2012: on the road again to keep the balance...

     During the autumn of 2011 and the following winter the Nest struggled with severe deficiencies in its power supply. The solar batteries were at the end of their life cycle, and right around this time the diesel engine of the generator broke down beyond repair. Money had to come in quickly to buy new batteries and to replace the generator engine, but eventually this took several months of having to cope with nasty power limitations. So it was with great pleasure and open arms that the arrival of an old second hand windmill was welcomed. In addition to the solar panels and the generator it would serve as a third source for our electricity production, especially on grey and misty winter days when the tramontana wind blows at high speed over the Corbières Mountains. With the invaluable help of our good friend Gerard, a team of people who were here at that moment, and under close supervision of Pelgrim, the donkey, we put it up on a sunny day in the donkey's field. Free wind power, yeee!!!

Nest Woman

It was during those dark winter days that this Nest Man (as I have been called by some) got the unexpected company of a Nest Woman: Katrien, just like me from Flemish origin. After a first short visit in September last year and a second one in November, she came back in December to stay indefinitely. She felt that this was the place for her to be at this stage of her life. And many more things seemed to fall in place for both of us like pieces of a puzzle. So since then the Nest has been happily carried along by two pairs of shoulders instead of by one, and needless to say that it has acquired a certain flavor which it didn't have before. The touch of a woman... :-)

on the road again...

Early 2012, after having hosted more than 150 visitors over the previous 3 years, pilgrims and wanderers, backpackers and bike travellers, couchsurfers, helpxers and workawayers, freedom seekers and nature lovers, from the adventurous to the artistic, from the intelligent to the crazy... after all the goodbyes and seeing them one by one disappear behind the bend in the road, I heard the pilgrim inside me clear his throat as if after a long silence he wanted to say something. I knew what he was about to say, I had felt it coming for a long time: "Now it's my turn...!"

     So in his name I proclaimed 2012 as a travelling year! I knew how important this was for my pilgrim soul. Actually it was essential in order to keep the inner balance between the sedentary and the nomadic, between the nest maker and the rambler, between the host and the visitor. I had been focusing long enough on creating the Nest and being its warden, or as a good friend pointed out to me: being the gatekeeper of this wonderful light portal of a place. Now it was my time to hit the road again, to experience this funny world and its people out there once more, and to spread the light the outgoing way.

     Over time I had also begun to understand the rather rough aspects of the Nest's location, which at first I wished in my frustration to be differently: its often harsh climate in winter days, its many misty days, the dark chilling clouds looming ever so often over Cantaloups while the sun shines warm below in the valleys, and its isolation... I had learned to accept them as the necessary incentives to chase me out from time to time, to move every now and then, and to prevent me from curling up too long in the comfort zone of the Nest, even when it so often felt like paradise.

     So off I went during the months of May and June, pilgrimaging on French and Italian roads on the bicycle, my beloved way of travelling. And I was delighted when Katrien joined me on the way back from Italy, while in the process discovering her own pilgrim soul...

rainbow

On the 'pilgrim track' lay also a new experience for us: the rainbow gatherings. I was very excited to learn that the rainbow family spirit has so many similar elements to the spirit which we've always kept up here at the Pilgrims' Nest, the spirit

of sharing and exchange, peace and freedom, ecology and nature, of working together and having fun together in simple ways. As for us the "Welcome Home" sign at each rainbow camp entrance was definitely at its place.

pilgrims at the Nest

During the months of July and August, in between our pilgrimages, we reserved 6 weeks of the usual welcoming of visitors at the Nest. As always it was an intense period of work and play, celebration and togetherness with people who were strangers when they arrived and friends when they left... 

Laura, Wendi and Nikki splitting wood

celebrating Marc's birthday

    As always the free sharing of music and artwork was a great delight for everyone's soul...

the newly decorated shower

Anna, redecorating the gate

me singing my old songs

Jennifer at the flute

dreamcatcher in the barn

Alberto showing his nearly finished bike flag

Curt with his hangs and didjeridoo

     At one point five lovely young women teamed up so nicely that they were like sisters to each other (two of them actually were sisters). They called themselves the 'Dreamcatcher Team', the best team the Nest has ever had!

the 'Dreamcather Team', the best team the Nest has ever had !

    And in August we organized this year's one and only Cantaloups Full Moon Experience, just like the ones last year a great success.

belly dancing workshop

shared meal

walking up Cantaloups to see the sunset and the moonrise

     

James and Lara, welcoming the moonrise musically on top of Cantaloups

moonrise over the Corbières Mountains

and celebrating till late in the night with Gérard and his guitar...

   At this point the last and longest leg of this year's pilgrimages has yet to begin, on October 1st. It looks like it will lead Katrien and me each on our own individual and mostly separate itineraries through Spain, Portugal and Morocco during the coming autumn and winter months, and again on the bikes. No one knows exactly what lies ahead of us. Also no one can tell which challenges will arise in the next chapter of the Pilgrims' Nest in these times of major changes and shifts. And actually this applies to all of us. We can only follow the path ahead and each trust on our own individual inner guidance. Then I believe it will be a successful journey for everyone... :-)

     Love and Peace to all !


Eddy, Katrien
Pilgrims' Nest
Labit
F-11580 Villardebelle
France
pilgrimsnest@gmx.com
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