We found our focus again and the flow of travel. Europe is a Great Place to Live when you want to see it ; ) People with clear eyes showed us the way. From Bossey to Tirol.

On the way the guy from the train showed us where to sleep. Blue eyes. Master of ‘die Dampfzug’ (De Stoomtrein, The steamtrain) and we slept at the house of a nice Tiroler family.

We never thought we ended up in a little house on the mountain. No electricity or internet available. No other peopel too. Lio showed us the way and welcomed us at our new home. A great luxery when your own ‘Wohnmobil ist fertig’.

It started to rain. Rain. Rain. We’re living in a cloud. Once in a while above the cloud. In Tirol there is a name for rain you can feel when you walk INTO the cloud. Something with sch….. (like many words here!). So we’re baking a cake inside, feel at home and THINK of Europe.

And realise that you can plan, and do, and check, and act but never find anything suitable for your own needs and dreams. We’re ended up with al our ambition on a peacefull mountain with a fantascic view ……… wich gives us the clear insights we needed so much to create our own future.

We’re wondering in silence ‘und sind wunschlos glücklich’.

The next blogs will be posted when we’re getting back to the common’ world.

And ………. is Europe a Great Place to Live when anyone get some silence at a certain point?

As the Van broke down it gave me the most important thing back I lost, myself. Sitting on an Italian toilet I suddenly realised. I lost my focus. The goal of this trip, meeting people who contribute to a better European society, was totally off my screen. It was occupied by the van, the materialistic part of our trip, making plans and trying really hard to get them realised. As it broke down I substituted this by making other travel plans with my head. Where it could have produced much more effective thoughts…Where was my flow? The space for serendipities was gone. I really pushed to hard, and as speed is only good when heading towards the right direction, I got lost. Being busy with material stuff and planning gave me an alibi not dealing with the real important thing. Following my heart. Being open for what is inside me and is happening around me, for the love my darling and my main goal, working on the interreligious dialogue.

It made me feel uncomfortable, feeling my uncertainty which I tried to cover. A couple of days later again I refused to feel and got messed up with my head and making fights -pretty ironical doing this while talking to people about peace- I didn’t felt internal peace. I was really afraid of feeling, seeing my pain. I was afraid of realising me, my goals in this world and became blocked. From this point it was impossible to talk to people about a Great Place to Live. I rather ran away instead of standing proudly in this world, realizing that this is one of my 26.0000 days between nothing and infinity in which the light can open my heart showing me all the pain and the beauty of being me.

]]> http://www.greatplacetolive.nl/eu/?feed=rss2&p=98 145 http://www.greatplacetolive.nl/eu/?p=89 http://www.greatplacetolive.nl/eu/?p=89#comments Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:06:26 +0000 Kristof http://www.greatplacetolive.nl/eu/?p=89

Finding ourselves at a Swiss Château belonging to the World Council of Churches. We were invited meeting 36 people from over 20 countries, from different religions following a master-class peacemaking. The question occurs to me how far away are five fingers on the map, when shaking hands and talking to people from Burundi, Palestine and Zimbabwe.

One of the biggest challenges the churches should stand for in the future, we hear, is to have an interfaith Dialogue all over the world. And from that point to go beyond mere Dialogue and reach -together- practical goals concerning our (social) environment. Just by connecting the 93 percent of believing citizens in the world. I think it is an amazing thought using this immense network which Religions share.
Each individual here at Bossey seems to live out from his own authenticity, deeply felt in the hearts of people. That is where the dialogue starts, in the heart. Everyone contributes to the common goal from his or her own background with his or her circle of influence, reaching for a common goal.
Talking to people here it occurs to me that connecting networks is the most important thing to do at the moment. Religious and non-religious, politics and economics, joining the forces and expanding your circle of influence. By sharing our knowledge and common goals we can achieve them easily. Maybe this is the new solid ground where the parable of the Rabbi was about which said ”give me a solid Ground to stand on and I will move the world.”

It touched my heart, seeing all this people from different religions and backgrounds from all these countries expressing their hope. Working on a future which is peaceful. An Israeli girl told how she felt enforced by everybody here, all of them also working on the the edge, looking over the fence and trying for change. At home she felt pretty lonely out there, standing on this edge. In Geneva the edge became the central spill where all is about. The Network made here feel like sitting on the fence, playing together, expressing a clear vision for the future.

De wereld in Europa
Europa in de wereld

is Nederlanders in Frankrijk op de camping,
zó dat je zeker weet dat je ‘hoi’ kunt zeggen
en iedereen zich weer gerust voelt,
écht vakantie.

* * *

Where do Dutch people feel at ease?
At a camping in the south of France
with loads of other Dutchman.

At lunch-time the river is empty,
after lunchtime the river is full.
At half past five the river goes empty again,
and everyone sits peacefully together.

On the camping, next to the car,
the children making friends with new neighbors,
and you talk with your neighbor about the weather in The Netherlands.
You feel home. A sweet holiday home.

Het leven is schoon en soms
als je wilt, kom je
tot grootsheid.
Zéker in Lyon.

* * *

The public space in Lyon is clean, clear and invites you to wander.
We’ve noticed very less commercial advertisement in the environment,
you see, what they want you to see. History and attention.

The busses match the bicycles-to-take in colour and form.
Almost free to take, and travel in public. Everywhere you see people taking bikes,
take them at one point, leave them at another point
so it is not a ‘tourist-thing’, but actually really clever.
And it gives much more space in the open space!

Space people use to wander around, find intimate places in the park,
on a terraces, on a big square. People use their public environment!
But when they eat there is less space ….. even when needed for a private conversation,
you sit almost on each others lap.

Like the model on page 7 of the Great Place to Live issue ‘Wonen en Leven’ (Living and Living).
less space is needed when people trust each other.
The space which remains open is used to actually meet each other.

(compared to, when people don’t trust each other, they need loads of space only for themselves ánd claim this space for their own need. Unfortunately you don’t meet anyone else there, but yourself. And if you have a lack of trust, it can be pretty uncomfortable to meet yourself ; )

Last hand on "press card"

Just one more night to sleep. Than I’ll leave…

Emma, my partner in crime, and I are going to show that it is possible to travel for free. For 11 days we go wherever the wind is taking us. One challenge: We are not going to spend a dime. We expect to get in hilarious and great situations. Of course we keep you posted on this site and the dutch blog of HANQ.

HANQ is the school for creative entrepreneurship. Emma and I are the founding mothers of this crazy initiative. We are going to test all the 11 themes of creative entrepreneurshiip from 24th of July – 4th of August.

We dare you to join us. Can you travel for € 0,00 as well. Transport, stay, food & beverage, all should be included. Besides our challenge to travel4free, we also want to contribute to a great place to live. Saturday we are invited at a cultural melting pot. We hope we can make it.

There is a great Dutch article by journalist Brenno de Winter at Webwereld.

If you have any tips or tricks, please share them with us.

I found myself at the assembly of the European Churches, 150 Churches from over 30 countries in Lyon for a week. Working on a vision for the future. I was curious about their contribution to European society. I talked to bishops, clergyman and believers from all over Europe. Greek, Finnish, Latvian and Italian people all of them with their heart at the right place, sharing the same intention. Bringing light into Europe and addressing the question in which society we want to live in. On stage I heard beautiful speeches and shared intentions from all different church leaders. True collaboration came from the talks in the corridors where all denominations met and laughed, did networking and business together. All of them creating a feeling of togetherness, a European feeling, building on an even Greater Place to Live.
Religion seems very powerful to join forces, to bind together from London to Tbilisi, from Lisbon to Istanbul. Keeping ones own identity but working together, by a shared vision. Marvelous! Neverthless when it comes to structures, religion can also divide. All this potential is put on hold by hierarchical structures. Not all but some on top are holding the brake, which is enough to deaccelerate. From underneath humans shared their deepest wishes, making them alive in concrete projects.
The relationships which are made in the corridors are hopefully of longer lasting effort than the amandments taken. As the archbishop of Albania said to me, ’some churches are yearning for love’. And the Finnish delegates: ‘We have to celebrate the joy of life’. Thats exactly what the Italians did at the last dinner, celebrating live by chanting, toasting and laughing, changing the stiff dining hall into a cosy chaos.

Ik vertrok vanmiddag vanuit een prachtige plek, een tuin waar de vlinders om je hoofd dartelen en je lichaam vanzelf naar bloesems gaat ruiken. De professor aldaar was zeer content met zijn eigen plekje. Blijkbaar kun je met de juiste aandacht je eigen Great Place to Live creeren. Weer onderweg zegt een passerende Fransman tegen mij, ‘wat stinkt jouw auto zeg!’ Ik verontschuldig mij en rijd rustig verder. Inderdaad de auto stinkt wat, het zullen de remmen wel zijn zo in de bergen… Mis. Het is de koppeling, het blijkt dat die best lekker kan roken zo zonder olie.

De man van de wegenwacht is Portugees en heeft een garagebedrijf in het Franse plaatsje Die. Europa is volgens hem nog geen Great Place to Live, geld verdienen is hier écht te moeilijk…. Gelukkig ben ik er denk ik, al zittende voor zijn garage en lonkend naar de sterrenhemel vanuit een aardse geur van afgewerkte olie en versleten autobanden. Hij mag er een nieuwe koppeling inzetten.

Het besef dringt tot mij door des te meer je bij je hebt des te groter de zorg en aandacht die je eraan hebt te besteden. Net als met het prachtige huis waar ik vanochtend nog was. Zou dat het zijn, aandacht besteden aan wat mooi is, aan wat jou blij maakt? Groeit dan je eigen Great Place to Live?

Het is wonderlijk hoe het leven je weer uit situaties kan halen. Gea mijn buurvrouw in Groningen kampeerde aan de overkant van de rivier bij de garagehouder. Ontbijten met haar en zwemmen met de kinderen, heerlijk!

De kerkklokken van Jezus-Eik wekten mij met onregelmatige slagen. Het bleek zeven uur en de deuren van de kerk gesloten. 14 uur later vond ik mij terug op de Franse snelweg lachend om de gedachte of ík beweeg of de snelweg. Loopt daar plots een jongeman. Geen vluchtstrook, levensgevaarlijk. Ik stop en wuif hem. Geen reactie, vreemd. Hij stapt in, en noemt een frans stadje. Mijn frans laat te wensen over, maar hij wil zijn moeder bellen en is lichtelijk in paniek. Begrijpelijk. Bij de volgende afslag vraag ik hem (hij is nog steeds aan het bellen) of hij eraf moet, nee, nee rechtdoor. De afslag daarna hetzelfde. Volgens mij begrijpen wij elkaar niet. Ik stop en probeer nog een keer contact te maken. Ondanks dat hij is gaan zitten lukt dat niet. Het blijkt dat hij wil dat ik omdraai en hem naar Vienne breng, óf daar in de buurt. Ik besluit het niet te doen en zet hem in de regen op straat. Niet omdat ik het niet wil, ook niet omdat mijn benzine zo goed als op is. Hij maakt geen écht contact van hart tot hart. Verderrijdend door een hemel vol bliksemschichten blijft het knagen. Ook hij creert zijn eigen werkgelijkheid, in gedachten richt ik mij tot hem en stuur hem licht.

Zandvoort aan zee de eerste bestemming. Herman het wonderkind reed mij na een doorgefeeste nacht richting Amsterdam. Waar wij door een voorbijganger op wonderbaarlijke wijze naar het leidseplein werden geloodst om 1000 Euro in contanten te mogen halen. Geld om Europa mee te verkennen, op zoek naar alles wat Europa Great Place to Live maakt. Nou ja op zoek, op zoek, eigenlijk is het een vinden, serendipiteit, oog hebben voor de ongezochte vondsten. Zoals de Iraakse schrijver Alla die in de Camper naar Stadskanaal meereist, zoals Pek van Andel waar ik een WC haal en met blonde koffie in de maag en goede verhalen in mijn hoofd weer vandaan trek. Avonturen die plaatsvonden nog allemaal voordat de reis echt begon. Dat belooft wat.

In Zandvoort vertelden prachtige mensen onhaalbare plannen om ze werkelijkheid te laten worden. Zoals NSwing, danshokjes op stations die het wachten plezieren. Wij genoten van de Zandvoortse schoonheid. Verbaasden ons over het Holland casino volkje die met een vergezicht op zee enkel oog hadden voor de flikkerende lampjes voor hun ogen. En het bruidspaar dat hun planning belangrijker vond dan de schitterende zonsondergang op het strand. De schoonheid was overal om ons heen, wij hoefden haar slechts op te rapen, wat een genot.