20 June: I camped in the garden of Maddy Jans and Mathieu in the Irish Cross Street. Not just any street name, half a kilometre from their home is indeed a monument with an Irish Cross.
Since during my cycling trip around Ireland and the UK, the Celts with their standing stones and subsequent Celtic-inspired early Christianity with its Irish crosses were one of my writing topics, I walked there unpacked in the morning.
The cross stands there in memory of The battle of Lafelt. Which took place on 2 July 1747 under the Austrian War of Succession and lasted a single day. The stakes were Maastricht and the hills around it. The ruffs were, on the one hand, the French and the Irish, on the other hand, the 'allies' with the English, Austrians and Statesmen (Dutch).
The Irish were not particularly French-minded, but all those who were enemies of the hated English were their friends.
Lafelt was the epicentre of the battle. The fierce Irishman managed with some storm attacks drive a wedge between the Allied lines and the Allied supreme command decided to withdraw.
There were probably 5,000 dead and 10,000 injured. Pure madness, but unfortunately something of all times....
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
