OCTOBER 2007: Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary

OCTOBER 2007: Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary

Dear Friends,

Our bicycle pilgrimage has taken us through eastern Europe these last few months. In Greece, we visited the island of Santorini (Thira). The island is the largest piece of a large volcanic island which erupted and blew apart in ancient times. Plato refers to it as the last remnant of the lost continent of Atlantis: the antediluvian land from which Noah sailed in the ark. The volcanic landscape makes it unlike any other Greek island we have seen. When the thick mist rises from the “Caldera”—the main crater, now underwater—and comes up on the land, it is other-worldly. When the sun shines, the light and heat are extremely intense. Many people consider it to be a kind of “sense organ” of the earth—a “door of light” where the earth is especially receptive to the influences of the sun. Indeed, the Greek name “Thira” means “door” or “portal”. (Santorini comes from the Italian Santa Irini, i.e. Saint Irene.) We received a warm welcome there. A very kind former teacher who now lives on the island opened many doors and established many contacts for us. The owners of Panos´s Tavern were extremely hospitable. In addition to singing in schools, seminars, tavernas and on the beach, we were also interviewed on radio and appeared briefly on television. We also received a good shock from the extent of tourism and the ubiquitous “sows”—the little four-wheel ATV´s on which countless tourist zoom around.

The island of Samothrake was totally different: very moderate tourism, forests, waterfalls and a feeling of peace and harmony in nature. Greeks go there to escape the big cities and commune with nature. It was once the religious center of Macedonia and the parents of Alexander the Great first met there. Details of the cult of the “Cabeire”—the “great gods”—were kept secret from outsiders. However, the elements (earth, water, air and fire) can be experienced in harmony in the sanctuary, and this harmony permeates the whole island. Perhaps this was a pre-Christian preparation for what people experienced centuries later: Christ as the “Lord of the Elements.”

From Greece, we cycled into Bulgaria. We visited a “bio-hotel”—i.e. a hotel on an organic farm. The founder is an agricultural engineer who became concerned about the future of the earth and the future of human nutrition, and decided to do something about it. As you might imagine, it is not easy, and there is very little understanding in the general population in Bulgaria for organic farming. But she and her co-workers are dedicated, enthusiastic and hospitable. A special treat there was a wedding, with traditional music on large drums and reed-instruments played by Gypsies with amazing skill and energy. There were also stops in a couple of monasteries, including one which was having a summer camp for girls. The monks told us that there are quite a number of believers in Bulgaria, but that religious education is needed since most people lost their religious culture during the Soviet era.

We then cycled up Rihla Mountain to the monastery of St. John of Rihla. The monks took us in hospitably, and we admired their church, fantastically painted, inside and out, e.g. with scenes from the Apocalypse or allegorical battles over the human soul between the angels of virtue and the demons of vice. John of Rihla was a hermit who lived in the mountain wilderness, near the site where the monastery stands today. He is considered the spiritual patron of Bulgaria. The vitality of the mountain air, the cold crystal water, the healthy trees and animals make it easy to understand why he chose that place. The large numbers of bees and butterflies made us especially happy, as these precious insects are seen less and less in Europe. We also tented for a couple of days in the campground, to experience and enjoy the nature there.

From Rihla, we visited and sang in an SOS Kinderdorf, then went to Sophia where we were guests of the “White Brotherhood”—the followers of Peter Dunov. We arrived on a day dedicated to appreciating and protecting water and the aquatic environment all over the world. We sang at a meeting for that purpose in a park, near the grave of Dunov. The next day, just before sunrise, we went with them to a forest where hundreds of people were gathered. Accompanied by two violins, they performed “pan-eurhythmy”—an art form initiated by Dunov which combines Bulgarian folk dance and special meditative movements and gestures.

From Bulgaria we cycled to Serbia. In light of the American bombing of Serbia some years ago, reactions to us were mixed. On the whole, though, we found the people friendly and hospitable. We were surprised at the material prosperity we saw, most of which came from people working abroad. However, one Serbian woman told us with deep concern that her people go all over Europe, but they bring back not European culture, but only materialism.

In Romania, we visited a dear friend—and also made some new friends—in Arad. We also visited a number of orthodox monasteries and parishes and a summer camp for children. The flourishing of religion in this country, especially among young people is quite moving. We were likewise deeply touched by the support we received in Romania, which came in many forms and very generously. Most of the roads in the areas we passed through were unsuitable for cycling. They are narrow, poorly surfaced and full trucks. However, with the help of friendly truck drivers, car drivers and a train conductor, we were able to keep going and to see a different side of life than what we normally experience from the bicycle saddles.

As we cycled into Ukraine, to our surprise the infrastructure was greatly improved. The roads were better and less crowded, the cities and towns cleaner and the people looked more prosperous. Our stays in the Ukranian monasteries were very special. Most are under the Moscow Patriarchate: the Slavonic liturgy and liturgical music are especially beautiful. As in the other countries, their hospitality was gracious and heart-warming. In addition to visiting some monasteries, we spent two weeks in a summer camp for families, along the Dniester River, run by the Christian Community. The participants were international, and the services were held, variously, in Ukranian, Russian, German and English. In the small city of Horodenko, we visited a Waldorf kindergarten, gave a presentation for adults and sang for the children. Alexandra had a dental emergency, and she was treated with tremendous care and generosity: by the dentist and nurses, the x-ray technicians, our friend who translated for us, and his supervisor who gave him time off to take us to the clinic.

One evening, just before dark, we met a family walking along the road, and we asked where we could pitch our tent for the night. They said that we could stay with them, but that first we should go to their meeting. They belong to the Jehovah´s Witness religion and it was a Friday night, their Sabbath. They treated us with great kindness and invited “elders” from their church to try to convert us. We had long, interesting conversations, and though we left unpersuaded, we left grateful for their hospitality and better informed about their beliefs. Our last two days in Ukraine were spent in an orphanage run by the Hungarian Reformed church. We were very happy to see how well cared for—materially, emotionally and spiritually—the children are. Although Gypsies go to separate schools in this area, Hungarian and Gypsy children lived, worked sang and played peacefully together in this home.

As we rode into Hungary, we again entered a different world. Western-type houses, shops etc. were everywhere. Since our last trip to Hungary eight years ago, the country has made big steps towards a material civilization similar to that in central Europe. This has both its benefits and disadvantages. We were again busy singing in schools, old-age homes etc., and we were warmly welcomed by both Reformed and Catholic parishes.

As you can imagine, we had many strong and diverse impressions this summer. In eastern Europe we saw many people traveling, transporting and plowing with horses or mules. Most of the food we ate was locally grown, tasty and adapted to the region. Sadly, for most people “progress” means achieving the American standard of living: more cars, more trucks, more factories and large-scale, chemical based, mechanized agriculture. A friend of ours—a professor of economics—sent us an article showing how, if we continue in the blind pursuit of this type of “progress” the world will soon become uninhabitable.

One or two thoughts kept coming to the fore. The world is changing extremely fast. Not even two decades ago, Bulgaria was a Soviet “satellite” state. Today, the Bulgarian flag is proudly flown together with the flags of the European Union and NATO. There are more material goods, although there is still much poverty. Television, films and the mass media in general are eroding the old cultures and replacing them with the “American way of life.” The world is being made uniform as power over culture, politics and economics are being centralized. Thus, we are faced with a choice. We can work to spiritualize our civilization: striving to understand the world on the basis of spiritual wisdom and acting out of true ideals. Or we will allow the world to be mechanized: thinking about the world with materialistic ideas, acting out of base desires and egotism. We do not live in easy times. But we live in very interesting times!

Our thanks and heartfelt greetings go out to all our friends.

Alexandra and William
October 24, 2007