Settling into life in Agios Pavlos, Greece.

Well it has been more than three weeks now and life has settled down into more of a routine. I would not say I have "mastered" the kitchen thing but at least I now know what is expected, the daily stresses of serving up a vegetarian/vegan/macrobiotic meal for 60 to 65 holiday makers from all over Europe. This is the busiest time in Greece ... most of Europe is on holiday for the month of August. There are people from Scandinavia, Holland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, one American of 84 who has been coming for more than 20 years and teaches Tai Chi and of course some Brits, Scots and Irish. I am getting used to managing portions and menus when I am cooking or assisting the other two professional cooks, learning a ton from the basics like how to cut an onion properly (that instruction took 20 minutes the other day when it was not too busy) to today learning to make a vanilla pudding with chocolate syrup from scratch. O, and last week on my shift, with a new assistant, the oven broke down, just stopped in the middle of an 8 hour morning shift, the cake was spoiled and the menu quickly changed to one I could manage on the hob. I served a lovely cooling melon for dessert, all was well, even the little Swedish children were happy.

The staff is now housed at a nearby hotel, it takes approximately 20 minutes of uphill walking to get to our little hotel, with its own taverna overlooking the entire lovely Bay where Yoga Plus is located, the beach, surrounding countryside, mountains, hillsides and wandering sheep and chickens. Lovely. I am sharing a room with a sweet little lass from Scotland, she parties most nights so I feel like I have the room to myself.

My routine is now centered on working either a morning shift starting at 6.30 or afternoon shift starting at 3.30 pm, both are 8 hours long and tough, on my feet all day and it is physically very demanding; swimming in the glorious cool Sea one or two times daily, the water is aquarmarine and crystal clear; walking to and from the yoga centre; yoga self practice, Ashtanga, each morning at 6.30 or 7.00 am depending on my shift for that day; sleeping/ resting/siesta each day; relaxing and socializing or reading at nearby tavernas overlooking the sea enjoying my book ... I'm now on my sixth since I arrived and you all know how much I enjoy reading ... there is a little library in the Yoga centre ... or journalling or just staring out to sea.

Life is good here, it is not easy for sure, the most demanding month is August ... the heat, the people as a number of Greeks are travelling around the island as well ... the demands of the guests and the food preparation and the challenges to sleeping well in the heat. It makes for a lively experience.

When I first arrived everything was so new and different, I wasn't sure I could manage but things are settling down now and I feel that this is a pretty special experience ... a wonderful time for self reflection and self awareness ... which I wanted.

The sun is shining, my shift is over, now up the hill ... it's steep ... off to have a siesta after a swim in the Sea.

Regards from hot and sunny Greece, Bea xxx