Suryavana, Spain
Hi. I am back in Suryavana after an 18 days odyssey of what has felt like epic proportions. As a kid we often took the ferry from Plymouth over to France, my last trip was as a bolshy 15 year old teenager in my folks’ VW camper. I have wanted to travel from Spain to Plymouth, camping our way through France and take the ferry Roscoff to Plymouth for a long time. With the kids. With the dog, with our family car! So we did it! It can be done.
It was wise to wait til the kids are more grown up. And the dog was a pleasant surprise. Sonic loved the ride. And discovered sea swimming! Sonic, our local farm dog goes international!
I have to confess my family rated me lowest for being stressed and bad-tempered, so you have to ask if it was really worth it? I scored a one out of ten according to my daughter. Only half a point according to my partner Jesu. (I rate her 7.5). I found myself feeling painfully responsible as we were hurtling down highways with kids, dog and my wife Jesu at my side, the roof box full of our camping gear. It was challenging. But I also found myself reflecting how wonderful and liberating it is to pack up the car and just head out onto the open road and camp out and discover some spectacularly beautiful spots up the French Atlantic coast! A case of a painful experience being satisfying! So yes I would do it again. Take longer to make the journey across, perhaps ten days instead of five!
My heart and mind softened and broadened walking and sitting by the Ocean! What a joy! What a privilege!
We had ten days in Plymouth with my folks. My mum was delighted to have the dog in the house reminding her of her childhood spaniel back in her country life in Essex, my dad, I am not so sure, lots of hoovering of dog hair! I have grown to love going back to Plymouth. My parents are still in the house I grew up in (4-18 years). I took Sonic down to the abandoned cemetery every morning at Stoke Dameral church (the tower of which is amazingly from 15th century), a hang out from my own childhood. It’s been great to revisit the city I was running from in 1988! The city has improved so much since I left, or maybe my appreciation has shifted. I love the constant presence of the sea, the old renovated old stone buildings. It’s a great place to visit!
I took the opportunity to go to Waterstones and stack up on books. I am now working my way through a political-economic treatise. “Now, the People! Revolution in the Twenty-First Century” by the Frenchman Jean-Luc Mélenchon. He’s views and reflections are refreshingly idealistic and innovative. He imagines a new society emerging from where we are now. All very progressive. He is popular in France and a potential presidential winner!
We now have a long awaited Order retreat here at Suryavana. The first since pre-Covid and looks like it has a full house. (Some 19 OM’s) which is a big event by all accounts.
