In September 2013 I started fundraising in earnest for my favourite pony conservation project, Skyros Island Horse Trust. Over the academic year there was a bop (my university's name for... a disco? Okay, there's no other name for it) which wouldn't have been possible without the help of many supportive friends, a fantastic amount was crowdfunded through Indiegogo, and the sales of a children's book I had written called The Orfead added a few pounds too. The object? To buy vital supplies to deliver to the remote island by car, with a week's stay on the island as a reward for the hard-working drivers.
In the midst of the driver-no-driver crisis I resolved that I would go to Skyros myself in June, with suitcases crammed full of supplies if need be. When it became clear that this would not be necessary (thank goodness) the flights were already booked and - poor me - I had to go to the Greek island anyway.
Except a few months before the trip was due to head off, many volunteers had arisen, and many had dropped away into the void again. Finally two girls from STAAG (St Andrews Adventure Group), Emily and Casey, took on the challenge, put in the hours at university ball cloakrooms to raise enough money for petrol, and drove my car across Europe with a boot full of horse feed and muck scoops.
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Here are some snippets from my diary from the trip.
4th June
Set off at 11am, reached Manchester 5pm, flew at 10.15pm, arrived Athens 4.30am. Tried to sleep in various public places, used all my internet allowance, sent many texts, read two books, made many lists. Possibly going crazy. Hoping no one weighs my hand luggage.
Later - arrived in Skyros. Three other volunteers - Ilya, Corey, Anna, all lovely. We have music and fairy lights. [Their names are actually Elia, Corie and Anna!]
5th June
Long chats with Amanda, lots of memories of Dimos coming back. Asking him if leggy beasts [hornets] could sting - he said "I wouldn't want to find out". He & Karen telling each other riddles. Not wanting to hug when I left because he was sweaty. Up late drinking wine and chatting.
6th June
Practised festival parades with mares and stallions. [Preparing for the first Skyros Horse Festival]. Trying very hard not to scratch my mosquito bites.
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| Poster for the festival (I am on the left!) |
8th June
Raining in the morning so we slept for two hours after the muckout. I began training Klio to lie down for the festival and then we went to Takos [the farmer next door]. He gave us each two beers, bread and cheese.
9th June
Went to Takos' at 9.30pm for dinner. It was served at 11.30. All the Greek men kept refilling our glasses. [Including the mayor!] We drank until 3am. Takos made us all bracelets. Mine says AΓOGO which means horse. Takos said I look like a Skyrian girl! Elia and Anna slept outside.
10th June
Went to Skyros town in the afternoon, had souvlaki, sent cards for Dad's birthday and did some shopping. Worked the horses until it was dark and the moon was huge. Klio lay down five times this evening.
11th June
Shepherd's pie for lunch!
12th June
In the evening we ran through the outline of the festival performance twice and Amanda was over the moon. We ate crisps and drank beer on the roof of the house under the full moon. [One year before, in the June full moon of 2013, Karen, Julietta, Amanda and I lay in the fields with the horses under the stars.]
13th June
Said goodbye to Skyros.
Though this was my most brief trip to Greece so far, it was perhaps the greatest. The sense of community with four teenage to early twenties volunteers crammed into one room was so lovely, and when you're working hard side by side each day you bond basically at once (how can I forget Corie crying at the story of how I got engaged, about forty-five minutes after I'd met her?). I didn't take a day off throughout but I didn't need to since every day I was so grateful just to be there and spend time with Amanda and my new friends. I have promised Stathis, too, that when I return to Skyros I will be able to chat to him in Greek!
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| Elia, Amanda, Anna, me, and Corie |
Before heading back to Scotland for a week in the Perthshire woods I had a day and a night to kill in Athens. It goes to show how much I've changed over the past few years that after finally travelling to Greece solo - without even a friend at my side - I ended up befriending other travellers at the Athens Backpackers (whose Sky Bar has an unbeatable view of the Acropolis at sunset). I had dinner with a girl from South Korea and ended the night drinking with a whole host of Aussies who were travelling with toothpaste tubes of Vegemite (great respect). In the morning I handed over a few euros for a comprehensive walking tour of the city I have now visited three times but never explored for more than a few hours; I am really growing to love Athens. It was a fittingly fantastic end to my trip.
And that leads on to the next big adventure, really. Melbourne, August 2014 - ?
