September 2020
Echoes from Flores de Vida |
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Clearing the Path The path leading from the parking lot up to the constructions of the higher part of the land have been cleared out. The team has worked hard with shears and hand saws to clean up the overgrown branches and shrubs that obstructed the passage of vehicles. Furthermore, this allowed to create beautiful spaces. |
Yoga and Punching Bag In the morning, we do kundalini yoga guided by Maria. A session is composed of a breathing exercise, a kriya (series of movements), a meditation and a relaxation. We also ordered online a punching bag that we filled with sand and recycled clothes, then hung from the gazebo. It will be great for our karate and combat sports practice. |
Wim Hof Style Ice Baths A big freezer has been filled with water and the temperature goes down to 3 degrees. These baths are amazing for health: exposition to cold, as long as it doesn’t go beyond our limits, improves immunity and hormonal functions, activates brown fat, decreases inflammation, improves sleep and mood… Moreover, they are a fantastic way to refresh ourselves. |
Ecoplace from Day to Day… |
What Are We Eating?
There are more figs than we can possibly eat or dry. The grapes are a little sick this year but there are still enough of them to snack on. We have finished the delicious vineyard peaches, now we’re waiting for the yellow peaches to ripen. Some apple trees produce tasty apples.
What’s more, we have an abundance of almonds, with the ones we collect from the trees as well as those harvested during the past years.
We also made a trip to Francine’s to fill up on carobs and to pick some prickly pears.
Vegetablewise, we keep eating zucchinis, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other produce that we collect at Javier’s, the organic farmer based in Caspe. Lactofermented olives from past years complete our meals.
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In the Vegetable Garden Little sprouts from seeds sown in August are growing on the garden beds and in pots: lettuce, carrots, spinach… We weed and make space. The ordered straw has finally arrived, and we are putting a good layer of mulching on all the beds. We do direct composting by burying food waste underneath the mulch to nourish the soil. |
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In the Orchard We carry on with the harvesting and drying of figs and peaches. Almonds have been harvested, shelled, and stored. We’re renewing the mulch around all fruit trees. We’re going to plant new trees (pomegranate, fig, cherimoya, avocado, pecan trees…) and repot others (pitanga, maracuja, African plum tree…) |
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A Community in an Ecoplace
Two permanent residents have settled down: Maria and Juliette. The experience lived along with Nat’ since their arrival is moving the project towards the idea of a community rather than an eco-village where individual habitats would occupy more space. In this perspective, Nat’ has bought himself a trailer and is preparing to move in. Casita will then become a collective space: room for music practice, office, library, a place to get together…
Opening Up to the Territory
The site will thus function as a community where each member will have a personal space of around ten square meters, but where most of the activities take place in collective spaces. By the way, this small community has opened up to its environment by joining a group that reflects on the current world situation. Nat’ and Maria thus met up with five other people in front of the Caspe townhall. All these people shared the idea that we create our reality, and that change must begin with ourselves. Very interested in Flores de Vida, our Spanish friends joined a WhatsApp group to keep exchanging. To be continued!