Sept 23, in a carpooling ride with Celine, from Paris I got to Brussels. I went to stay with a couple I knew from Dunedin, Chris is a kiwi and Sarah is from Brussels. They were both very busy studying, but found time to share dinner and chats. It was good to see them, and I stayed two nights. During the day I went wandering, exploring the city. I enjoyed an exhibition ‘mind scapes’ at E-Space.

Brussels has a very multi-cultural flavor and life to it, it seems that many have migrated to the city. With approximately 62% foreign-born residents, the city ranks second only to Dubai, which has 83% foreign-born residents.

Sept 25, With a carpooling ride from Brussels, I got to Amsterdam with Castor. This was a very social drive.

It all started on the Rose Line...

Sept 20, I caught a train from Arles to Paris, and someone called Eric met me off the train. He was hosting through Couchsurfing and I had seen we had a mutual friend, Mercedes. For some reason there didn’t seem to be youth hostels so much in Paris, and I had researched and found Eric in Couchsurfing for this time. This was the first time he had hosted someone, I stayed on a mattress in his lounge and was grateful. The flat was in Montmarte, which is a really interesting area, at rue Myrha

Sept 21, the next day, I wanted to go to the Church of Saint-Sulpice. As it followed the Rose line from Renne le Bains, where I had just been. So I went there, as it was also World Peace Day and I wanted to hold space for the recent passing of a friend Jenny (she had run a cafe in Edinburgh). The Paris Meridian is about 100 metres east of the gnomon in the church. The gnomon, (which is the part of a sundial which casts a shadow) with a strand of brass wire incrusted on it, which represents the meridian line.

This was the first time I felt the energy working through me as a connector, outside the church on an energy point I found. It felt quite powerful. I really didn’t know what I was doing, It just felt right to stand there for a good long time until it had eased. It wasn’t something I had planned to do, I just felt called to this place, and seemed to know intuitively. Its like the energy shifts to stillness, the ease.

This Roman Catholic church is only slightly smaller than the Notre Dame, and is the second largest church in Paris. Also mentioned In Da Vinci Code book by Dan Brown

I only stayed there one night, as then went to stay at Parisian friend Renauld’s flat, that I had met in Porto. It seems he hadn’t gone on a trip he was going to and I was feeling a bit unsettled where I was. We walked and talked, sharing similar interests in ideas in consciousness. Walking to the Louvre one day, was partly overwhelming as it was very full of life and busy on those streets of Paris!

Sept 23, leaving Paris, leaving France this time, au revoir. It seems there was a new part to my journey now, one I didn’t quite understand yet, but trusted what was unfolding. It all started on the Rose Line.

I had organised a carpooling ride, so joined with Celine, driving from Paris to Brussels.

Sept 18, travelled from Carcassonne to Arles, arriving at about 9pm and went to stay at Hostel Arles, on 20 Avenue Foch. The train went through Nimes on the way. The next day, went exploring with a Hostel friend. There are many great galleries in Arles to wander through.

I had come to Arles, because of the strong connection that Vincent Van Gogh had to the town, in that he had lived here. And the painting ‘Bedroom in Arles’, I had always admired. I adored the coloured shutters throughout the town, and so was slightly obsessed with photographing them. I stayed two nights in Arles.

On the 20th of September, caught a train from Arles to Paris.

September 17, early morning bus from Esperaza to Carcassonne. I stayed at the Youth hostel which is actually right in the heart of the medieval walled city, (The Auberge de Jeunesse Hi Carcassonne).

Staying one night and walking around the city was like stepping back in time. There was a spectacular sunset that evening, and I spent time by the outside walls watching it. Carcassonne is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As I am very interested and respectful of the wisdom of the Cathars, and had been in the Cathar region before arrival. Evidently the Cathars were not treated very well on this location many years ago… ‘When the first group arrived in Carcassonne,  Fred described how the Cathars had been subject to the Inquisition, in the Tower of Inquisition, tortured in an attempt to force them to renounce their own faith and turn to Catholicism. They were then tried in the Tower of Justice, found guilty of heresy, thrown into a prison (without windows), which was built between the two towers nicknamed ‘The Wall’ . They were without water, air, or food (men, women and children) and then they were taken out and burnt at the stake. The Wall itself no longer exists, but the two towers do.’ http://chrissieastell.com/ Now as I write this blog years later after going there, and find this piece of writing I understand more of why I felt called to go there. At the time I was not aware of this information.

Sept 18, travelled from Carcassonne to Arles, arriving at about 9pm.

Quillan

September 13, I bussed from Barcelona to Perpignan, and then a bus to Quillan, in Southern France, the bus ride was incredible through the Cathar region, my mouth was open a lot of it, because of the jaw dropping beauty, with villages and houses nestling in the rock. This is a spectacular region, with the river Aude runs through the town. And stayed one night with a young couple from couch-surfing, the house was on Jean Jaures, and then the next day moved to stay with Marie Batôt, in the village of Espéraza. One of the hosts dropped me off as it wasn’t far away.

Espéraza

Marie took me wild fruit picking. Marie was also hosting me from Couchsurfing. And it was wonderful to stay with a local, she also took me to her allotment where she grows her own vegetables. She was a lovely host, and took me many places, as I had expressed in interest in coming to the area because of Mount Bugarach. She took me to Renne Le Bains and to the sacred mountain of Mt Bugarach. I stayed three nights with Marie, in her very old apartment (1729), 13 av de la Gare. The Sunday markets were wild.

The next day we went to St Renne Le Bains. We walked and soaked in the mineral hot pools.

The next day we went to Mt Bugurach. Batôt was helping a community group whom were making a sustainable structure, in a cool small town near Bugurach.

Whilst in Espéraza, I visited the two museum’s right next door to each other. Interesting in such a small town. I went to the dinosaur exhibition and hat museums, they have found lots of dinosaur bones in area.

Hat Musuem

‘First in 1830 and then in 1878 Espéraza enjoyed a prosperous period due to headwear, encouraged by the arrival of the railway. By 1929, there were 3000 Espéraza workers and 14 factories which allowed the village to become the second largest manufacturer of felt hats in the world (after Monza, Italy). But fashion had a terrible impact on the garment industry: the hat was worn less and less in the mid-20th century and Espéraza plunged into an economic depression.’ Wikipedia 

September 17, Espereza to Carcossone (only 1 euro bus) caught early in the morning.

Madrid

Sept 3, I caught a bus from Guarda to Madrid. Elena and her sister met me at the bus station in Madrid. We had met at the Angel Art Festival in Portugal. I stayed with them for two nights. I walked around Madrid. Visited many parks and rested on the earth and near the trees. I think I was a bit tired whilst in Madrid, and Elenas sister is a massage therapist, so I enlisted for a for a session in the morning before I bussed to Barcelona

Barcelona

Sept 5, caught a bus from Madrid to Barcelona. Went to stay at a youth hostel that evening, called the Hipstel, on Carrer de Valencia, walked for ages trying to find it, had to give in and get a cab in the end. Nice hostel but didnt get much sleep, as lots of chatting in the room.

Sept 6, the next day I went to Cesci’s house. Cesci I had met in Guarda, he had come to visit one of Daniels friends. He is a very talented photographer, at that stage he was a wedding photographer. It was great to chat with a local artist. He invited me out for dinner with some of his friends one night. I stayed on his couch for a week. One day I brought a new digital camera, as the last one I had got sand in it. I was quite exhausted so was happy to stay and rest somewhere. Cesci was away a few times for his wedding shoots. I went out during the day and was back early evening. I did some cleaning of his flat a wee bit whilst I was there, to say thankyou. His flat was in the Gothic Quarter, near the Arc, Carrer Montanyans 1

I went to Sagrada Famillia one day, but didnt go in.

‘You will see that most of Gaudí’s constructions have an organic look to them. This basic concept of using nature as the primary influences for his creativity is reflected in the use of the natural curved construction stones, twisted iron sculptures, and organic-like shapes – all of which are characteristic traits of Gaudí’s architecture’. http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com

There was a march for Catalonia of the 11 September. And I walked in this too.

In my last day in Barcelona I walked to see the Gaudi architecture on Passeig de Gracia, which is an infamous avenue in Barcelona with Gaudi architecture

September 13, bussed to Perpignan, and then to Quillan, in the South of France.

August 13, Daniel and Carla picked Monika and I up from Domino Vale do Mondego. We all went to stay at his atelier/studio in Guarda, in the square. We had great fun dining together outside. And Daniel had a dress up department at his studio and loved getting people in a new get up.

The next day some of Daniels friends took Monika and I to a beautiful place by the river. Loved this spot.

18 August Monika, Daniel and I caught a train for a visit to Lisbon, I then went on to Porto.

30th August, Bussing back to Guarda, again at Daniels atelier. I met one of his friends, a DJ and artist named Tigo. We went for a walk and to the markets. He took me to an outside concert one evening. Daniel knew many people in the community, a sculptor and also works in historical writing. He knew a lot about the history of the area. He was very social. He took us to a few different parties with a kind and cheeky heart. The day Monika was leaving, the gate got closed. We were staying upstairs at the atelier and got locked in!

Sept 3 was my last day in Portugal. Brunch with Daniel was on me. Then he dropped me off at the bus station. He seemed sad to see me go, I was catching the bus to on to Madrid.