Last day at Elea Beach

Time almost stands still at Elea Beach and gradually loses its importance. I would have to seriously think or even look up how many days we have spent here already. But I am sure that they have been a few beautiful, unforgettable days.

Life naturally reduces itself to the essentials here. Surrounded by unique nature, with people and animals who become friends, and blessed with plenty of sunshine, this place has become a special place for me.

The last days were unspectacular but by no means boring, on the contrary. Even without big action, or maybe because of it, such days are very valuable and formative.

A 'typical' day at Elea Beach usually starts for me without any plans or intentions. Doing sports in the morning has become routine and is even more fun outside when you make use of the local conditions. Here in the free outdoor gym, there are countless opportunities to be (creatively) active. I then use the rest of the day to engage in things that interest me, are good for me, and make me happy. Reading, cooking, mindfulness, creativity, and more sports. I actually indulge in a little siesta at noon every day. Cultural appropriation? Cooking and eating together in the evening have also become part of 'everyday life'. The essential groceries are available in a small store just a few hundred meters away, which is both a café and a mini supermarket at the same time. In addition, people from the region come by here daily, including selling fruits and vegetables, as well as bread and cheese. Practical and at the same time a good opportunity to buy higher-quality local products and support the local people.

In the evening, around the same time as the sunset, I slowly start thinking about sleeping or making a fire. But the latter not every day, which is why I sleep so much that I am increasingly tired due to the many hours of sleep. A vicious circle.

One of the people who come by here regularly is Dimitri. With his small dog that looks like a ball of wool and a trunk full of oranges, he takes his rounds here almost every day. You can recognize him well by his car, which looks like it has a side job as a bumper car. Not because of a few scratches and dents, but rather because parts of the disguise could simply fall off with every further turn. He told us right at the beginning that he recently forgot to pull the handbrake and the car rolled against a few trees. Another characteristic is the continuously running engine. The engine stays on and keeps running even when he leaves the car and even then if he doesn't leave it for just a moment.

Dimitri is a warm-hearted, funny old man who speaks German well enough to communicate more or less well. For example, I didn't really understand the story of why he speaks German, but I did understand his invitation to visit him on his land and help him with a few things. I honestly didn't quite understand exactly what needs to be done there, but somehow it all sounded quite exciting. He definitely wants to grill fresh fish with us and the word olives also came up repeatedly, but I don't know what that's all about. It should be mentioned that Dimitri actually came by us daily, gave us his own extremely tasty oranges, and asked us when we would come by to see him. We kept getting into conversation again and the crazier everything sounded, the more interesting it became somehow, and we became more excited about such a little spontaneous adventure.

So, we are now scheduled to meet tomorrow, provided we find his land, as there is no exact address. We have a rough direction to follow and his phone number.

In any case, I am looking forward to it and I am sure that afterwards I will be able to tell some interesting stories.