, (Amanda and Stathis, who run the farm, and then Dimos and his nine year old daughter Julietta, who also live on the farm. ) ate a quick dinner with everyone and then headed to bed, we had an early morning of "mucking out" ahead of us!
We woke up around 7:30, pulled on our "wellies" and went out to meet Clio (who is from France) and Mathilde (who is from Denmark), they had been volunteering at the farm for about 3 months, and were leaving in a couple of days. They showed us around our morning chores, and then Mathilde spent some time showing us around the farm and some places around it.
Note to self: When somebody suggest going to look at "the cutest little churches that are in walking distance" Make sure you clarify what walking distance means. Literally almost died. Uphill the whole way, with winds that made it hard to put one foot in front of another! Going down the hill on the way back was a whole 'nother challenge, it almost blew you right down!
Our first day was very very windy, mix in some rain and cold temps and I thought Amy was gonna run for hills (with the wind of course because otherwise it would be impossible). I think we both had a moment of "what did we get ourselves into" that first day, but are starting to get settled in and really really loving our time here. The weather has been great since then, it is always windy, but when the sun is out it can be really nice!
Ok so let me backtrack, and tell you a little bit about how our days looks! We start around 7:30 or 8 each morning and begin by mucking out. Mucking out is when we go into each of the fields full of horses and basically pooper scoop all of their poop!
We get one day off a week, which we are able to spend at a flat that Amanda and Stathis own in the village. It is kind of a communal flat, always people coming and going. The flat is rented by a guy named Kostas, he works in the military base on the island and is in the flat full time, Dimos and Julieta stay here during the week when she goes to school, and Amanda and Stathis stay here at times as well. The flat is great, it overlooks the beach, and is only about a 20 minute walk, uphill of course,(why do all of these hills always go up?!) into the "downtown" of the village.
When we are at the farm, Amy and I have a little house/room thingy that is attached to the barn. We think it is pretty cozy and it has been nicknamed "The Castle" by previous volunteers and we think it fits :)
Mathilde saying goodbye to some of the horses..
Efestos and Normand saying hello to each other :)
and this little horsey is named Astropi
Amanda and Stathis house
Pony Parade to the beach!
So much to cover since our last post, so sorry if this gets a bit long and is not quite as entertaining. We have been trying to settle in and want to answer a lot of your questions about what life looks like for us here so this is kind of an information dump but It is looking like we will be able to post about once a week, as we get to come into the village on our day off and that is the only place to get internet!
I'll start with last Thursday. We had been delayed a day due to bad weather, so we were planning on taking the morning and checking out a nearby archeological museum, packing up and moving on. However, after a leisurely morning of statues, coffee, and cheese pie, we were told that the ferry would not be leaving for maybe two more days, without any real explanation. We called Amanda (the woman who runs the farm) to let her know that we most likely would not be there for a couple days. She then called the captain of the ferry, apparently they are friends, and she called back and told us that in fact the ferry was running today, and we would need to catch a bus to the island. This would be our first, but definitely not last encounter of Greek culture, where nobody really knows what is really going on...
We got a taxi to the bus station, and somehow managed to buy two tickets to Kymi, which is the town that the ferry runs out of. It is another miracle that we actually found what bus we needed when the tickets look like this..
One 3.5 hour bus ride later, complete with some beautiful scenery, two sobbing greek ladies, and a chainsmoking bus driver, we pulled into Kymi and the ferry port..
We met everyone on the farm, (Amanda and Stathis, who run the farm, and then Dimos and his nine year old daughter Julietta, who also live on the farm. ) ate a quick dinner with everyone and then headed to bed, we had an early morning of "mucking out" ahead of us!
We woke up around 7:30, pulled on our "wellies" and went out to meet Clio (who is from France) and Mathilde (who is from Denmark), they had been volunteering at the farm for about 3 months, and were leaving in a couple of days. They showed us around our morning chores, and then Mathilde spent some time showing us around the farm and some places around it.
Note to self: When somebody suggest going to look at "the cutest little churches that are in walking distance" Make sure you clarify what walking distance means. Literally almost died. Uphill the whole way, with winds that made it hard to put one foot in front of another! Going down the hill on the way back was a whole 'nother challenge, it almost blew you right down!
Our first day was very very windy, mix in some rain and cold temps and I thought Amy was gonna run for hills (with the wind of course because otherwise it would be impossible). I think we both had a moment of "what did we get ourselves into" that first day, but are starting to get settled in and really really loving our time here. The weather has been great since then, it is always windy, but when the sun is out it can be really nice!
Ok so let me backtrack, and tell you a little bit about how our days looks! We start around 7:30 or 8 each morning and begin by mucking out. Mucking out is when we go into each of the fields full of horses and basically pooper scoop all of their poop!
These are our mucking out tools, then we take the full buckets and use a wheelbarrow, or just our brute strength, and dump them into a pit in the back of the farm.
We fill their water, and feed as well. There are a total of 42 horses on the farm, and they are kept in 8 different fields. We go through the whole process three times a day and it takes between an hour or two hours each time. When we aren't scoopin up da poopa, we can either chill out and read, take a walk (or marathon depending on who takes you on the walk), when Amanda has time, she will be teaching us more about training/working with the horses.
We get one day off a week, which we are able to spend at a flat that Amanda and Stathis own in the village. It is kind of a communal flat, always people coming and going. The flat is rented by a guy named Kostas, he works in the military base on the island and is in the flat full time, Dimos and Julieta stay here during the week when she goes to school, and Amanda and Stathis stay here at times as well. The flat is great, it overlooks the beach, and is only about a 20 minute walk, uphill of course,(why do all of these hills always go up?!) into the "downtown" of the village.
When we are at the farm, Amy and I have a little house/room thingy that is attached to the barn. We think it is pretty cozy and it has been nicknamed "The Castle" by previous volunteers and we think it fits :)
We usually eat breakfast on our own, and then have lunch and dinner either on our own or with whoever else is at the farm that day. The food is really good..
Sorry for the total information overload but just wanted to give you a little idea of what everything is like, more adventures to come..!
Mathilde saying goodbye to some of the horses..
Efestos and Normand saying hello to each other :)
Aunt Trina this picture is for you..We have a ton of chickens, and FOUR roosters who have NO sense of time and cock-a-doodle-doo every five minutes. no joke.
and this little horsey is named Astropi
This is Hara, it means Joy in Greek. Happiest dog on earth, I think it kinda looks like Dani, right mom?
Amanda and Stathis house
Pony Parade to the beach!
We miss everyone and hope you are all doing well!
Hey Amy and Meg,
ReplyDeleteI saw this blog on facebook and had to check it out. Is this a WOOF program?
I am managing a farm with horses and chickens. We only have 6 horses and we have manure coming out of our ears, I can't imagine how much you are collecting with 40+ horses! What do you do with it all? Also the way you are scooping it is crazy! You should invest in a couple broad forks, it will save you a lot of time. Enjoyed your blog post, it looks like a beautiful place!
Chase Morris