A single message marked the beginning of a journey!
Misha wrote to me that there were spots available for an EU-funded eco-building course in Greece under the Erasmus+ program. Exactly ten years after my first eco-building course in Bulgaria, I didn’t think a lot for, instead I shared the news with my family about the adventure we were about to embark on. Ten years later, my love for natural materials remained as strong as ever, and the opportunity to connect and work with people from across Europe sparked a deep sense of inspiration within me—a heart ready to beat in unison with wonderful people from a united Europe.
The day of departure finally arrived. A series of circumstances forced us to leave late, so we traveled mostly through the night. We arrived at 1 AM and pitched our tent in an almond grove. Everyone was asleep, and there was no one around to tell us where to stay. The May sun woke us up at 7 AM, along with the phone alarm, of course. I stepped out of the tent and caught Johnny’s eye. Johnny is from Cyprus and had come out barefoot to greet the sun. Over the next few days, I would realize that he doesn’t wear shoes at all. Maria (my wife) woke up too, and together we entered the COB eco-village. A wondrous, fairytale like world opened up before us, where it felt as if a law had been passed banning right angles and any kind of measuring tools. Everything around us was “organic.” Buildings made of clay, straw, wood, and all sorts of materials that we treat as trash in our daily lives were living a second life here!
Nature had its rightful place between the houses; I would even say the houses were a part of nature. The sense of harmony and timelessness was so strong that you began to feel not like a separate entity, but as one with everything and everyone around you.
Bit by bit, the benches of the outdoor kitchen began to fill with smiling people from all over Europe.
Our host, Kostas, who started building the very first cob house 25 years ago, also appeared. His love for working with natural materials was still just as alive, romantic, and childlike. His most popular phrases over the next 12 days were: “I am very enthusiastic” and “I am very satisfied”.
After breakfast, Kostas took us on a tour of the wondrous clay world he has dedicated himself to for the past 25 years. He led us to the old building that we would be restoring over the next 12 days. It was located in the village, a 5-minute walk from the eco-village.
He showed us numerous buildings that he and his friends from all over Europe had brought back to life. We ended the tour in one of these buildings with Kostas asking, “Who wants tsipouro?”. Naturally, I raised my hand just in case, without having any clue what tsipouro actually was! It turned out to be a rakia, which I had to drink on an empty stomach at 12 o’clock noon under the blazing Greek sun. I managed just fine, as did everyone else who raised their hand, and the atmosphere in the room instantly lifted—communication improved, and it felt as if we had known each other for 25 years!
(The photos above are from that same place, but taken on a special evening when everyone had prepared a dish from their national cuisine. It was an unforgettable culinary journey across Europe!)
The next day, we started the real work, which consisted of excavating the collapsed roof and deepening the floor! Everyone was hungry for work, and on the very first day, we achieved impressive results—so much so that by the next day, we already had a clear field for building activities! A collective of a few people created the project, while another part of the team set out to sketch and document the entire process. Everything was done at a high level, despite the fact that many had never done this kind of work before.
I am a carpenter by profession and an amateur earth-builder, so on the whole, the processes neither surprised nor intimidated me. Over the following days, my experience began to support the process, not just through my individual construction work, but also by guiding the beginners. In my daily life, I work alone and have grown unaccustomed to teamwork. This process gave me the opportunity to improve in an area where I am not particularly strong—to be patient and to pass my experience on to others. Several people shared with me that I have a good teaching approach and should develop it. This surprised me, but it also motivated me.
It was wonderful that everyone tried a bit of everything. Kostas and Jerome gave us complete freedom, even though mistakes happened from time to time! A mistake would turn into a feature because in organic building, everything adapts on the way. We all made bricks and dried them under the scorching sun.
We gathered stones from an old quarry and clay from nearby lakes. During our breaks, we visited heavenly spots with rivers and deep shade that were hard to leave behind.
We discussed different earth-building techniques daily. We also took an active part in the theoretical sessions, which were incredibly rich given the knowledge and experience of our hosts.
A central place in our hearts was held by the daily menu at COB. A team of volunteers prepared uniquely delicious meals every single day! Throughout all 12 days, there wasn’t a single day where I didn’t line up for seconds. Huge gratitude goes out to these wonderful people who fed us both physically and spiritually.
For me, this course was an adventure, but also a dream come true. A dream that proved that the European Union project is alive and growing stronger. For people from 11 different nationalities to come together and achieve such great results with so much acceptance, tolerance, and empathy is a pinnacle of modern society. All of us remain forever connected to that small piece of land where we built a home. A home in a United Europe.
