Oikia Karapanou
The greek "oikia" is at the root of such words as "ecosystem", "ecology". It means both "house" and "home".
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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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