While two of the main team members, Ondrej (European team captain and great photographer) and Mark (responsible for most of the nice reports), were still busy carrying the Harmony Torch around Icelandic schools, a reduced team of international runners continued on the continental European route.

After a two-week recess, the run started again in Heidelberg at the Benedictine monastery of Stift Neuburg , where the Prior blessed the torch and the runners in a heartfelt ceremony in the monastery park overlooking the Neckar valley. He then personally ran with the torch the first hundred meters.

The girls then continued along the Neckar in a warm early autumn sunlight with hills and castle clouded in mystical morning mist.

Accompanied again by a nice police officer, who helped us pass construction sites and find runners gone astray, we reached the picturesque "asparagus" city of Schwetzingen , where the mayor, Mr. Kappenstein, welcomed the runners at the gates to the castle and ran with us to the city hall.

In Brühl , home town of famous tennis champion Steffi Graf, the mayor, Dr. Ralf Göck, members from the FV Brühl track and field club and the walking group (some on bikes!) welcomed the runners at the cultural center of Villa Meixner , to accompany them to the stadium of FV Brühl, where Hans Motzenbäcker, Honorary President of the Track and Field Association of Badenia, greeted the runners again.

Children of the Hort (kindergarden) at the Schiller School performed a welcome dance, offered toys to be carried to the Sisters of Charity in Mannheim, and ran with the torch in the nearby Steffi-Graf-Park, where lots of photos were taken at the Steffi Graf-monument and on the hill of the park's playground.

The kids were particularly thrilled when the mayor joined them in sliding down the playground slide holding the Harmony torch.

With two runners and the main group gone briefly astray again, we were late for the meeting with the children of the KinderSportWoche at the MTG stadium in Mannheim. After their waiting patiently, it was still a nice experience for them to hold the torch and run with it around the grounds before heading off for their next sports adventure. Mr. Uwe Kalliske from the sports department of the City of Mannheim, who had also met with us last year, and Mr. Jürgen Kugler from the Sportkreis Mannheim joined in to hold to torch with the kids

Another highlight of the day was our visit to the Missionnaries of Charity, the Sisters of Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa's order, in Mannheim-Neckarstadt. They greeted us in the Indian way, offering a flower garland to each runner. While we went inside to chat, sing and pray together, the torch was set up by Mother Superior Josita in front of the Madonna in the yard. We deliverd the toys from the children from Brühl, and finally the international group of Sisters (German and Indian) ran with us to the main street, where they asked us to sing our song again so that everybody aron the street could hear it.

At the Synagogue we were reunited with our Russian runner Vovo who had been picked up and deliverd to our next stop by the police.

After a brief stop at the City Hall in Ludwigshafen, we were greeted in Maxdorf by runners and mayor Eckhard Leyser, who had even interrupted a meeting to hold the torch again this year. He was happy to listen to our song and run again a few steps with the torch..

In Bad Dürkheim , where the world record-breaking wine festival "Wurstmarkt" was about to open, the mayor would welcome us next morning and take us on the Big Wheel.

We were grateful to be treated to an excellent evening meal by Mr. Thüne, owner of the high class Restaurant Dürkheimer Faß , right inside the famous Big Barrel.

After an eventful day we spent a wonderful night at the Camping at the Almen lake, where we were generously offered free motor home accomodation by Albatross-Reisen The lake with its calm, dark surface and a huge full moon rising over it, glistening and glittering in the water every time a soft breeze touched it, was the perfect spot to end the day with a silent meditation.

Distance: 70km

Team Members:
Annemarie Beumer (Netherlands), Elke Lindner (Germany), Friederike Makowka (Switzerland), Vasanti Niemz (Germany), Marton Fekete (Hungary), Vladimir (Russia), Klaus Schulz (Germany)

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

Gallery: See more images!