London to Home 7-27

Epilogue

In looking back again

(now that we’re near journey’s end)

At these words that we’ve penned on the way

It becomes very clear

That there isn’t much here

About Iona’s significant stay.

I could make an excuse

Which would serve little use

That the author was too busy cooking

But the truth should be told:

All Iona memories are personal and gold

And internally, for a long time we’ll be looking.

Saying a tearful goodbye to Ian our driver

So today we will part

And a piece of our hearts

Will be left as we close the hotel door

I think we’ve all grown

(as you surely sensed on the phone)

Not just our waistlines, but our hearts even more.

So continue to pray

Each and every day

For these youth now that our journey’s done.

Pray that they’ll always see

That to be truly free:

Faith’s pilgrimage has only begun.

The pilgrims are scheduled to arrive into West Palm Beach airport at 9:01pm on Tuesday, July 27 on US 1717 from Philadelphia. There will be a closing prayer at baggage claim so that those who live on the north end of the county do not have to travel all the way back down to Saint Joseph’s. The pilgrimage celebration Eucharist and dinner will be scheduled at a later date.

London 7-26

Canterbury Cathedral

It’s Canterbury Day

So in a Chaucer-like way

We created a modern day tale

We arrived before lunch

And our browsing hungry bunch

Went out shopping and looking for sales.

Tour at Canterbury Cathedral

Then to the Cathedral

That has no Anglican equal

We made our last pilgrimage visit

With a tour we were thrilled

Saw where Thomas Becket was killed

And our Eucharist in the crypt was exquisite.

Dinner in Canterbury

And then dinner was fast

We prayed their bladders would last

As we hurried to get to the show

We saw an award-winning play

Oliver – the perfect finish to our day

It’s all over: Tomorrow home we go!

London 7-25

After an early breakfast the pilgrims depart and attend Eucharist at St. Paul's Cathedral where our Presiding Bishop takes a moment to greet and pose with them. A picnic lunch and the rest of the day exploring London. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul's_Cathedral

Off to Saint Paul's we go

For a real high church show:

A full orchestra and Mozart singing choir,

Charles and Marty were in heaven,

But the rest of the eleven?

To say they loved it, I'd be a big liar.

Presiding Bishop Katherine only had a second to pose with us, but we at least got most of us in this quick shot after Sunday Eucharist at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Bishop Katherine preached well

A great message to tell

Of the need to respect the dignity of all

And she lives as she preached For she greeted us each

And agreed to a quick photo call.

Picnic on the steps of St. Paul's

At Marks and Spencer we picked

Items for a picnic

That we ate on the steps of Saint Paul's,

Then a double decker bus

Was a vantage point for us

To tour London (with traffic at a crawl).

Outside the Tower of London overlooking London Bridge

Afternoon for our pilgrims was 10 am for us and Fr. Marty and the pilgrims gave us a call during the service. You can listen to it at http://groups.google.com/group/st-joes-episcopal-church?hl=en by clicking on the file "Pilgrim's Call".

Elise and Shannon with beefeater at Tower of London

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_london

Then another fun dinner

that seemed to be a winner

At a dim sum place known as Ping Pong

We tried many new dishes

With veggies, meat or fishes,

Our picky food eaters have really come along.

On the London Eye

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye

And a final surprise

The Big London Eye

Awaited us all after dinner.

It's a really good feel

At the top of that wheel

For return visitor as well as beginner.

You can see all the pictures at

St. Joe's Web Albums

Lindisfarne to York 7-23/24

Southward now we are bound

To historic Bamburgh town

To pray where Saint Aidan had died

Donna gave us her speech

Then we drove by the castle on the beach

(Which someday Charles dreams to finally go inside.)

Then two hours to Durham

(Maybe a bus nap will cure 'em

For they're all moving slowly today)

They slept most of the way

And just before midday

We arrived at the cathedral to pray.

Group shot at Durham Cathedral

Demery gave us her talk

And then just a short walk

Brought us up to Saint Cuthbert's shrine,

There at Eucharist we prayed

Greetings to us by the Dean were made

And at the cathedral cafe we then dined.

Demery gives her report on Durham Cathedral

An incredible tour we then took

With a guide who must have written the book

Lilian had so much to share and to tell

She kept the youth's attention And I just have to mention:

Shannon dressed as a bishop looks swell.

Then off we departed

Continuing as this morning we started

With most of the pilgrims asleep

Ian pressed on to York

He does such good work

With such a full schedule to keep.

We arrived at York's hotel

And all of us could tell

We were in Iona no more

The Friday night partying

Was already starting

So we all stuck together out the door.

Girls on the shambles in York

(Harry Potter scene filmed here)

We walked round the block

And before 8 o'clock

We sat down at Betty's for tea.

A British tradition

Now a completed mission:

They tried it - they liked it - yippee!

Betty's Tea House

High Tea in York

We finished at dark

With a walk towards the park

On the steps of York Minster we were seated

Our own collects we wrote

Based on our personal journal notes

We left by 10 but they weren't quite completed.

Inside York Minster chapter house

(equivalent of a vestry meeting room)

7-24

We checked out of our rooms

Another English breakfast consumed

A short drive to York Minster on the bus

Our guide Jeremy greeted us there

And with much tender care

Explained all of the highlights to us.

Then candles were lit

And after silence for a bit

We prayed and we sang beautifully

At Saint William of York's shrine

In a setting divine

We recalled how he lived patiently.

Then we turned them all free

Which was received with glee

For York's a place fun to explore

Little alleys and streets

Street performers to meet

And for the girls shopping galore.

A long afternoon drive

And we'd finally arrive

At our Heathrow hotel safe in Ian's care.

Some went swimming in the pool

Some thought Indian food would be cool

So we split in two groups till night prayer.

Lindisfarne 7-22

Today our pilgrims were able to follow the Pilgrim's Way across to Holy Island.

A full English breakfast served by Jackie and Sean

Had us ready for further adventure,

We walked to the priory where all our other pilgrims went

To pray (this time - without censure).

St Mary's Church

After our outdoor Mass at the sculpture of good old St. Cuthbert

We walked up the hill right nearby,

To view Cuthbert's island, where he lived and prayed,

And the two distant castles up so high.

A nice picnic lunch for this busy pilgrim bunch,

Gave all a nice chance to sit down,

Then free time to sleep, or walk to the beach,

Or browse through the shops in the town.

Dinner at Lindisfarne hotel with Ian our wonderful bus driver

who has become our adopted pilgrim

A family style dinner at 5:30, before we got dirty

Walking Lindisfarne's historic pilgrim way
The evening sun came out bright At low tide - a gorgeous sight
And the meditative walk finished our day.

Pilgrims Way

Elise really got into the pilgrim walk at Lindisfarne

Charles washing Demery's feet after

Iona to Lindisfarne 7-21

Today the group is up early and walks the mile or so to the ferry. Then by coach to Craignure for another ferry and bus ride. They stop at St. Conan's Church and Melrose Abby. If time and tide permit they will walk a little over 2 miles across the flats from the mainland to Holy Island, Lindisfarne. Tonight its dinner at the Ship Inn and stay at the Lindisfarne Hotel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne

Pilgrim's way to Holy Island

They got up by 5 (believe it or not)

And walked to the 7am ferry

From ferry to bus and then ferry again,

With today's schedule, we cannot tarry.

Goodbye Iona

Awaiting in Oban to greet us again

Was Ian, our beloved driver,

We loaded the bags, and off we then went,

All feeling like we were survivors.

St Conan's church

A short stop at St. Conan's, a beautiful church,

Built by a son for mom's convenience,

A short thanksgiving prayer for Iona's highlights,

Then off again, today's schedule has little lenience.

Robert the Bruce's Grave

We'd visited Dunfermline - saw Robert the Bruce's grave,

We'd visited St. Conan's - saw a relic of his body parts,

Now we traveled to Melrose and saw what was left:

At Melrose Abbey is buried his heart.

We challenged the youth to find his heart's shrine,

And the bagpipes being played by a pig

A short walk awaited and as a pilgrim's reward:

Orkney ice cream with scoops really big.

Ice cream pilgrimage after the Melrose Abbey visit.

(Thank you Paul and Barbara Wegner.)

The last leg of our journey, this long travel day,

Was finished with the Lindisfarne route,

Ian's GPS took us on the most scenic route,

But the signs pointing to Holy Island spelled our doubts.

We arrived at Lindisfarne, with the tide coming in,

Too late in the day for the pilgrim's walk,

So straight to the hotel greeted by Jackie and Sean,

And down the block to Ship Inn for food and talk.

Dinner at Lindisfarne hotel with Ian our wonderful bus driver

who has become our adopted pilgrim

After our dinner, we started to pray Compline,

In a graveyard of a church called St. Mary's,

But an old stodgy priest and his wife showed up mad,

And we feared that Fr. Marty would be buried.

St Mary's Church

So we went back to our hotel

With a great story to tell,

How odd that a priest threw us out,

For doing the horrid, most dastardly thing:

PRAYING in such an old sacred spot!


 

Click the link St. Mary's Church and note that their home page says "visitors always welcome" :-) (editor)

Columba's Bay

The outlook wasn't brilliant

For the pilgrims eleven today

The sky was grey with rain clouds

And the sun shone narry a ray

But we had booked the Freya

For a sail to Columba's Bay

Captain Mark promised that the threatening rain

Would not get in our way.

So half the group got in the boat

The other half then hiked

(The initial hikers would be sailing home)

So everyone was psyched.

Off we went to Columba's Bay

By land and then by sea

Arriving simultaneously at

The most beautiful sight to see

The pilgrims back from Columba's Bay

The sun came out and blue emerged

Right above our spot

Quick scattering of our explorers showed

They liked this space a lot.

We gathered together two by two

And went down to the shore

Presenting the rock to our prayer partner

Whom we had each prayed for.

All of us threw our 'burden' rock

Into the Iona sea

And having laid our burdens down

We all felt very free.

Next we ate our picnic lunch

Up on a grassy knoll

To sit where sheep had not yet pooped

Became our lofty goal.

Sailing to Columba's Bay

Then after lunch we walked and climbed

Each person with a task

To find a new rock to symbolize

The new direction for which we asked.

We placed the rocks in the center of

The labyrinth made of stones

Then walked its path, retrieved our rock

To give our plan skin and bones.

Our final night seemed bittersweet

No one is ready to depart

But we made it special with a barbecue feast

And a sunset that stole our hearts.

And speaking of hearts stolen these days

There's been a heartthrob at the isle:

His name is Ed, and he plays guitar

And he visited tonight for a while.

Another friend also played guitar

And they with Charles Milling

Put on an impromptu show with us

That really was quite thrilling.

The time flew by with so much fun

And soon it was almost midnight

Fr. Marty made us all go to bed

(Tomorrow's wakeup at 5: what a fright!)

Walking the labyrinth at Columba's Bay