Travelling through Workaway is such a great experience. It has led me to places, people, and experiences I never thought would have happened. It’s something that I love writing about. In this article, I want to tell you my story of volunteering in Palairos.
An upbrupt change
The transition from city chaos to seaside life can be an abrupt one. I have lived in London most of my entire life and it’s what I’m used to. To sit on an empty beach with the sun brilliantly blue and warm is still a commodity. It will forever be for me. Having the tide coming in and scampering back to drier land is something I don’t miss about British beaches. So the idea of flying to Greece in September to be reunited with my fiance was too tempting to pass up!
We had both already found a Workaway we wanted to go to. Palairos is situated along the coast, with a view over the Ionian Sea and the Lefkada mountains curled around it. The arrangements had been made, and after a week’s stay in Athens – I’m a city girl, remember – we trudged to the coach station. I had my 70L backpack with a smaller 15L bag in front of me. Dane with his two small bags that he had managed to fit almost his entire life into. I was proud that I had managed to significantly reduce my baggage load since I had started backpacking! But it still felt heavy and I still felt like a turtle as I waddled through this industrial area of Athens to reach the coach station.
To read more on how to pack light, read my article here.
Palairos, here we come!
With face masks on and hand sanitiser at the ready, we were ready for the 5-hour journey! A short one in regards to distance, but what a journey it was. We went straight up through the middle of the country, through valleys, and along motorways. We were told by our hosts to get off at Vonitsa. It’s a seaside town with a harbour, so keep an eye out. However tempting it is to follow instructions half-blind I’m always a worrier… and so made sure we had the route mapped on Google Maps before departing. It takes away the magic, I know!
Our Introduction to Palairos
We were greeted at Vonitsa by our host, Niko, a Greek gentleman with a kind face. He picked up my big bag for me and took it to his car, where we quickly ran some errands before ending up in our final destination – Palairos! We stopped for a coffee at Exántas, a cafe that sat in the main square and in front of the small harbour. Here we had a real chance to talk and start to get to know each other, our stories, what we expect to do, etc.
It’s difficult to feel rushed or stressed in small villages like this, where the sun shines so bright against the cobblestones you are blinded, and the highlight of your day is sitting in the shade of your favourite cafe with a coffee freddo. This quickly became our favourite cafe, all down to the lovely lady who worked there; our second mum, Elena. She looked after us, gave us good food, and let us use the wifi – an absolute saint!
A home away from home
The drive up to the house was a quick beautiful 4-minute drive, but it takes 40 minutes to walk on foot, as we were to find out later that week. As soon as we left the village the green mountains hugged the coastline and descended right into the sea. There were a few houses dotted above us amongst the greenery, and Niko had to point out his house otherwise we might have missed it! The off-road path that led up to it was an adventure in itself, with its steep and rocky lane. My bum left the seat a few times as we ascended and I instinctively grabbed for a handle as we bumped along up to the house.
The reason that the house was hard to spot was because it blended in so well. Made out of wood, it seemed more like a large cabin, and it stood apart from all of the colourfully painted houses in Palairos. Back to nature. At once we were greeted by one of the friendliest dogs I have ever met – named Bot, this small, blond, chubby dog with her underbite was as endearing as everything else about this place.
Experiencing Palairos
Barbara, Niko’s partner, was waiting for us on the wooden patio outside. Smiling and friendly, I felt like I had just returned home as I took a seat. This would become my favourite chair around the wooden table. We eased in to the first of the many conversations we would have there. I used to turn my chair to the right so I could look out on the view below me – the sea nestled in between the island of Lefkada and the mainland. The towns opposite were visible and at night their lights would twinkle like the sun does on the water.
When storm clouds would start to roll in I would sit on the decking and watch the fog form; the towns and the island would disappear; and I would see the rain hitting the water and coming towards us. In a gust of wind it would be upon us, and it would feel like there was no one else around for miles. Our little wooden cabin off the side of the main house that we stayed in was cosy. The rain sounded so loud upon the roof, and the wind would shake the walls. It’s no wonder the building didn’t break free from the foundations and roll down the hill to the sea!
Days at the beach
When the weather was clear there would be brilliant sunshine, and during the day I couldn’t see how it was autumn here. Bot, their dog, would walk with us down to the sea. She would plod along ahead and would show us the way along the beach she knew so well. Her little legs couldn’t take her far into the sea before she would have to swim so she stayed close, but on land, she would disappear exploring whilst we stretched out on pebbles and sunbathed. We would not see a single soul for hours, only a passing fisherman in his little boat now and then. We would wave at each other in greeting.
Working in Palairos
But we were here to work and help, and we started the next day after we arrived. The work varies greatly in Workaway, one of the many great things about it, and here we were encouraged to take it easy. But that didn’t stop us! There were animals to look after, which I jumped at the chance to do. Every morning we were up to feed the goats, cats, dogs, and chickens. Quite a mix. Every single one had a personality that shone through. Growing up with cats, it never feels right if I’m staying somewhere without animals or pets – they make a place feel like a home. And these animals were certainly interested in us! Maybe it was because I was feeding them every day… But I like to think of it as love…right?!
Dane and I loved to cook food for Barbara and Niko, and we spent a lot of time in their homely kitchen. Dane has all of the knowledge of a good cook, I’m usually just standing at the ready with my spatula and keenness to learn. Before we left he had taught me how to make sweet pastries, soups, and all manner of delicious dinners to serve up. There was a lemon tree just outside the house that we would pick and make lemonade from, and vegetables in the garden ready to be picked and cooked that same day.
Work was a breeze...
The hens would lay eggs and they would still be warm when I found them, but I had to be quick – if Bot found them amongst the hay in her doghouse she would ever so gently pick them up in her mouth, walk outside, then drop them off the decking on to the ground below. One time I thought she had picked up an egg to bring it to me. She then looked me in the eye as she dropped it and let it crack open on the floor before me. Oh, these pets have personalities, alright.
We kept ourselves busy with the gathering of firewood in the surrounding area. There was plenty to salvage! It was a good workout to chop and arrange the wood, stacking it neatly against the wall of our cabin. It’s only a shame that we left before we could put it to use. It really would feel like autumn sitting next to a fire and sipping tea as the evenings grew colder.
Palairos village
In our spare time, we would catch a lift into Palairos, or walk if we fancied the exercise. Sometimes Bot would follow us, and once we could not convince her to go back so had to bring her along with us. She couldn’t believe her luck! Elena would usually be at Exántas, running the place, and she would loudly greet us and make sure that we were doing okay. We would sit at a table for hours, ordering coffee or beer, and talking. Sometimes just read and relax.
In this seaside village, there seemed to be only whispers of Covid. Sure, it wasn’t as busy as usual, and the shops and restaurants weren’t open as much, but it was difficult to think about the virus here. It seemed like a world away. There was no anxiety about being outside. Locals still chatted with each other, friends still gathered around tables for dinner, because they still could. Regional lockdowns wouldn’t happen for another 4 weeks, and the national lockdown a week after that.
Overcoming challenges
It seemed so idyllic in retrospect, but there were still challenges! I had to work with my fear of spiders. We were surrounded by forest after all… Spiders liked to hang out in every corner of our cabin, and every nook and cranny in the house. I would find myself on edge as I walked around and silently freaked out every time I brushed past a spiderweb. It’s the most terrifying thing when you’re sitting outside in the evening and feel a web being shot at your face, but you can’t find where the spider is! Until you see a massive one crawling above you and quickly nope out of there.
I’m not a farm girl and I could barely manage 6 chickens! One wasn’t allowed out of the enclosure so I had to try to ferry the others out every morning – who didn’t always want to go – whilst trying to keep the one chicken, named Elvis, safely inside. A lot of to myself at 7:30 in the morning. The two baby goats also considered themselves escape artists. I regularly found them out of their enclosure wandering around. After coaxing them back in I would watch to see where in the fence they escaped from and patch it up, only to find them out again in a few hours! Maddening.
At first, there was no hot water in our cabin. Dane and I assumed that there was no hot water connected, so we would wait until the afternoon sun warmed up the bathroom before standing under the water, shivering. I have never showered so quickly in my life. It wasn’t until a few days after our arrival that Niko said “Oh yeah, did I show you guys how to turn on the hot water?” What a relief!
Leaving Palairos
Challenges were overcome, laughs were had, and we were all the better for it in the end. We spent three weeks in Palairos before moving on to another Workaway. It was a warm welcome to Greece and Greek culture, and we felt at home. We hope that we left the place a little better than when we arrived, and helped out Niko and Barbara for that short while.
The point of Workaway is to do something different and helpful to others. Impart on them any skills or expertise you have, and learn new ones along the way. To go from navigating London to navigating how to look after farm animals is a definite change, but one that has made me a better person. Or at least I hope so!
On to the next adventure!
[…] second chapter to my Workaway experience in Greece, following on from my first in Palairos. I want to tell you about my experience living and working in Demati, a mountainous village near […]