In early summer of 2005, the Australasian College of Health Sciences sponsored a summer session on the island of Syros. Syros is located in the center of the group of islands called the Cyclades. Syros is a lovely Greek island. The main city on Syros is Hermoupolis, it is the capitol of the Cyclades. Hermoupolis is a pleasant city and is active all year. Syros also has a very active sea port with shipyard and drydock. You can sit along the water's edge in one of many cafes which line the port; enjoying a "frappe" while watching the ferries and yachts come and go. The architecture is quite interesting, with many building constructed in the Italian style. Beautiful marble is everywhere you look.

Classes and accomodations were at the Villa Abela. Abela is about five miles from Hermoupolis. In Abela there is a small quiet beach and a Taverna, which serves delicious meals and is a great place to relax and watch the sea. The beach is only 300 feeet from Villa Abela. There are many beaches on Syros as well as small villages by the sea. During free time, students enjoyed the beaches and shopping in the villages. Other free time activities included a visit to Ano Syros. Ano Syros was built during the middle ages. The village is located on top of a hill above Hermoupolis. There are no roads in Ano Syros, Food and goods are delivered to the shops and restaurants in the village by mule. There is also a museum and theatre (which is built as a copy of Milan's La Scala). You can also find an outdoor movie theatre. Films start after dark, which is quite late in the summer months. There are also many restaurants offering traditional meals which stay open late. After graduation, some students enjoyed a sail across the sea to Delos, a visit to the archeaological site and lunch on the beach of a nearby island.

ACHS Summer Session 2006 begins on May 22,2006. This ten day summer session is planned as a total wellness and cultural program. We will enjoy the relaxing healthy lifestyle of a Greek island amidst a wide variety of Mediterranean plants and herbs. Robert Seidel, the Guerilla Distiller, will be teaching distillation techniques using a Rotating Column Copper Alembic Distiller as well as a small stainless steel propane distiller. Registration is limited to 20 people.

Registration for this year's session is now closed. Please consider joining us next year. After Summer School in May, we will post more photos. Please visit this page for updates.

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Harvesting thyme on the hillsides. Thyme flowers are used for their honey on Syros. Harvesting thyme must be done with care. Far away from beekeepers' hives with permission of the landowner. Harvesting is a pleasant activity for the students.

Sage is among the plants which grow wild on Syros. When walking through the hills and fields the fragrance of sage, thyme and Helichrysum blend together creating a true and natural aromatherapy experience

Loaded with sage, students are wrapped in a traditional manner. This method is used in France by people who are wild crafting lavender flowers from the mountainsides.

Shade is very welcome during the hot summer. Luckily we were harvesting Aleppo Pine, and we were amongst the trees. The pine was positively identified as Aleppo Pine using a Greek leaf and twig key

During the harvest of Aleppo Pine, Jana and Robert take time to discuss the state of world affairs

Only needles from the lower branches of the Aleppo Pine were harvested. This is an excellent form of non-destructive wild crafting

Lunch break during the pine harvest. Wine, cheese and salads of different varieties are on the menu, along with plenty of cold fresh water.

Wild growing thyme is a pleasure to see and smell. At certain times of year the hillsides are a gorgeous color and the air is aromatic.

Eucalyptus leaves ready to go into the Alembic Distiller. The Eucalyptus was harvested from a tree which had been trimmed nearby.

Preparing for distillation. The base of the Alembic Distiller has been filled with water. This Alembic will hold a maximum of 100 litres of water which is more than enough for a batch.

The Alembic Head ("onion") is filled with plant material to maximize the yield per batch during distillation. Here the Alembic head is filled with needles wild crafted from Thyme.

Filling the rotating column with wild thyme, harvested earlier in the day

Eucalyptus leaves being loaded into the distiller

As the leaves re loaded into the rotating column of the Alembic Distiller, they must be packed down. Here, Dorene Petersen, Principal of the Australasian College of Health Sciences does the packing of the Alembic Distiller

Rose Geranium being loaded.. The geranium was harvested from a local farm. It was grown organically just for the purpose of distilling essential oils

Robert packs the column tight to insure that the maximum amount of raw material can be put into the Alembic Distiller

The Villa Abela. This is where some students are accomodated during the summer session. It is only 300 feet from a lovely little beach. During breaks, students can stroll to the sea for a swim and a bit of sunshine

Robert shows off a fully packed Alembic Head. There is a screen which covers the steam outlet in the head. This prevents the plant material from entering the condenser, which may cause problems during distillation

Wild crafted sage inside the Alembic Head.

After the Alembic Distiller is fully packed with plant material, students make a pasty dough from rye flower. The Alembics do not have gaskets. The rye flower dough is used to seal the joints to prevent steam leaks during distillation. This is a very old technique traditionally used by distillers in Portugal. Only rye flower will do the trick. Wheat flower will only work if salt is added. The rye flower absorbs moisture and is easily removed after distillation. It works like a charm.

Students take time off to tour Hermoupolis, the Capitol of the Cyclades and Ano Syros, a medieval village built above the Port of Hermoupolis

Essential oils and hydrosols (waters) flows from the condenser, into the Florentine Separator. When enough oil is built up in the separator, it begins to flow into the cup.

Hydrosols (waters, flower waters) pours from the separator. Here the hydrosols are captured. The students made useful aromatherapy products with the hydrosols.