After the Vatican, I was able again to talk my way onto the on/off bus to get a ride to the next stop, near the Piazza Popolo where the Walking Meditation was going to take place. I first had to find a place to eat lunch/dinner (only had fruit for breakfast so I was pretty hungry). Found a lovely place, a lovely large Heineken and a pizza and bruchetta – delicious!! I knew we’d probably get gelato later with Doug so I waited.
When I got to the square about 4:30, Thay was already sitting in the shade of a fountain and people were starting to gather around. Saw Doug and then sat with Sr. Trai Nghiem (the Japanese sister who had visited Wellfleet, plays violin – I’d seen her in Waldbrol). We chatted for a bit. She’d lived in Athens for a year when she was a musician so she might have a contact for me there. Thay just sat calmly and silently while hoards of people took photos. He gathered a few children around him from the Italian sangha and at 5:30 moved over to where the platform had been set up for him. Many people were already sitting on their cushions ready to meditate. I saw Silvia and Laura from Milan (paid Silvia the E185 for my plane and train tickets that she had purchased ahead of time). Anna was there; she had brought the posters of Thay’s calligraphy and a beautiful pink azalea plant for the stage.
Thay spoke for awhile and then began the walking meditation around the piazza. I was walking kind of off to the side and Doug spotted me (he’d been in with a group of monastics right behind Thay). He worked his way over and we walked the rest of the walk together, holding hands!!! Thay spoke again for a bit and then the monastics bused back to wherever they were staying – about an hour outside of Rome. Doug, Dylan, Phap Lieu (the Italian monk who had traveled with us, lives in Thailand, and translated for Thay during his talks today), and two Vietnamese monks who were leaving the next day, and a woman from Vietnam, and me all went hunting for gelato. An American from Chicago, Israel and Italy showed us his favorite and we all indulged – the Vietnamese woman treated everyone. I’m really going to miss gelato!
We wandered the streets to the Pantheon which Doug remembered from 1992. Phap Linh (Dylan) guessed 150 BC and Doug looked it up on wikipedia (on his iTouch) and it was pretty close. Well preserved building.
They then had to get a train to get their ride back so we parted. I tried to hop a bus but couldn’t find anywhere to buy the bus ticket. You have to get them ahead of time at a tabac shop but I stopped at 6 of them and no one had any. I got on a bus with correct change and the driver was very rude and said it wasn’t his problem I didn’t have a ticket. I had to get off. I walked for an HOUR on exhausted feet all the way back to the train station to catch my metro back to Anna’s. I was so tired I couldn’t even stand to pack my suitcase last night but did it this a.m. before I left.
AND I forgot to put my toothpaste in the checked bag and when I just went through security, they confiscated it!! Damn!!! I had already gone through security in Rome and here but went to the wrong gate for the wrong earlier flight to Heraklion. I had to come back out and go through again, and they took it!!
So, BAH! On the Italian bus and train system where you have to get a ticket ahead of time but there’s no easy way to know where to get them – unless you’re Italian. BTW, Anna gave me a ticket for the first bus this a.m. but when I put it in, it looked like it said it was invalid. But I sat down anyway and driver didn’t say anything to me. Whew!
So now the new adventure in Greece begins. This is a very busy airport and I have about a 4 hour layover. I don’t have my camera wire so can’t upload any pictures for Michelle to post yet. I’ll do that when I get to my hotel in Heraklion. Portia said she will meet me at 5:30 at the airport.
Adio! Is how you say good-bye (I think!)
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