Farewells

Farewells. Just said the last farewell to the workshop members. What a great time we had again. The weather was unsettled and one morning we were doing our Chi Kung practice and swimming in a gentle rain! (I was intent on taking everyone for a walk into the forest, but my group insisted they wanted a swim....) The sun came out again for the last three days and a splendid time was had by all. My highlights: Romina’s lesson with us in Inner Tango, Aoife’s magic lemon experience, Fraser playing with his voice, and Susie’s Hot Seat answers and discovery of hip joints.

A few days ago I was travelling round Isomota with a friend and pointed up a driveway ‘ Helene the herbalist lives up there. She teaches Nia dance too.’ ‘She must be very strong woman to live here’ my friend responded – true it is in the middle of nowhere, but with such beautiful views over to Peristera. But tonight I am to drink a toast to Helene in celebration of her life, as that very evening she was driving back home from Steni Vala and turned the car over the edge and was killed. No-one knows what happened. Only the week before she had hosted our annual ‘4 strong women’ dinner at her place –for Waultraud, fellow herbalist, Uschi my CST practitioner and I. An evening of dance and salad and Pimms! ‘Send not for whom the bell tolls....’. We never know when our time is up.
My time is up here on Alonnisos for the summer. Spiros is following me around as he knows the signs. I have one more lesson to give, and then I will pack up the table, get out the suitcase, and try and stuff some of my life into it. Mo and I as usual are grown up and keep cheerful despite not seeing each other for 6 weeks........my diary in London is full for next week, so I will be engrossed in settling back to urban life. The dog meantime will sniff my shoes miserably and Mo will sleep better without a restless Pen beside him.