Events 2006

Rainbow Gathering - South of Spain

March 2006  ★  I experienced this Rainbow-connectedness, this "family-feeling" here for the first time; it is my first Rainbow Gathering. (Elfie, who co-focalised, brought the Rainbow experience.) I recognise that the human closeness and warmth did me good and that I need it. This feeling of mine increased until 09.04, when some of us set out for a hike. So dear brothers and sisters, thank you again for being there...

Rainbow Gathering - South of Spain

March 2006  ★  I experienced this Rainbow-connectedness, this "family-feeling" here for the first time; it is my first Rainbow Gathering. (Elfie, who co-focalised, brought the Rainbow experience.) I recognise that the human closeness and warmth did me good and that I need it. This feeling of mine increased until 09.04, when some of us set out for a hike. So dear brothers and sisters, thank you again for being there! There were about 20 people with changing line-ups; I saved myself the trouble of counting. Yoga, massage, meditation, reiki, shiatsu, sweat lodge, hikes, herbal walks, tarp building, rope making, raft building and raft rides enriched our get-together at this beautiful place - "Cala Chica" means "little bay", and you can only reach it via a footpath over a small mountain. Therefore, the tourist rush is limited. A Spaniard discovered us during a Mediterranean paddle tour, came back regularly and finally brought his wife and daughter with him. His name is "Danny"; more than 10 years ago he had already taken part in a Rainbow Gathering. For bathing and washing, a fresh water supply would have been nice. We fetched our drinking water from a spring 2 km away. However, Cala Chica is not that remote; after a 10-minute walk you already reach the town of "Nerja". From there, we sometimes got some food which, in my opinion, did not contribute that much to our "healing". They disappeared immediately into our stomachs - faster than the Titanic in the water. There were also difficult discussions about smoking. "A cigarette, enjoyed with the right feeling, can be healing", they said, and "my freedom is important to me". But for non-smokers, cigarette smoke in the Circle often evokes less healing feelings, and one participant finally confessed that she had only given up chain smoking a few weeks ago with a lot of effort - thank you ... In short, the smoke moved to the fringes. I believe that a bunch of melder, freshly picked and enjoyed (it really tastes good), can also produce a healing feeling. I proclaimed fresh food as a focus of the Gathering, and indeed many meals consisted of fresh salads, even if only a small part was organic. In addition, I offered colourful bunches of edible wild plants, which were gratefully eaten to my delight. In my opinion, fresh food with lots of wild herbs - preferably exclusively - is the basis for healing and also has a beneficial effect on our soul. Whoever tries it out for a longer period of time (temporary "healing crises" can occur; fasting beforehand if possible) will confirm it. On 9 April, 4 participants set off on a hike to "Beneficio", 80 km away; a Rainbow permanent camp, so to speak, with over 100 people. Our paddler Danny was also there in the meantime and reported that illnesses probably ended the tour and it continued by hitchhiking. At Cala Chica, the smoking area gradually became the centre of attention. A few days later, the police came and declared the Gathering over. In fact, the number of participants decreased, but we don't have to date the end so precisely. For Elfie, who had organised the Gathering with me and had taken part in many Gatherings before, it was confirmed: Rainbow is his way of life - and I think many feel the same way.

Cherry camp - Eastern Germany

17 - 25 June 2006 ★  Unfortunately there were only 2 participants; a 3rd participant arrived when the other two had already left.

Garden camp near Hanover

02. - 06.08.2006 ★  At the beginning there were four of us, from Friday, August 4th there were nine. We camped in a private garden near Hanover. In the morning around 9 a.m. we sat down Rainbow-style, sang and discussed something. We hiked, picked herbs, bathed in a lake and rafted on the Leine River. It was a lovely group, and we had a lot of fun and good suggestions. Many are very far in the natural way of life, with different nuances - that made the exchange very interesting.

Raft tour near Hanover

17 - 20 Aug 2006  ★  At first, no participant came forward. The undertaking probably sounded too adventurous?! Finally, Christoph Waibel from Wolfsburg called and we went on a 3-day raft trip. And despite occasional rain, we all agree: the trip is super and must be repeated next year ...

Walkabout along the North Sea coast

20. - 27 Aug 2006  ★ 3 women, 4 men and lots of rain showers but also a few rays of sunshine participated in the walkabout. It was the first event I had organized where the rain was admittedly a bit of a pain. When the moisture has penetrated the clothing, it no longer feels so pleasant. We were all the more grateful for the hours of sunshine; Tuesday morning, for example, we dried and aired the sleeping bags in the sun while we took a dip in the sea ourselves and sunbathed afterwards. Wonderful, those warm rays! Later, there was another heavy shower, but we had put up a large tarp in time. It was easy to get along under it, even though its fluttering made a lot of noise in the strong wind. There, as on almost every day, we held our "round" of Rainbow Art. I find their rituals, such as the heavenly and earthly greetings, enriching and connecting with nature as well as with ourselves. Wednesday evening behind the dyke with flocks of birds and a view of the Wadden Sea from the Jade Bay was also great. We found more fruit than I had dreamed of for this area; we encountered lots of rose hips, plums and apples. Herbs of course; I also learned to appreciate the herbs of the salt marshes such as the Queller. The hike was advertised as "easy", so we walked 10 to 16 km per day. We almost always spent the night under tarps, with one exception: "You can camp in our garden," a girl of about 8 years called out to us early on Thursday evening. We hesitated, because we had actually planned to go into Varel, where Foret wanted to leave by train. But then we heard that there was also a piano there; I played it, Marion sang some songs to it, while a heavy thunderstorm was brewing outside. We spent the night in their hayloft. This time, besides me, two women hiked the longest; they said goodbye to me at Wilhelmshaven station at 2.44 pm on Saturday, after a delicious meal of grape cherries from the tree. I then walked to my parents in Warsingsfehn and arrived there on Sunday at 6pm. I didn't take any shoes with me; I always walked barefoot. 66 km barefoot in two days - on Sunday evening my left foot hurt a little when I sat up, but by Monday I could walk normally again.

Cycle tour Karlsruhe - southern Spain

28 Oct - 6 Dec 2006 ★  My first bike tour to southern Spain - along the Rhine, Doubs, Saone, Rhone and the Mediterranean coast!
28 Oct: 4 cyclists meet at the train station, Martin, Gerold, Christoph and I, plus Kai from Karlsruhe. It leads us 6 km to a nice place to sleep at a bathing lake (Epplesee), where Kai says goodbye.
29 Oct: Christoph, Gerold and I jump into the lake in the morning. The day begins rainy, we discuss whether we want to leave, Martin persuades us to do so. The weather will improve soon. We drive 72 km to a bathing lake 8 km before Kehl. I'm exhausted and cold, but recover well the following night.
Monday, October 30th.: Christoph, our water fan, bathes both in the evening and in the morning. Bicycle repair shop and internet cafe in Kehl. Overnight stay after about 70 km at a lake behind Sasbach.
31 Oct Good bike paths! We drive 90 km to a poplar and birch grove before Montbeliard on the Rhine-Rhone Canal. In the evening, in the dark, Martin has difficulties; he rides a homemade recumbent and almost ends up in the canal in the dark.
1 Nov We drive 80 km to Clerval between Montbeliard and Besancon. Weather sunny but cool.
2 Nov 82 km to large forest at Fourg/Dole. Frost for the first time in the morning. In the morning, while Martin was repairing his recumbent, a long-distance cyclist from Canada arrives. Discussion: We should do more if we want to go to Malaga, where Martin is scheduled for 07 Dec has already booked a plane ticket home and on 08 Dec Lenka from Berlin wants to pick up at the airport. Because it is more than the estimated 2,200 km. Christoph doesn't want to leave so early, I don't want to take a short lunch break and Martin still wants to set up his tarp in the light... Our compromise: departure at 8.30 a.m. (previously 9 a.m.), 1 hour at noon (previously 90 minutes), if possible in the Hellen still find a place to sleep. Of course we also take a break from time to time. But I want to allow more leeway for the next bike tour! Frost in the evening. We go into the sleeping bag with all our clothes - a bit uncomfortable but warm enough.
3 Nov 84 km to the beech forest behind Mervans. Not quite so cold at night.
4 Nov 70 km to a robinia grove behind Replonges/Macon. Most nights we get together to sing/talk/move. Today, on my birthday, Christoph makes a fire and we sit around it for 2 hours, even though it's almost freezing. In addition to apples, we can also find rose hips, yew trees, figs and grapes. A bike repair. Is our progress enough? The latest calculations show that if we continue to drive more than 80 km a day, we will be well on time.
5 Nov 70 km to a small forest east of Lyon near Brisans.
Monday, November 6th. 79 km to an apple orchard east of the Rheone before St. Vallier. In the evening we talk about first aid in accidents.
7 Nov 92 km to an almond plantation behind Cruas (and AKW). Significantly warmer from midday.
November 8th, Wednesday. 112 km to oak trees near the river Gardon (Gard). We get through the day quite quickly, and in the evening we do a lot of driving until we agree on a place to sleep. We hear from relatives that it is raining in Germany and even more in Spain, with severe flooding. But we stay dry! So far it has only rained twice at night and in the early morning! Now the temperatures are becoming more and more pleasant, we often ride shirtless. In Meynes we are amazed: an avocado tree (in a private garden) with plenty of fruit on it!
9 Nov 84 km to avenue of pine trees behind Lattes near Montpellier.
10 Nov 77 km to just before Villenueve before Beziers. We reach the Mediterranean coast. Martin and Gerold sleep in a little house on a vineyard, Christoph and I outside.
11 Nov 80 km to a natural site behind Leucate.
12 Nov 76 km to a vineyard behind Banyuls near the Spanish border. Very windy, mostly downwind. In the afternoon a big detour with a steep ascent, Martin is knocked out in the evening.
Monday, November 13th 74 km to Torrellino de Malgrat. In the morning strenuous mountains, foothills of the Pyrenees. From noon level.
14 Nov 65 km to a pine-oak forest behind Tossa de Mar. In the afternoon mountains with sweet strawberry tree fruits. 9 km before Tossa we discover a beautiful, lonely valley with a beach, where a hermit has lived for 11 years.
15 Nov 78 km to a beach between Badalona and Barcelona. For the first time in a long time we arrive in the light. We now also come together in the morning and one of the participants says a saying, a thought or sings a song. Martin made the start today: "We must be the change that we want to see in the world" (Mahatma Gandhi).
16 Nov 75 km to Vilanova i Geltru. A little rain in the morning. On the promenades we find super delicious dates for the first time. Since the best ones hang on top of the tree, I climb up but can't reach it. Christoph has more success: he throws an orange up into the fruit stands, the dates fall down. But the dates below, eaten by the birds, are also great. In Barcelona we can easily get on bike paths near the beach, but out very chaotic with a lot of traffic noise.
17 Nov 85 km to the grove behind Miami.
18 Nov 87 km to behind Vinaros. Meeting in the evening with an interim result at half-time: We're doing well in the race, but we should keep up the pace for the time being. At Gerold's suggestion, we agree to avoid unpleasant discussions. Otherwise everyone is very satisfied, but Christoph finds the tour too uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he likes to continue.
19 Nov 48 km to past Torrenostra. Difficult gravel path in the morning with a steep ascent, which makes things difficult for Martin. We find many tomatoes (which are probably no longer harvested), pumpkins, figs, prickly pears, dates, citrus fruits, pomegranates and almonds. There are also regular wild herb sites where we stock up. An ideal day for Christoph. It seems to me that he doesn't feel well if he doesn't have a week's food supply ... He also repeatedly pleads for more breaks. But then we wouldn't arrive in Malaga on December 7th (Martin's return flight). We extrapolated z. Currently 3 to 4 reserve days.
Monday, 20 Nov 78 km to the beach at Plaja de Casa Blanca. Gerold and I have a flat foot in quick succession. In the evening a path ends at the beach, which we push through with great effort.
21 Nov 58 km to the forest in front of Lake Albufera. The bunk fits well; the dense forest protects well from the strong wind. In the morning Christoph has a flat foot - altogether only our 4th afternoon in Valencia. In the evening it's Martin's turn with a flat foot.
22 Nov 94 km to the pine trees at Teulada. In the afternoon a persimmon tree with lots of delicious super ripe fruits, the first we find in Spain (in France from Lyon). tailwind. Christoph and I have a flat foot.
23 Nov 92km to approach lane from airport behind Alicante. Of course, that's not a good place to sleep. But we only understand the situation when the first airplane roars overhead. And since we have already unpacked everything. Luckily, the planes call it a day from around 10 p.m. In the late afternoon we get to know Konstantin, a frequent cyclist who often drives more than 200 km a day, although he has a tent and some other things with him. We are amazed.
24 Nov 82 km to near San Joan in a lemon plantation.
25 Nov 47 km to Galifa near Cartagena.
26 Nov 28 km to past Mazarron. Afternoon hike at La Azohia, Martin takes a break and stays with the bikes.
Monday, November 27th. 38 km to Ursula and Reinhold Weber, friends of Martin, 15 km north of Aguilas.
28 Nov 47 km to a eucalyptus grove on the coast south of Villaricos.
29 Nov 63 km ascent and descent to behind Fernando Perez.
30 Nov 75 km to a palm grove on the coast behind Aguadulce.
01 Dec 85 km to past Marmola. In the afternoon we get to know Marce, a Czech frequent cyclist. Most of the time he drives 150 km a day. His reasons? "Just for fun". He goes with us and stays the night with us. Involuntarily he goes along with the raw food in the evening; he has no food supplies with him.
02 Dec 35 km to a cherimoya plantation before Salobreña. The super-ripe fruits lying under the trees taste heavenly. (Only picked cherimoyas are sold.) We also find some avocados.
03 Dec 28 km to cherimoya plantation in the valley 5 km from La Herradura, near Jürgen Hauck's former finca.
Monday, December 4th. 19 km to Aurelio's organic finca near Maro/Nerja.
05 Dec 18 km to past Torrox Costa. rain at night. I spend the night under my tarp under an olive tree, the others hide in a greenhouse.
06 Dec 60 km to a meadow behind Malaga airport. Arrival in Malaga in the afternoon.
07 Dec Martin is flying home, the other two are staying in southern Spain for a few more days.
The total distance: 2,683 km; an average of 69 km per day.
The participants: Martin Pfisterer is the oldest at 72; Gerold Zerba, Christoph Waibel and I, on the other hand, are only just over 40 years old. Martin rides his self-made recumbent. It has proven itself because of the aerodynamics and better posture. He doesn't feel any pain, while conventional bikes probably cause him shoulder, wrist or butt pain. Conventional bikes are also suspected of causing prostate problems in men; the pressure of the saddle on the prostate is unnatural.
Diet: I consistently eat primitive food with lots of wild herbs that can also be found in Spain. This means: All food is raw and natural! The other participants eat, apart from small gaffes, also primitive food.
The weather: It only rains 4 times at night, and during the day we only use the rain jacket for 20 minutes on the whole tour! Luck played a big part there. The temperatures are pleasantly mild, with the exception of 5 cold days in France.