We have a 10.000m2 property on the magical island of Kythera, between the mainland and Crete. Our home overlooks the straight between Kythera and the mainland, with a young 35-tree food forest and the first efforts in planting a vegetable garden. We have two ginger kittens and a lovely dog called Jojo and 3 ponds with frogs and lots of water and room and ideas for so much.
WHAT WE NEED:
We really need people with some experience in landscaping, farming, carpentry, building and perhaps mural painting or mosaics, so people with skills like that have a definite advantage. But also help keeping the kitchen tidy, gardening, tree planting, painting, pruning, sharing the cooking, and entertaining the pets is part of the day as well. Five hours of help a day, 5 days a week on average would be expected for your room and board. If you are a nerd (like James), there is always some new project like evaporative solar desalination or using a pool heat-pump to heat the floors. James is even working on getting the island to net zero by 2028, and is currently programming a fire-safety volunteer app for the island. In your ample free time: this is the perfect place to be creative. Write a book or a screenplay, practice the visual arts, discover the island, and much more. We are both from the creative industries – filmmaking, book authors, designers, etc., so we are always working on something fun. And the island is full of creative, interesting people from all over the world.
MEALS:
The fridge is always full of good things, and we take turns cooking. If you tell us what you like to eat we will make sure we have it (within reason). It would be good if you also enjoy cooking.
YOUR DAY:
We are flexible about working times, but if you need a schedule, 10 am until 3pm, five days a week will work for us. Cooking and tidying up we all do every day of course. Depending on current projects you would help one of us or do the job yourself. We also have a dam to maintain, and if you like, you could help with our creative projects as well.
THE ISLAND
The island is a paradise, with about 40 wonderful beaches and almost no tourists outside August. Kythera is still very wild and green, with magnificent views and fascinating people – both local Greeks and the foreign community.
Swimming: there is a beach about 20 minutes on a rough track from our place. Every second day or so we drive down to a beach for a swim as well if you would like to join us.
Hiking: endless possibilities on both marked and unmarked tracks.
Villages: 60 villages, some of them almost deserted. The closest village with shops, Potamos, is about 12 minutes by car or over an hour by foot. There are others with beaches and cafés and more.
NEARBY
Our property is on a hill, and the nearest house is about 5 minutes walk away. We also have wonderful neighbours - a philosopher and a marine biologist - who dabble in organic farming. The dirt road from the main road down to our place is a bit rough but drivable.
TRANSPORT
We go hiking or swimming a few times a week, and you could join us.
ENERGY
We are off-grid with a PV system and lots of batteries. It is more than enough for regular use but not long-term major appliance (air-con) use. When there isn't much sun, we use the wood stoves to heat up the living room and studio. All rooms have underfloor heating which works well if we don't have more than a couple of days without any sun. I
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Although we go to (the free) yoga classes on the island 3 times a week, neither of us is particularly "spiritual" or has esoteric leanings. People who like yoga and meditation are fine, but if you are into crystal therapy or anti-vax, or "sensitive to 5G-radiation," then you probably wouldn't be happy staying with us, so please don't apply.
LENGTH OF STAY
Normally we accept helpers for a week or two. If we get along you could stay for longer.
We are a multinational family – Danish, Australian, Greek, Swedish, Swiss, and English – who have lived in Berlin for many years and are slowly resettling on Kythera. It can be chaotic at times, but fun!
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Renewable energy production
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Permaculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
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Hectares
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2.5
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