Welcome to the Limnisa -Circle ! |
First of all I would like to wish you a very happy, inspiring, exciting and creative 2008. Quite some time has gone by since I last saw most of you at Limnisa. In the meantime life has moved on, and we have made steady progress. |
With this newsletter I would like to bring you up to date with the latest developments, as well as keep you informed of our plans and program for 2008. Naturally I also hope to hear from you and find out how you are doing |
2007 has been a bad year for Greece. According to data from ESA satellites, Greece experienced more wildfires during last August than other European countries did in the last decade! From the end of June to early September, over 3,000 forest fires were recorded across the nation. A total of 2,700 square kilometres (670,000 acres) of forest, olive groves and farmland were destroyed. One thousand houses and over a thousand other buildings were destroyed. Many more were damaged. The death toll stands at 79 people. Some of these fire-storms are believed to be the result of arson while others were indeed the result of mere negligence.Hot temperatures, that included three consecutive heat waves of over 40 °C (105 °F), and severe drought rendered the 2007 summer unprecedented in modern Greek history. Everybody who was in Greece at that moment, was effected by the fires. For us it meant a big black cloud covering the sea and the island in front of us, with ashes falling like rain. We found burned pine tree needles in the sea long after the fires on Evia had been put out. I attach two pictures of the view from Limnisa. The first photograph was taken on August 25th, when the fires on Attika and Evia were at their worst, and the second just two days later. |
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Other than this, however, 2007 has been a good, educational year. A year in which the ideas that sparked off the centre, have been well tried and tested. Although it was our second year for the writing courses, it was the first for Paulien who organised a painting course that proved a great success! I felt touched when I went into the small fishing harbour of Agios Georgios, usually deserted, and discovered one by one, our Dutch guests behind their easels, engrossed and happy in their work. At the end of the week there was an exhibition in the small taverna in Agios Georgios. The village's first ever- but it will not be the last! Due to the positive response we have received, Paulien's painting course is now an annual venue in the Limnisa program. In 2008 it will coincide with the Greek - Orthodox Easter. This is the most important celebration in Greece. The new light arrives in every church on Easter day and is then carried to all the houses. |
2007 was also the first year in which we had independent groups, organising their own workshops at Limnisa and the first year in which we organised workshops in July and August. Although these workshops went well, it was often difficult to concentrate in the heat, so for this year we've decided to focus on those earlier and later in the season when everyone should find it easier to be a lot more productive! |
I am very happy to say that 2007 brought us several dynamic, enthusiastic people, who are interested in participating in Limnisa's future program- either by making use of the facilities to accommodate groups for seminars or by organising workshops and 'weekends'. |
I have also met many local people who have encouraged me by actively supporting the centre and its ideas. As in 2006, Limnisa would not have existed without the help and support of Flip, Carool, Paulien, Jacques and others. THANK YOU! |
On many occasions I have been asked (as I have asked myself) why I am so motivated to set up a place like Limnisa. With my experiences over the last 2 years, this question gets easier to answer. I think it all has to do with awareness and the lack of it in our daily lives. Limnisa is a place offering space to THINK. Or as Buddha put it- 'The thought manifests itself as the word, the word manifests itself as the action, the action develops into a habit, and habits become character traits. Assess a thought and its path thus with care.' To which I can only add, I hope you'll express that thought, through writing, painting, talking! |
Apart from the courses and the ideas, we still have the practicalities to deal with. Sometimes the two seem a bit out of synch with each other. But we are no longer so impatient with the Greek way of doing things. Much better to adjust to their "Siga-siga" (bit by bit) attitude and let Limnisa grow the Greek way - like a living thing. |
During 2007 another bedroom was built to accommodate 2 to 3 people, plus two more shaded areas- one underneath the main terrace and the other down near the beach. These provided useful spaces with plenty of atmosphere, especially on cool summer evenings with flickering flares and the sound of the sea and plenty of Methana wine... |
The plan for 2008 is to make two more small bedrooms, with extra toilet facilities downstairs, and at least one more 'shaded area' further away from the house. We are also planning to clear space for tents so that we can offer cheaper accommodation, though we still want to limit the numbers to no more than twelve on a course. |
Please send any comments you would like to make. Limnisa is developing still, and I am always open to any new ideas, on a practical level or otherwise. I am also still looking for people who would like to teach a course (painting, yoga, music, etc.) and can bring along their own group. |
I hope you will do me this favour and send the program for 2008 out into the world! |
I wish you all the best and hope to see you again - on Methana! |
Mariel. |
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