Teamday and Ghostvilliages

A bit late, here comes the report of the third week. It was actually a relatively short week for me, as unfortunately I got sick right at the beginning.

Already at the beauty evening that we organized at Zoe’s request, who unfortunately left us, I felt how it suddenly became super cold. The following days were marked by headaches, nausea, and exhaustion.

However, it was difficult for me to do nothing, when there were so many cool tasks coming up. Our probably biggest project was the renovation of an old clay house on our property. The house, of which only the walls and roof were still somewhat standing, had received new windows and a door last year. Now we learned how to recycle old clay remains and process them into new building material. Very dirty but enriching work.

Moreover, autumn is slowly becoming noticeable. The days are getting colder and for us it’s time to make preparations for winter. This week meant for us to check what supplies we still have and at the same time to consider what else we might need.

Since winter often comes unexpectedly and it can happen that the access road gets snowed in so much that you can’t drive anymore, it’s important to stock up on large supplies that would allow you to survive for a few weeks. Fortunately, we seem to be well-stocked this year with large quantities of legumes, grains, and canning jars.

However, we made a trip to one of the nearby ghost villages to harvest apples and pears. Where a small village in the mountains existed ten to twenty years ago, nobody lives today. Various reasons, not least urban flight and emigration, had driven away the inhabitants. Far from an isolated case.

Even the teamday, the joint excursion of the volunteers to Sofia, couldn’t keep me away despite my illness. Together we spent a wonderful day full of food, card games, and conversations.