Movement!

Well excitement abound...had some replies from wonderful sounding people who are really interested in coming to The Old Kafenion Kefalonia this summer.  I am amazed by people's spirit, inspiration and generosity.  I spent much of today picking out pictures to put on a little information sheet, and a bit more about us, our hopes, dreams and deepest wishes and of course some more info about the project & the island.

What can I say?  It's truly a heck of a project which would surly put most people off...apparently not!  We still have some interest...even without the basics of electricity, gas, water and comfy beds, actually beds at all!  And let me say these replies so far are not from dare devil young things looking for a place to hang for the summer smoking something home grown.  Not at all, they are from mainly, dare I say middle aged, yuk that sounds so staid.  Lets say people who want to want to make some memorable moments in the next part of life's wonderful journey.  That sounds rather more like it!

 I will never tire of the talking about, seeing and experiencing the beauty of this most amazing island...I grant you I have had and am sure to have in the future some problems with local  jealousies     and upsets but for whatever reason, whether I have been captured by the Kefalonian spell weaver or the guys and gals upstairs are still forcing me to look my fate firmly in the face, I just cannot let this house and its memories go, no matter how hard I try.  So it's time to bring in the big guns in the form of help which is what I find so very hard to ask for!     Ask I have and have been rewarded by heart-warming replies ~ several.  I have a funny feeling that it's going to be an amazing summer in more ways than one...

So I am going to take this long long held dream of having a place of love, happy moment making, creativity and deep healing firmly with both arms wide open, heart full of hope and feet wherever they take me and just go for it...I will endeavour to weather the storms, continue to be inspired by the many people who cross my path and give me joyful jolts on a daily basis and just take it step by step with a little help from who promises to be some new found friends and anyone else who steps into the mix...

I will leave you with
a picture of one of the ladies who came out on a Dare to Dream Retreat I held on the island a few
years ago...she is standing on the upstairs balcony of the Old Kafenion, behind her the most magnificent view, in front of her an very old dilapidated house in need of much money, work and tlc,  The look on her face shows she doesn't see that old house, she sees a place of magic, of laughter, of hope and of restorative healing love...she feels it all around her.  How do I know this? She told me the house had been waiting for me.  I am the keeper now to turn it around, transform it and use it to help others feel as wonderful as she did that day standing on that old balcony.  So join us if you will ~ help us make this dream more real.  Make some memories for yourselves, find the missing pieces to your life's puzzles as you build and restore and enjoy the love and laughter, trust and support that a really committed group of determined dreamers can manifest when they all are doing something that's good and great...and this is going to be so great!

....With a little help from our friends!

Welcome to our blog The Old Kafenion which is a blog about the story of our amazing Greek Adventure, a magical old house and a heartfelt journey to get it renovated back to it's former glory...and then to add our part of the dream which is to open this wonderful old house as a place to retreat, to create, to rest awhile, to heal, rediscover yourself and restore...a few friends are excited by our dream, many think we are mad, and of course they're right and the locals...well the jury is out on that one but I can say this for absolute certainty...we have found NO GOLD!  If you happen to be one of the fabulous volunteers who are coming out this summer to help us with this monumental project (it's being done by magic as we have no money) and you happen, just happen to find treasure, gold or anything else that looks sparkly and a bit juicy can you tell me ~ you'll get the finders fee!!
So finally, I have started this blog at the start of a new year 2012 and have decided to go ahead and do something about restoring or even tidying up this old place...who knows where it will end up, what new adventures will unfold, who will become good friends, what will fall along the wayside...the house will tell all in time as I am sure we'll find out...

You can read the short story I have written so far here.  I plan to expand this into hopefully a nice little book before too long.  It's a great story, all true as far as I gather and our dealings with the most gracious old lady who owned it, really did happen just as I've said...along with lots of other bit's that I didn't mention.

So if you fancy a summer/winter/week/month/year roughing it at this old place, helping us get it tidied, polished up a bit, and generally do a bit of work ~ get in touch.  The more the merrier as long as you don't mind either sleeping in a tent if you have one, or on a blow up on the terrace or inside, and can live with no water, no electric, no wages and no loo!  Daunting I know, but we can build a self composting loo, fit a water tank or use
the spring up the road or the sea down the road or my daughters house if it all gets too much!  I can feed you lovely food from the veggie patch we are going to grow, you can be arty and creative in spare time in the magical outdoor pergola studio we are going to build, and you can spend warm balmy nights by candlelight on the terrace...oh yes and we will always have bread from the old bread oven that we are going to resurrect...so if that hasn't put you off so far ~ we could be in business.  You can stay the winter if you are really hardy!

Give me a shout and tell me about yourself, how long you'd like to come for, when you'd like to come bearing in mind July and August are blisteringly hot but the nights are the most magical for midnight swimming and beach barbeque's and tell me any ideas, skills or anything else you think might be helpful.  I shall be around on and off all summer and so will my long suffering husband in-between flying back to the UK to do some work in order to bring some money back to the island to buy tasty morsels to feed our band of hungry house renovating angels and wizards!

I really am going to bed now as my toothache has just jumped up 10 notches and I might chop my head off before I can get the project off the ground.  I look forward to hearing from newbies I haven't heard from and
reconnecting with the gorgeous lot that have already contacted me....are you really sure you are ready for this?