Life is a Journey: Live it (Part 44)

The other autobiography
The atmosphere was very tranquil. Birds were not singing. If any wolf was around he would have slept peacefully in his corner. News of wolves hunting down sheep was not heard of recently. The fire was keeping us warm. Red wine relaxed all of us. We were not yet ready to walk back to the hostel. Tobias Wittmann had bought original Italian salami in Braunlage on his off day. One day each week, any one of us gets one day off all to himself. It gave me time to reflect on the success of our journey. Owls were whispering through the night.

I saw all of them quietly lying around the campfire before me. Their minds were with me while at the back of their minds they lived in their own words. As always in moments to meet others what we hear is what we compare to what we know and believe. Our inner universe clashes with the universe and anyone around us. Lazy minds easily accept what they hear new or stick to their truth which gives them comfort and guidance in a complex and complicated world.

“The Abbey in Sutton Courtenay was built in the thirteenth century as a branch of the Abbey in nearby Abingdon,” I decided to use the opportunity not to disturb the moment of tranquillity but give them moments to dream their minds away. “An underground tunnel connected The Abbey to The Greens outside the gates of the vast estate. At The Greens, the pub The Swan and the Anglican Church were prominently located. Behind the old church, a few steps into the cemetery around the grey stone building a very special tombstone with the inscription of Eric Arthur Blair popularly known as George Orwell the author of books like Animal Farm or 1984 Big Brother is watching you novel. Lord David Astor, a close friend of Orwell living in the Manor across from The Abbey and the seller of The Abbey to Fred Blum and his charity The New Era Limited was asked by the famous author to be buried at a secluded place where no fans of his would march to in their numbers. Lord David Astor was a member of the House of Lords left-wing in his political beliefs, and well familiar with Brazier's Park near Wallingford, the home of the family of James Bond author Ian Fleming.

Glenn and Margarete Faithfull father and stepmother of singer Marianne Faithfull who, during my time at The Abbey lived in Ireland. I was taken around the house which was later used for many movies and was free to walk around the vast estate. The library on the first floor had a round-shaped hook on the ceiling. Little Ian hated his porridge. A swing was attached to the hook. He would use the swing, a spoon and the porridge. George threw it bit by bit behind the bookshelf. The kitchen downstairs was huge and typical of having house helpers. Left behind the entrance door a reception room welcomed guests having to wait for the master of the house. A black piano stood in the centre of the room whose impressive windows gave an excellent view into the front garden. At the end of my stay at The Abbey in late 1987 Glenn Faithfull not only saw his wife suffering from cancer and die before him but he also sold part of the ground to a real estate developer as money was in short supply. It was a place of inner contemplation and utmost self-reflection. Someone might describe it as a retreat very suitable for a sabbatical. At any moment Brazier's Park was a place of searching for the truth and tolerant towards any honest humanistic view regardless of which corner of the world.

Around the corner we often used to pay King Williams a visit; an old very British pub with a Landlord as British as it gets. To go and order a Lager, Walkers Salted Crisps or a homemade roll was in itself worth going there. Sitting around the chimney with farm tools hanging above the ceiling was the icing on the cake. It was a forty-five-minute bike ride away from The Abbey.