Well another week has passed at the farm and it feels like it is going so fast! We have officially been gone for a month, and are allllmost halfway!
Last week, one of the friends of Amanda and Stathis, Filola, was going to take Amy and I on a walk to a tree that sort of overlooks the village and is supposed to be a really good view. (Notice how I said walk, and keep this in mind when looking at the footwear that was selected for this adventure) We never really made it to the tree, What was supposed to be a quick afternoon walk, turned into 3 hours of hiking up through the hills(mountains), forests and ridges throughout Skyros. We definitely "took the long way", And it was awesome. It was amazing to see how diverse the terrain is on just one small island. At some points, I felt like I was in Northern Michigan, walking through a pine forest, and at others I was standing on a mountain top overlooking the beaches of the Aegean Sea. It was pretty incredible. I almost lost Amy due to high winds while at one peak, ( don't worry mom, I snagged her just in time, and am making her eat extra helpings at dinner to make sure this doesn't happen again)
Those white buildings in the very middle, that you can see through the valley, is where the flat is, and where we started walking from, this was about a half hour into our walk.
(sorry for all of the back shots, Amy is always a wee bit behind and she is our official photographer)
I keep finding myself reminded and in awe that the same God who I get to talk to everyday and who desires a relationship with little ole me, is the same God who created every inch of this island, and my home in Michigan, and everything in between.
After our HIKE, we went with Filola to a small cafe near the flat and hung out with some pretty cool greek guys. One of them, the cafe owner, spoke English so we were able to sit and talk for a while and enjoy a delicious greek coffee. Probably one of my favorite days so far.
Kostas, who works in the military and also lives in the flat, took us to a natural spring, one of the few on the island, and we collected the drinking water for the week at the flat, pretty cool!
This is another natural spring on the island, and we passed by it on our hike.
The other night, Amy and I walked to the neighbor, Tacos' farm with Amanda. He spoiled us with more greek coffee and honey still on the honeycomb, from his very own bees. We left with two large bottles of homemade wine from his grapes and eggs from his chickens. I feel like everywhere we go, we are always being given something, or treated to something. The people here are incredibly generous with everything that they have.
While mucking out the other afternoon, I spotted Julietta wandering between the fields collecting sticks, and random stones in a plastic bag. She wouldn't give me an answer when I asked her what she was doing, but instead enlisted me to collect feathers, stones and leaves.
After several minutes of collecting, she looked at me and asked if I believed in fairies.
Well of course I said yes ( What I really wanted to do was shout I DO believe in fairies, I DO, I DO, peter pan style, but didn't wanna scare Julietta)
Amy, the childhood pro of fairy houses, joined in and soon we were constructing a fairy mansion, complete with feather fairy beds and a bark welcome mat. We walked to the church nearby and picked flowers to complete the fairy garden
The complete fairy house and garden.
curious ponies.
Last week, one of the friends of Amanda and Stathis, Filola, was going to take Amy and I on a walk to a tree that sort of overlooks the village and is supposed to be a really good view. (Notice how I said walk, and keep this in mind when looking at the footwear that was selected for this adventure) We never really made it to the tree, What was supposed to be a quick afternoon walk, turned into 3 hours of hiking up through the hills(mountains), forests and ridges throughout Skyros. We definitely "took the long way", And it was awesome. It was amazing to see how diverse the terrain is on just one small island. At some points, I felt like I was in Northern Michigan, walking through a pine forest, and at others I was standing on a mountain top overlooking the beaches of the Aegean Sea. It was pretty incredible. I almost lost Amy due to high winds while at one peak, ( don't worry mom, I snagged her just in time, and am making her eat extra helpings at dinner to make sure this doesn't happen again)
Almost back home!
(sorry for all of the back shots, Amy is always a wee bit behind and she is our official photographer)
I keep finding myself reminded and in awe that the same God who I get to talk to everyday and who desires a relationship with little ole me, is the same God who created every inch of this island, and my home in Michigan, and everything in between.
After our HIKE, we went with Filola to a small cafe near the flat and hung out with some pretty cool greek guys. One of them, the cafe owner, spoke English so we were able to sit and talk for a while and enjoy a delicious greek coffee. Probably one of my favorite days so far.
Kostas, who works in the military and also lives in the flat, took us to a natural spring, one of the few on the island, and we collected the drinking water for the week at the flat, pretty cool!
This is another natural spring on the island, and we passed by it on our hike.The other night, Amy and I walked to the neighbor, Tacos' farm with Amanda. He spoiled us with more greek coffee and honey still on the honeycomb, from his very own bees. We left with two large bottles of homemade wine from his grapes and eggs from his chickens. I feel like everywhere we go, we are always being given something, or treated to something. The people here are incredibly generous with everything that they have.
While mucking out the other afternoon, I spotted Julietta wandering between the fields collecting sticks, and random stones in a plastic bag. She wouldn't give me an answer when I asked her what she was doing, but instead enlisted me to collect feathers, stones and leaves.
After several minutes of collecting, she looked at me and asked if I believed in fairies.
Well of course I said yes ( What I really wanted to do was shout I DO believe in fairies, I DO, I DO, peter pan style, but didn't wanna scare Julietta)
Amy, the childhood pro of fairy houses, joined in and soon we were constructing a fairy mansion, complete with feather fairy beds and a bark welcome mat. We walked to the church nearby and picked flowers to complete the fairy garden
Our fairy supply checklist
Our fairy feather bed and walnuts filled with apples, bread and water...Fairy food :)
The complete fairy house and garden.
We continue to settle into life here. It is amazing that even though we are across the world and completely cut off from our ordinary routines, eventually wherever you are and whatever you're doing, just becomes life, but maybe just set into a different rhythm. We are living in Greece and working on a horse farm, which is amazing and exciting but it all feels so normal after a while. Don't get me wrong, I would not want to be anywhere else right now, and love love love it, but I am learning that adventure is something you have to seek, no matter where you are. Being adventurous isn't so much about the big decisions or leaps we make, it is more in the little moments and chances we take everyday. I think of friends back home (cough cough laura) who stretch or challenge themselves through things like take a photography class, or spur of the moment weekend camping trips, or impromptu coffee dates. Our sweet and oh so wise brother sent Amy and I this quote before we boarded the plane on our trip.
"the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
- Jack Kerouac
You don't have to travel across the world to have an adventure; every moment can be one wherever you are.
The weather is getting a bit colder and rainier so we have more time spent inside the castle, but its been nice to spend some time in the quiet and all of the "noise" of the world. No internet, or Television. It is amazing how close God can feel when everything else is out of the way.
I'll leave you with some pictures our little pony friends.
curious ponies.
*no ponies were harmed in the taking of this photo, it's just naptime :)
Missing everyone back home and sending our love!
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