A special event happened last October in Greece. An Erasmus Training in Megalopoli, where 5 Bulgarians had the opportunity to take part. Two of us, Eli and myself, we drove together all the way to southern Greece in our small Toyota. Young, curious and ambitious, we came with no expectations about the process or what turned out to be an experience of a lifetime.
Our first few days started getting to know eachother. Practicing Qi Gong in the morning, learning about community from our amazing trainer Tina and setting goals for the weeks ahead. One of the main ideas for these two weeks was to help transform an empty plot into a place that would become a center for the volunteering community in Megalopoli.
Our second and third day were rainy, and we spent them at the lobby of the Leto Hotel, where we started discussing designs for the new plot. Splitting up in groups and making proposals, some of us Engineers, Architects and Biologists, we gave our ideas about how to design this place to be unique and one of a kind. Not only for the permaculture layout, but also for the structures themselves.
When the sun came out, we planned to make a collective visit to the site and hopefully make our first steps in transforming the place. The community kitchen was initially decided to be placed at the center of the plot. The main poles were already placed in the ground.
And here is where the project started picking up the pace…
The first step was to remove the topsoil. Done in a flash by a few of us with shovels. We split into groups- foundations, bamboo and woodworking. Some of the guys laid out big stones around the perimeter, which would reinforce the structure and allow us to build on top.
I was in the bamboo group, which was indeed quite fun and entertaining. Mike, who is from the UK, and moved to Megalopoli to volunteer for the project, took four of us in the 4×4 for an adventure. We rode to the outskirts of Megalopoli, where we found Reed Paradise – abundant with exactly the type we need for the construction. We started cutting and harvesting. A total of 300 reeds, as previously instructed by Kostas. A large number that initially surprised and scared us, but as we started cutting, we surely reached 350 by an hour and a half. Coming back to the site, we unloaded the reeds from the car. Our next steps were to clean them and sort them into piles, of straight and crooked reeds.
While doing this, the other groups were actively engaged in making clay mixture, cob bricks, sifting clay, and making additional wooden structure for the kitchen. Once the reeds were cleaned and cut, we placed them vertically, forming a fence structure. The crooked reeds were split and woven between the vertical reeds. We continued this process all along the perimeter, only leaving out enough space for the entrance.
Once the skeleton of the structure was ready, it was time to add the cob: a mixture of clay, coarse sand and a bit of straw. It stuck right onto the woven reeds, covering it, and creating a cob wall. The same process was also used for the kitchen counters. Once ready with the walls, we slowly moved to designing the inside: a rocket stove, pizza oven, barbeque and arched cabinets around the interior. The idea was to incorporate these designs that would allow future participants and volunteers to experience an example of eco building and outdoor cooking methods.
The whole process was very fluid, anyone could change positions and try out something they have never tried before. After doing bamboo work, a material I personally like working with, I saw Rhea in the distance, a participant from Belgium. She was cutting insulation foam into round shapes. I asked her about it, and she tells me about her idea to create a round cabinet with the leftover clay bricks, which were recovered from the ruins on the site. What a wonderful and unique Idea, I thought. I felt inspired and decided to help. Rhea and myself both have background in architecture, and it turned out we make a great team! Brick by brick, we formed the round shape, and at the end of the day we were ready with out little project. A small piece of art which reflected our love for working with our hands.
This was the day we also could fire the rocket stove. Kostas brought some fire wood and in a few minutes we had fire! Music played, people danced and food was already being cooked. The clouds turned pink and beautiful. This moment marked the end of our day and the intense 5-day long collaborative creative process.
It was surely a memorable experience for all of us. Labor intensive, but highly rewarding, once you see what a motivated team of 25 participants can do in 5 short days. Moments of Friendship, collaboration and team work were certainly some of the highlights of our experience.
Our Training in Megalopoli concluded with heartfelt moments of connection, sharing and togetherness. Our shared knowledge and skills created something meaningful, thaught us much about working together and most of all left us asking ourselves: When can we do this all over again?
