EC Blog Archive for the ‘EC family LIVE’ Category

Right on time for the summer course kick-off tonight – here’s some more shots taken during the last days of the build-up phase.

We’re very much looking forward to welcoming you here within the next days. However, if you cannot make it to Allgäu this time, you can still join in via live streaming from the lectures with Lama Ole during the Transmission Week and by watching the space on this blog, of course! We’ll keep you updated as well as we can.

By meike

For the last weeks we have been astonished every single day how much can be moved and done within a very short amount of time… and in what fine style and great mood, too!

Putting up the huge tents in just a few hours despite pouring rain, preparing and serving three delicious meals each day to a lot of very hard working and hungry friends, organizing and coordinating, shutteling people up and down the hill, doing laundry and making beds, driving ten-ton-trucks, forklifts and containers back and forth whereever they’re needed, keeping the houses in shape and running… there’s absolutely no way of mentioning all the activities going on during the course preparations. And above all, there is still enough time to meditate, listen to travel teachers’ lectures and celebrate together as well, of course.

So we will just try to give you an idea of the fantastic atmosphere by posting some miscellaneous pictures taken during the last weeks… more to come during the next days! To all the helpers who have been here, are here at the moment and will be here during and after the course – thank you so much for your amazing support!

By meike

Last Friday morning a van full of strong men, and a couple of trucks loaded with metal rods and plastic sheets, parked at the highest plateau on our land. Five hours of well coordinated work and pouring rain later, the plateau was covered by a tent that will be the gompa for the 3rd International Summer Course. How did this happen? Watch this video to find out!

By meike

Last week started with a three day visit by Lama Ole at the EC.  An inspiring sangha meeting with him on Tuesday gave us a wonderful opportunity to get answers to questions and challenges arising in daily Europe Center life.

Around 200 friends e.g. from the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Australia and Germany came for the 2nd Summer Course Build-up Weekend. Pretty close to the speed of light, they built up both the kitchen and the cafeteria tent. On Saturday, a downpour of app. 20l per squaremeter in 15 minutes only started when the tents already had their roof – so the installation of the wooden floor could continue despite the very wet conditions. When the sun was back on Sunday, we enjoyed breakfast and lunch on the terrace and went on with the work both on the 2nd House’s roof and the Summer Course areal after a long evening with an inspiring lecture on Buddhism by Kerstin, meditating together and enjoying a great party at the Baucafé.

The 3rd International EC Summer Course is getting very close – kicking of 03 August. Please remember to register online in time – and of course you’re more than welcome to join our build-up phase whenever and for how long you wish! Just send a mail in advance to join@europe-center.org to let us know about your stay.

By meike

The summer sun is back at the EC after a very rainy period. And so Achim, Edwin and the boys are again hard at work on the roof – or rather what will soon be the brandnew roof of the EC’s “Second House”. We’ve learned quite a bit from our skilled experts about roofing with the traditional bavarian beavertail tiles by now. And we are very close to envying them for the breathtaking view of the Villa and the Great Alpsee lake they have from up there. So here’s the view for you – enjoy!

Our cook Fernando and his team take good care that our hard-working guys get nutricious and very tasty Italian food and cappuccino afterwards, and a bit of stretching in the evening does the rest to keep them fit for the next day on the roof. In time for the 3rd International Summer Course, the Second House will have a roof that surely is going to last for a very long time!

By meike

Last week many friends from Reutlingen came to kick off our first “ECtropy up!” weekend. “ECtropy up!” is a concept of special work’n’joy weekends organized every couple of months at the Europe Center. The aim is making the EC facilities nicer, cleaner, more useful and organized and saving some money by reusing or selling unused material. And of course, we don’t forget to meditate and have fun.

The Reutlingers cleaned our garden house and built a beautiful and safer bridge to make it more easily accessible for guests. Some of them did a great job inside the villa hosting our neighbours on Saturday and helping with the housekeeping and cooking all weekend long while others worked in the forest or the courtyard. Even the road leading up to the EC improved thanks to them – they filled up all the pot-holes caused by the large amounts of rain during the last weeks and cleaned the drainage system along the roadside.

If you would like to join us individually or with your Sangha friends for working and having fun at the Europe Center, please let us know by sending a mail to join@europe-center.org.

By meike

Almost two years ago a man named Niclas was asked to leave cold and snowy Sweden for cold and snowy Bavaria. Niclas had only one condition: „Ok, but I will cook meal two times a day for three years.“ It was heroic and hard promise, but he is still here: Niclas the head chef, who has been living in the EC since last winter.

He came with his famously unpredictable old Chevy car (which is now stuck somewhere in Spain), collection of 200 vinyl records (each one has a story and Niclas is always ready to share) and lots of ideas how to improve cooking system in the Europe Center.

Basically he is the one (of course with his team) who feeds us everyday and prepares very nice cheese and wine evenings. In his private time Niclas goes for a good coffee or his favorite furniture store. The reason is simple – the Swedish bread and sweet wine – as he likes to say: „Good we have IKEA everywhere, I can feel home in any place.“

By klara

And now for the weather-forecast: snow, snow, snow

It has been snowing almost without interruption, since Tuesday, 10th February, and the weather forecast predicts at least another five days of intense snowfall. As a result of this, we often lose our beautiful view of the mountains and lake.

Everybody, including the kitchen-crew, made their last visit to the supermarkets down in the valley, in order to prepare for the probable effect: the EC will be cut off from the outer world. Only cars with four-wheel-drive and snow-chains manage to climb up the ever narrowing road to the center. Jürgen, Jesper and Lasse try to keep the roads clear with the tractor and many hands support them with snow shovels and brooms. As Jürgen said this morning after two hours of work: “It’s gorgeous outside!”

Nevertheless the friends at the EC are enjoying this rare & heavy snowfall. After two days, the snow is already up to one’s thighs, and some of the residents have found a very fast way down to the lake, enjoying moonlit sledge rides down the mountainside!

By cristina

This Wednesday was one of those days when it´s good to stay in the bed no matter what. Winter time brought us typical mountain adventures like snow storms and icy roads. Although we are cleaning the road up to the EC every day, this time the weather conditions were really hard and many cars did not manage to come up. More than that Beate´s car became quite uncontrollable and she went down the road. All protectors were present so fortunately nothing happened to her. The next day a car company and Lasse driving the tractor, worked three hours on pulling the car up the cliff. If you decide to come in snowy weather, please make sure to have chains on your tires, or a strong four wheel car. Sometimes it is even very smart to leave the car down the hill and walk up.

By klara

If you come to EC looking for a guy who can build a house, teach you how to ski, meditate with you everyday, go swimming in the early morning to the cold lake or have a nice chat with a beer in the evening, ask for Alexander. He came from Vienna last winter and since that moment he is all the time working outside of the house leading the construction. And his dark sides? Well, he really hates brocolli, unhealthy food and non action movies. So friends, check the pictures and meet Alexander…

By klara