Oikia Karapanou
The greek "oikia" is at the root of such words as "ecosystem", "ecology". It means both "house" and "home".
Christina's Story First came the dream. Then came the house. At the time of the dream, I lived in-between sea and sky in a small wooden homemade cabin, on my home island of Cephalonia. I was at the time writing a book. Living so close to nature greatly heightened my perception of the wonder of existence. Thus I began dreaming of a place where dedicated people would join, live and explore together the many ways of listening to and tuning in the wonder through all aspects of life.T At that time I had no idea that Oikia Karapanou would one day come into my hands. A few years later I inherited - and from the cabin I moved to the "palace," as the older locals used to call Oikia. I can still remember the moment when I sat for the first time outside Oikia's kitchen. What immediately came into my mind was: "Here we are. The dream has found its place". Some years later I met Olivier Clementz, a frenchman who was to become my life companion and partner in caring for the Oikia. Our place became a well established pioneer center in Greece. Today we are embedded in the community of Aegina, with a precious team of collaborator friends and a whole flock of birds, dogs and cats. |
Oikia Karapanou is above all, a house with a soul. Nothing in it is formal, nothing is standard. Surrounded by a huge garden, close to the sea, Oikia is a somehow the essence of a house. Simple, spacious, poetic, refined. A place where guests often tell us that they feel as if they have finally come home.
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