SUNDAY…
We got up Sunday morning and enjoyed what we thought was an amazing complimentary breakfast. It wasn’t until after our second trip back to the buffet that we were told it cost 11 euros. Well let’s just say that after that I made sure to eat at least 11 euros worth. I’d say it was worth it. They had meats, eggs, baked beans, beanie weenies(?), cereals, fresh fruit, pineapple, orange, and peach juice, doughnuts, croissants, etc. Again, I made enough trips to make my 11 euros worth it all. After eating, we decided that we would drive into town (an adventure in itself) to hop on one of those city tour buses where you can sit up on top. Yes I realize how not “far off the beaten path” and touristy these things are, but it was the best way to see the city anxiety free and get to the beach. We got off at the 5th or 6th spot at the waterfront without a cloud in the sky and the Sun beating down. Barcelona, being the host of the 1992 Olympics, had many of its dorms and related buildings down by the ports. We walked around those and then sought out the sand and blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. As one could imagine with many European beaches, this one was full of vulnerable sunbathers. Curious about this post’s title? I’ll just say that I became one with the culture and leave it at that. We walked up and down the beach and came upon a sort of outdoor gym. It was maybe the size of a small playground consisting of makeshift pull-up/dip bars, a row machine, and sit-up/push-up area. Dan, Trevor, and I did a improvised workout before we walked on back to the bus stop. Hey, how often can you say you worked out at an “outdoor gym” (more like an adult playground) on the beach in Barcelona, Spain? We finished off the bus tour around the city seeing many of the different sights. Getting off the bus, we talked to an Irish lady and she asked us about Obama. What we thought of him, etc. This wasn’t the first time this has happened while over here in Europe. Judging from the signs all over Barcelona, this lady’s and Boris’ viewpoints, it seems as though they all like Obama. So whether you like Obama or not, it is clear he is making an impact on our international image and relations.
We got back to our car, and then hit the road back to Toulouse, France (mini-adventure navigating our way out of the city, aka “man moment”). The ride back to Toulouse takes about 3.5 hours, and it was absolutely amazing! Outside of Barcelona, the fields of the Spanish countryside reminded me of the movie Gladiator. In the movie Maximus Arreleus (sp?), a Spaniard, is shown walking through the fields of what seems like to be wheat outside of his home. Along the highways were these same long golden rows, and I could picture it so clearly in my mind. In between Spain and France, we crossed through some high mountains, and I felt the crawling desire to make the ascent up like Zack and I had a month ago in Pisgah. Rather than sleeping, I kept my nose glued to the window taking in the beauty. I began to think back on trips growing up. Whether it was through the Grand Tetons of the Rocky Mountains, along the northern California coast, down the Florida Keys, or into the mountains of British-Columbia, I realized that in many ways I had missed so much of what was really there. As a kid, I kept my eyes glued to a Gameboy (usually Mario, Zelda, or Madden 96) during car rides missing much of this “hidden” beauty. Do I regret it? Not really, because I don’t think I would have been able to fully grasp the beauty of it all as God’s creation. Recently on this trip I’ve felt a need to be more courageous, steeping out of my comforts, sharing my faith with everyone, etc. I’ve felt as though that’s what I needed to grow as a Man of God. However, I began to realize on the way back to Toulouse that the Lord has shown me to me that I should be patient with that. He has so much beauty and adventure He wants to share with me at this moment, and He wants to grow me in that first. Do I think He is not going to provide me with such opportunities at all and that I should be passive to such things? Not at all, but I shouldn’t be overlooking what He is doing at this moment. It hit hard me on the ride back (oddly enough with techno music blaring). We had passed through the Spain-France border and were making our descent down into the lower land of France. It was that instance when the clouds slightly part and the rays of light shine through as if Heaven was truly opening. I thought to myself, what is it in us that makes all this so beautiful? What is it that when we see something like this, we feel so small and have such joy? The answer came quickly…the heart. It’s not something that can truly be explained or grasped mentally, but a feeling of the heart being pursued and fought for.
On the way to Barcelona, we had seen a couple castles and remembered one not far from Toulouse that we wanted to stop at. I was super pumped about this. I’ve seen Civil War, American Revolution, and even Native American constructs, but never anything from medieval times. The castle we went into was from the 12th century! Though I kept my eyes peeled, there were no fire-breathing dragons flying around. It was interesting because inside of the castle walls were essentially a small town; everything from shops to restaurants and hotels. Though I loved seeing this massive piece of history, all the touristy places took away from it some.
We are now back to the hotel that we were staying at while doing the clinics here in Toulouse. Our flight leaves for Munich, Germany tomorrow and then we will be picked up and taken to Regensburg where we have already been told we will be starting the clinic that night at 5. We will be teaching many of the same concepts and methodologies there in Germany as we did in Toulouse but to both the academy players and also coaches from the area.
MONDAY…
Boris met us at our hotel this morning and generously gave us a ride to the airport. He is truly a standup guy with a passion and heart for developing young men while growing the game of baseball. It was a pleasure to meet him. We arrived at the airport pretty early, which provided some good time to just hangout and read (just started Irresistible Revolution). Dan has begun reading The Way of the Wild Heart so I am eager to discuss different parts of it with him. The flight was good; more time spent reading as well as reviewing my notes for presenting at night. We were picked up from the Munich airport by a lady named Patty; your quintessential “baseball mom”. She provided us with the approximately 45 minute ride to Regensburg sharing all about the team. The ride was pretty nice. Just wide-open countryside lined with acres and acres of hops and “pockets” of villages in the distant. I still haven’t gotten as good of a feel for the program here in Regensburg as I had the first day in Toulouse, but I feel like I will learn a lot within the next couple of days. Right as we arrived we headed out onto the field (beautiful by the way and home to 2009 Baseball World Cup) where we met some of the various coaches who had come for the 4-day clinic. The audience here was slightly different. These coaches were mostly older adults who were trying to learn more about the game of baseball (and softball) whether it be rules, drills, practice designs, etc. The players they coached ranged from ages 3-65! Many of them had only been playing the game 3-5 years. Dan introduced the 10 fundamentals of Head’s Up Baseball again while Trevor, Chadwick and I followed with the concept of CPT. I absolutely love the way Dan teaches. As an aspiring professor, I can only hope I offer the knowledge and energy he brings through his animated style. That ended it for the night, and we planned to return in the morning for another session.
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