On the Road with Fast Eddie

An American Living Abroad Late in 1999 Fast Eddie wasn't so fast. In fact he was stuck! So he sold EVERYTHING he owned, and decided it was time to explore the world... live life on his terms! With his backpack and passport he left, as Thoreau says, "to suck the marrow out of life!" He is not sure where he is going, but we are invited to tag along. We'll be somewhat behind him, following the trail of breadcrumbs he leaves so we don't lose the way... Plum Village

June 26, 2000 Yes I'm in Spain... San Sebastian to be specific. I arrived last Saturday and am enjoying the most beautiful city I have seen to date (subject to change for sure!). But more on that later. About the retreat. For 21 days I was in Plum Village (PV), which is a monastery in southern France between Bordeaux and Bergerac. Everything about the retreat was directed towards creating an atmosphere conducive to generating "mindfulness". What this means is the capacity to be fully present, moment to moment to moment, and to be able to look deeply into our minds and develop a deep understanding of our thought patterns and our suffering (we ALL do, to some extent!) - and to transform our thinking positively. That may be an incomplete and inadequate explanation, but it's the best I can do on the spot. PV is in a beautiful area where farms, vineyards, old houses and castles surround a wonderful meditation center. 120 monks and nuns are in residence there, and about 400 people on retreat came to join them. Each day, from when we awoke at 5:30 am, every activity was a meditation, whether in sitting pose, walking, chopping vegetables, talking in groups, or whatever the activity was. When ones makes that kind of commitment for that long, a powerful result can occur... and also a scary one... deeply buried demons and dragons may arise for us to look at. But the support is there to push through the difficult times. I found the retreat to be an opportunity to deepen my practice, because that's what Buddhism should be, in my opinion - not a philosophy or dogma, but a practice, a discipline to guide our lives in order to help transform the world we touch and live in. And I start within my own mind. PV was started by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) in 1982 and has grown over the years, as his influence as a teacher has. He's published about forty books and is an extraordinary teacher and human being. A tireless striver for peace in his native Viet Nam during the war with the US, he was expelled and forced to become an ex-patriot in 1966, when he then moved to France. It is, more than anything, his example and presence that inspires and guides me, though his daily teachings were also wonderful. He discussed issues that face us day-to-day and offered practical solutions to healing both our lives and the planet. I'm so glad I went! My transition from the retreat to the coast of France was sort of a journey from the sacred to the profane. I ended up in Bordeaux while the Fete de la Musique was occurring not just there, but all over France. That's where bands and people fill the streets - and I mean fill them. I found myself in a street where the mass of humanity was enough to propel me on its own…and it did. At one point, as we reached a fork in the street, I headed one direction, and it seems that a group of women next to me wanted to also go that way but were being pushed the other way. One of them grabbed me around the neck to hold on and then another until four young, scantily clad girls were draped over me holding on for dear life for at least a hundred yards, apologizing profusely in French. It was if they were grabbing the mast of a ship in stormy seas. I was happy to help! From Bordeaux, it was on to Biarritz, which is in the Basque part of France. The Pyrenees come down to the sea and the beaches are spectacular. I hung out with four French women who took me under their guidance and coached me in French, plus they took me out to dinner the last night I was there. After that we went to a party at a hostel where they actually have a bar on site, along with a live band. They pushed me behind the wheel of their car and insisted I drive since I was the only sober one in the lot. I fared very well while they yelled directions over Bob Marley wailing at a supersonic decibel level. From Biarritz I've come across the border by train to the Spanish Basque city of San Sebastian, and I love it here. There're wonderful parks and squares surrounding the spectacular beach, which lies at the foot of mountains. People are everywhere, celebrating life, locals and travelers alike. Musicians and other street performers, fountains, a carousel, gardens and people playing chess, vendors selling local cuisine...it's so full of life. Evidence of the fierce pride of the Basques is also there. Former dictator General Franco banned their culture for many years and the red scarves symbolizing the renewal of their heritage are omnipresent. A parade through town, with speeches and banners, proclaimed their demand for independence. They're quite serious as a recent bombing in Madrid reveals! I'll be back in France tomorrow and will work my way towards Nice and then northwards. Paris and so much more awaits me. Some Websites with relevant information: http://www.plumvillage.org/ --Plum Village's Website http://www.bordeaux.com/tour/index.html --For a tour of the Bordeaux region of France http://www.bordeaux.com/tour/guide/city.html --The city of Bordeaux http://www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr --The official site for the Fete de la Musique http://www.touradour.com/TOWNS/biarritz/BIARRITZ.asp --About Biarritz http://www.sitesatlas.com/Europe/Spain/SanSebastian.htm --Facts, photos and links about San Sebastian

Hasta luego for now -------------Fast Eddie ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ARCHIVE | CURRENT STORY | HOME ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ CURRENT NEWS: ALL HEADLINES Timeshare | Travel/Leisure NEWS ARCHIVES EMAIL SEARCH HOME To report broken links or other problems with this site please contact: webmaster@thetimesharebeat.com © The Timeshare Beat all rights reserved