Retreat in the Heart of Darjeeling

OK, it’s been a while since I could post a few notes. Things got really busy in Russia and there’s so much to share. At the risk of boring you with unusual showers…look! Here’s another cosmic capsule to the universe. This one is in Saint Petersburg.

 

I’m beginning to think that everyone in Russia has one and is therefore able to transcend time and space. As someone said on an earlier comment, “Beam me up, Scottie.”

Another way you can transcend time and space in St. Petersburg is to go to the Hermitage and be up close and personal with the unbelievable works of the great masters. It is not only moving but overwhelming.

Standing a breath away from Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son  made me experience the soul returning to the Father.   And, there were innumerable masterpieces that were equally transporting.

Back to earth. One of my most heartwarming memories had to do with the smallish town of Tikhven. This is just the type of place I was longing to visit…a place that incorporates old and new ways in modern times. For example, here is the old house that The Summit Lighthouse group fixed up by hand for their meetings. I’ve always wanted to live in a place like that.

Yay! My room was one of the two windows above. Here are Elena and Julia.

That’s not all. Although the group is small, many of the members have children and want good education for them. So, some went for Montessori training in Saint Petersburg and opened a Montessori day care and Aikido center back in Tikhven next to this house. Not willing to stop there, they also opened a Montessori elementary school and have about 60 children from the town enrolled in the day care and school and 100 people who come for Aikido classes!

This is the day care and Aikido room. Sorry, it’s not painted yet!

There’s so much to see on the inside.

And, the Aikido room.

After having a beautiful retreat, we celebrated around a campfire in the garden. Here are a couple of very short videos that give you the idea.