Alte Jugendherberge

Spent two hours walking along the Ruhr early this evening with NetworkEng, taking pictures and trying to pretend it wasn't bitter cold; ignoring the swirling snow flurries.

This is the old local "Jugendherberge" or youth hostel that sits in a prime location, nestled in the beautiful woods with wandering paths up the hill out its back door, and the river flowing before it. There are no neighboring buildings and the opposite river bank is a nature preserve free of development, providing a pristine view. Yet it's only a 10 minute walk into the center of town.

Sadly, the hostel closed down a number of years ago and now it's being renovated into offices and private apartments. I would much prefer it remained a haven for young travelers. But there's much more money to be had in this new commercial venture.

A quiet, reflective Good Friday - the end of Lent. Now I'm curled up on the sofa with the kids watching a film that explores religious beliefs quite beautifully: Life of Pi

I'll leave you with some thought-provoking quotes I love from the novel by Yann Martel:

"Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims."

"If there's only one nation in the sky, shouldn't all passports be valid for it?"

"If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' then surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

"These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."

May peace be with you.