Barcelona

Hello again ... after a long break!
I have been stuck in a study for a VERY long time ... and didn't even get to go to Barcelona with Kathryn in August! The excuse was that her camera died the very evening before she left so there was no point in my going as she couldn't take photos of me.
SO I missed out on Sagrada Familia - which is an amazing place (or so I'm told!) It's basically a building site that is going to be a church... what impressed those who were able to go (and who weren't left on a shelf in a study) was the airiness of the place - with columns that looked like trees and raised your eyes to hints of the heavens on the ceilings.
And I didn't get to Parc Guell and hear the music in the park - or see the walkways and arcades - or hear baroque and classical pieces in what would have been a market place...
And I didn't get to the Cathedral - or St Pau le Camp - or to the Museum of Catalan Art - or the Olympic Stadium - or Poble Espanyol (a really interesting place with lots of examples of Spanish houses) - or the beach - or Montserrat - or see the lights and water feature on Montjuic...
A bit disappointing you'll agree!
On the upside - I didn't get my rucksack zips undone... BIG warning here folks! Take care and don't keep valuables where light fingers can get to them... It happened THREE times - and the people doing it looked quite ordinary... My people were OK as they don't carry much with them and there's not a lot of point in nicking a bottle of water and a banana!
Another scam encountered... a petition on the way to the Museum of Catalonia - it's illegal and designed to extract money from tourists...
And I didn't get to try the Arros Negro ... a speciality of the area where rice is cooked in squid ink... though the person who did said it was actually very nice!
So I missed out on loads - all due to a dead camera. If you want to see more of what I missed, you could look here: http://www.barcelona.com/
Hopefully Kathryn will get her camera sorted out and I will be able to resume my adventures.... Nothing is planned as yet ... but then the best adventures never are, are they?!

Venice continued...

After a little wandering the delightful Venetian streets, we got the bus back to the Lido and went to investigate the beach a few minutes walk from the hotel... Doing this in the dark was probably not the most exciting thing we could have done as, in common with lots of beaches in Italy, it was set behind a lot of building so felt quite deserted and bleak. Still we caught a first glimpse of the Adriatic and promised ourselves a longer visit before we left. We found a nice restaurant and had delicious salad and pasta dishes before returning to the hotel for time to plan the next day and get an early night.

Wednesday dawned grey and wet again - but that wasn't going to stop us heading off to do more exploring! And what a full day we had!!

We had not had time to go to S Giorgio Maggiore - in part becase we couldn't find the 82 bus stop. When we realised that this was now the number 2 bus route we had it sussed and made our way across to the island on which the church is set.

It was a large tranquil church with large paintings of the Last Supper and Feeding of the Five Thousand by Tintoretto on the sanctuary. (Alas the pictures of the interior didn't come out all that well...) The highlight was probably going up the Campanile and to view Venice from there.

This was stunning as you can see from this picture looking over to S Marco and the Doge's Palace and more photos will go up on our Panoramio site shortly.

We then got the bus that went around the "outside" of Venice - past the liner port - the car park where everyone has to leave their road vehicles as there is no possiblity of driving in the City - and the railway stations. The route then took us down the Grand Canal... where not only I got left in the bag but also the camera... d'oh! A bit like everything we did - we thought we'd have time to go back and take photos or buy bits and bobs!!

We made our way to the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. This is a very simple church - on the outside - but very interesting inside. What was a surprise outside was the sound of music and to discover that it was coming from a very talented player of glasses who was playing well-know tunes just using wineglasses and water!

Inside there are many memorials - one to Titian who is buried there - and a splendid carved rood screen. Behind the altar is Titian's the painting of the Assumption which is unusual in that Mary is shown wearing a red dress rather than the more usual blue or white.

We strolled around the corner and found somewhere to pick up a slice of pizza to stoke up for the rest of the day. After wandering round the Museum of Music, we crossed the street to the church of S Rocco. First impressions weren't great but it was raining so we paid the entrance fee and went in... The guidebook suggested that we went upstairs first - and what a feast for the eyes with rich paintings and carvings on the walls and ceilings! It made for a happy hour or so looking at the paintings - the ceiling ones made easier by using mirrors - and identifying the bible story each represented. (Which did pose the questions - how do "post Christian" Europeans make sense of the paintings as they lose the faith-stories on which they are based?)

Then it was back on the boat to Santa Maria della Salute where we were pleased to find that Mass was to be a short time after our arrival. We had time for a look round the church and into the sacristy which held more works of art before Mass and afterwards to light a candle for those we knew who are ill (the ability to light candles in just about all the churches we visited was one of the big differences between Venice and Rome that we particuarly liked). We decided to walk back to the Rialto bridge as this looked a lively part of the City and somewhere we might find a good place to eat. On the way we came across the Peggy Guggenheim museum of modern art - so decided to call in there too! It was an interesting visit but left us with questions about how people decide what is art and what isn't...

As we expected, we found several good restaurants and ate alongside the Grand Canal just about within sight of the famous Rialto Bridge. We got back to the hotel just in time as very soon after a storm brewed up with very strong winds.... it was good to be indoors but we did wonder how we might fare the next day when we had to set off for the airport... what would it be like on the water if we had to fight to close the window against the wind?!

However, the next day dawned bright and clear so the "outdoor" plan was put into effect.

The first stage was to go back to the beach and to see it properly. It was still very windy - but at least I got out of the bag and got to sit on a rock and listen to the sound of the waves of the Adriatic... even if I did have to have my paw held so I didn't fly away in the wind!

Then we went to take the waterbus and visit some of the other islands. We had read that if we only managed one, it should be Torcello so - after a bit of confusion about routes and so on (we discovered that we had to go to Burano first and change there for Torcello) - made our way there. The guidebook was right! As soon as you get off the boat you are aware of a very different environment - more greenery (including a pomegranage tree) for a start! It was, however, the cathedral that was breathtaking with sumptuous 11th century mosaics - and, for Kathryn, things like the apse with steps up to the cathedra and baptistry outside were really exciting for their links with her studies (each to their own!)

Back then to Burano - with its cheerfully painted buildings (pictured on the right) and then to Murano which is famous for its glass-making. Here we found the Museum of Glass and a few shops - to make up for all the ones we have been going to go back to and hadn't had time!

Back to Venice where we decided to walk from Fondamente Nuove to S Marco - having a meal on the way... and savoured a last look at the Square - and the church - and the lagoon before heading back to the Lido to pack and prepare to depart the next morning.

Not much more to say really... We left the hotel soon after 3.30am and were again surprised by how many boats were docking and people wandering around! Our Alilaguna boat came a little late but got us back to the airport in good time to have a quick snack and then away back to England where we arrived to +2 degree temperatures! Brrrr!!

More photos on Panoramio here: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436

Bilbo in Venice!

Well, Bilbo has been on his travels again - this time very unexpectedly! There had been the suggestion that he might go to Malta to visit a friend of Kathryn and her friend Catherine's called Eileen. For one reason or another this didnt happen but they were still keen to get a bit of last minute warmth before the winter sets in. So a couple of weeks ago, they typed in "cheap breaks" and - in amongst the not-so-cheap trips to DUbai and Cairo were some to Venice.... which was somewhere they'd never thought of but which sounded just right! Enough to do for a few days and, though not far enough south to get lots of heat and sun, at least likely to prolong the nice bits of autumn. And so it proved! There wasn't a lot of time to plan much but the hope was that it would fall into place once they were there!

The trip started with a couple of hours in London before heading to Gatwick on the Gatwick Express. This was really good and seemed to start the break off on the right note - public transport that got us where we wanted when we wanted - cheaply! The flight was all on time and the arrival in Venice was amazing! We landed at about 22.40 and by 23.05, we were on the waterbus to the city! This was definitely a trip into the unknown as we couldn't see where we were going and no real sense of direction! Fortunately, we'd found information online - timetables and even photos of the route to the waterbus stop and there was the lovely moment about an hour into the ride when Catherine spotted the hotel Panorama on the Lido where we were to stay... It was literally metres from the bus-stop and we were made very welcome by Stefano who was on duty that night. He showed us our balcony and we could vaguely see the main part of Venice just across the water - a view which looked even better a couple of days later when the sun came out.

We read somewhere that this was how Venice would have been seen by people who sailed into it - and, if you look closely at the enlarged photo (click on this one), you can see a large cruise liner sailing down between the campanile of S Giorgio Maggiore (on one side of the basin) and that of S Marco (on the other)

But back to our stay (and we have to say that we would recommend the Panorama - it was very comfortable - breakfast was brilliant - and nothing was too much trouble for the staff!)

The first day was, of course, to head for S Marco and get our bearings. We got a 72 hour pass (€31) which got lots of use as we popped on and off boats over the next few days. The weather wasn't particularly good and we found that the Spare and streets were flooded - but the Venetians are used to this and had board walks out so that visitors could get into the church without getting their feet wet! Unfortunately, I didn't get into S Marco's! I was accidentally left in the bags that got checked into the cloakroom - so I didn't get to climb up to the Terrace and marvel at the stunning mosaics - or gaze in admiration at the golden altar piece - or go out and look over the Square and over to the Lagoon - or see what must have been a famous singer walking along miming to Arrivederci Roma for a video! But I did see the pictures (or hear about it as no photos were taken in the churches which did feel very prayerful despite the crowds...)

On top of the two pillars in this one, you can see a winged lion - which represents St Mark who is buried in the basilica and symbols of St Theodore who is the other patron of the City.
In the enlarged versio (clik on the photo) you can just make out the cameraman and singer inthe bottom left-hand corner of the photo - but it isn't very clear!

I was also left in the bag when they went to visit the Doge's Palace next door to the basilica! I understood just how the prisoners felt when they crossed the Bridge of Sighs and caught a last glimpse of the beautiful city and lagoon before being stuck in a dingy prison cell which was in stark contrast to the sumptuously decorated chambers of the Palace itself!

More to come... watch this space!

Photos uploaded

A fair few of the photos from Burkina Faso have now been uploaded - though not actually labelled as yet!

For pictures of places, click here: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436

For pictures of people, http://www.panoramio.com/user/2038347

Labels for the photos of places will follow as soon as possible!

Enjoy :-)

Back in the UK

And so the time in Burkina Faso has come to an end and this is being written in the UK which isn't cold or wet but sunny and warm which is good to come back to!
Photos of the ordination weekend (and views) are here. A new account has been set up for photos of the people we met (which will be kept "private"- only available to people we give the link to).

Here then is the account of the last few days of the visit to Burkina.

As was mentioned on Friday, the plan was to go to the Mare des Poissons Sacreés - and this did indeed happen. A guide had been found with moto rider and both came with Jean for the expedition. This wasn't actually too far from the town - though still far enough to be tricky to find - in part because farmers sometimes cultivate over the tracks at this time of year! We left the motorcycles with one of the farmers close to the Mare and continued on foot through fields of maize and millet to rocky ground and cliffs. We were actually above the Mare but it was not visible from the top... To get to it, we had to clamber down the steep, rocky slopes - as we agreed, it can be more tiring going uphill but descending can be more difficult! Eventually, the tree clad cliffs opened out into a glade with small waterfall and a pools fed by it. It was a place that reminded us of similar water-places in the UK that had been held sacred from ancient times and, in many cases, been Christianised - especially by the Celtic Christians. It may be that they were used in a similar way by the pagan peoples - with sacrifices to the gods. It was strange to Kathryn's eyes to see a place of natural beauty "spoiled" (coming from her own background and spirituality) by piles of feathers - entrails - hides of sheep and goats and tell-tales trickles of blood. Sacrifice is a key element in animist beliefs.

Permission was given to go closer to the pool - though this had to be done in bare feet as a mark of respect for the holy ground. The guide thought that we wanted to see a sacrifice ... which hadn't really been the case! What was interesting was that the people seeking to make it were a young couple who, if seen out in the street, would have been seen as "cool" - very fashionably dressed (and interesting how we see others - who would no doubt look at us and make similar contrasts!) The sacrifice was of a chicken and mercifully the actual dispatching of the creature was done out of sight - though not out of earshot. After the cutting of the throat, much interest was shown in the way in which the death agony was played out - how the bird moved - flapped around - and its position when it finally expired - or the nervous system finally "died". Some feathers were plucked and dropped into the water of the top pool - but no fish were visible. Usually the waters are clear but in the rainy season - as this was - they are filled with sand and silt and become murky and so the fish are difficult to see.
It was suggested that we move to the lower pool in hopes that we would see the fish there - the chicken would be gutted and then burned... Entrails were gathered up and we clambered - still barefoot - down to the lower pool. Here, people hung a few of the guts over the waters and some said prayers as the fish came to the surface to eat them. The fish are distinctly ugly - large - flat and with tentacles around their wide mouths which they wave above the surface of the water. However, the people hold them to be sacred and, if one is found dead, it is buried with the rites accorded to a human being.

The climb back wasn't as bad as feared - not too far and Kathryn was interested to note a rock formation overlooking the plain before it that looked like a cross in profile... as a Christian, of course, this is the supreme sacrifice of one who chose to give his life and did not, as in animal sacrifice, have it taken from him... A thought for those interested to ponder!

The afternoon was spent in making a note of what we needed to get in readiness for the return to the UK as Saturday was the day set aside for the shopping ... sigh....

Given the pushiness of the people when Jeanne d'Arc and Kathryn had gone to the Grand Marché before, Anselme asked Jean if he would mind going along this time... It can't have been wildly exciting for him but he was brilliant at negotiating prices and so on... We agreed fair prices which hopefully made a decent income from the bits for the sellers without ripping anyone off! The main things to pick up were fabrics for Wisdom House... this could have been an endless and enjoyable task with so many glorious designs to choose from! The Grand Marché really is a wonderful place for cottons - but also other sumptuous fabrics which we didn't have room for - and concern was being raised about the ultimate weight of things to carry! The other purchases were mainly gifts for a few folk in the UK - always with the note to the merchants that things had to be light... and the attempts at selling continued until it was clear to everyone that the purse was, literally, empty!

There were a couple more bits that Kathryn planned to get from the Point de Vente at the Centre after lunch but then ... it started to rain! One of Anselme's family invited Kathryn to go to sleep at the Grande Maison but she didn't really understand why - it was, after all, only a bit of rain! Five hours later, it had eased off enough for her to make the way back to the Centre! Anselme reported the next day that, during the course of the storm over 6cm rain had fallen... and, realising what was coming, the family had gathered things inside and gone to sleep... hence the invitation to Kathryn! It was, though, interesting to watch the lightning and rain and listen to the thunder - a storm but not as we know it!

On Sunday morning, there was some discussion about where to go to Mass.... Kathryn opting for the French Mass in the old Cathedral (now a chapel) but halfway through began to wonder if she should have gone to the one in More at St Vincent de Paul! In the afternoon, Anselme and Kathryn chose some of the clothes from the many given as gifts from the parish to take out to a couple of families who might welcome them. It was nice to say that "this is a gift from.... " - and the fact that they came all the way from England made them seem even more special - though Kathryn's knowledge of football didn't run to talking more about the Southampton football shirts someone had sent over! (Many people are as mad on football there as here and we had to negotiate several matches being played in the streets during our stay!) It was great to try things against the children and decide which fitted who - and there will be more of this over the coming weeks as Anselme works through the suitcase and bags he decanted the gifts into! It was also lovely - and a great privilege - to think that we were linking people who live far apart but who like the same kinds of things and know what fun it is to choose things to give and for the receivers to enjoy the surprises! More practically, we also looked at a pigsty that is in need of repair so that the owner of the pigs can ensure he makes a good living for his family - at least one of whom is probably HIV+ and another in real need of good medical treatment... as she walked with Kathryn to the main road (and told her how much she likes school - particularly doing writing which, of course, appealed to K!) it was clear from her cold hand that she was far from well... Hopefully part of the monetary gifts can help the family a little.

And then, the preparations to depart on the 7.30a.m. bus back to Ouagadougou... Several of Anselme's cousins were heading back that way and were delegated with getting Kathryn to the airport to sort out the passport and so on. It was with great sadness that Kathryn left the compound and prepared to leave Burkina Faso - even though it was hard to pinpoint what could have made such in an impression in two short weeks! Maybe it was just a combination of lots of things drawn together to create a sense of welcome and warmth.

The cousins were very helpful - and Annie was able to practise some of her English which she studied for her Baccalauréat. They invited her to their home for lunch - but first it was to the immigration counter to sort out the visa.... This turned out to be pretty ironic - as the visa had already been stamped in the passport - but near the front! How three of us managed to look at the passport and not see it goodness knows but we did! However, the fee paid on the first day was repaid and the photos returned - and thoughts of the inconvenience set to one side... with a memo to self to find and mark any future visas before leaving the UK!

After lunch, a neighbour of the cousins who speaks Engish, Seone, took Kathryn out for a tour of the new buildings going up in Ouaga as he was on his way to visit another English-speaking friend, Olivia, who comes from Rwanda and works for an American working on the construction of their embassies in Africa. It was interesting - if harrowing - to listen to the experiences of her family who sought refuge in Uganda in the late 50s until the late 90s when they returned to Rwanda a few years after the genocide there. She described it as a beautiful country with a gentler climate than she had found in Ouaga which is very hot most of the year - and encouraged Kathryn to think about going there!

And finally, to the airport and the journey home. This was delayed as we waited for another heavy storm to pass and the flight to Paris was also quite turbulent... well, just enough to need to keep seatbelts on... happily there was a good selection of films!

There are more photos to come over the next few days - we won't put up all 300+ so it will take a little while to sort out what's what and what should be uploaded! Call back sometime soon and enjoy looking at the photos taken on a journey to a very special country - or, more precisely, to visit very special people.

Hope you've enjoyed this - and maybe one day you'll get to Burkina Faso too!

Coming to the end...

Well, here we are entering the last few days of the visit! It seems in many ways to have gone quickly but a long time since we left the UK!!

This is really a quick update before the weekend in case time doesn't permit a visit to the cyber then - though you never know...

Yesterday was a quiet day which was welcome after the busy-ness of preceding days. Much of it (after the epic session in the cyber cafe writing up yesterday's entry) was spent at the compound of Anselme's grandmother. This was back to normal - all the chairs and canopies had gone as well as most of the guests. The last two were returning to the Ivory Coast yesterday afternoon and when we arrived, the family were preparing meat for them to take back with them - a process which took most of the afternoon. After lunch and a time just spent watching the various goings-on in the family compound, we went to the church of St Vincent de Paul where Anselme had arranged for Kathryn to meet one of the catechists to talk about how people are prepared for baptism and so on here. There are many similarities - but also many differences. Here, for example, there is an emphasis on putting aside the sacrificing of chickens - and various rules around the practice of polygamy (a catechumen cannot be baptised if they are in a polygamous relationship, for example). It was very interesting and Kathryn and the catechist Georges were equally proud that their French held out and only once needed a translation to confirm that it had been communicated OK (about polygamy and what happens if someone has completed a catechumenate formation but is still bound in a polygamous marriage... you can see how it could get complicated!)

After a return to the compound for a while, it was then to the school of St Martine where there is a daily prayer group. Expecting just a few, Kathryn was surprised that over 50 people gathered for a sharing of the Word of God and the praying of the Rosary (Mysteries of Light as it was Thursday). Before she left, Kathryn was given a candle by a friend in the parish (Heidi) to use when praying with others - there hadn't been chance to use it before - most prayers had been in churches, etc) but this was a good opportunity to light it here. People were delighted by the idea and it is now an honoured part of the setting for prayer there. What was interesting in the prayer service was the mix of French and Dioula for the readings and prayers. People started the Hail Mary in turn and if someone started in French people continued the "Holy Mary, Mother of God..." in French - if in Dioula, then everyone (well, everyone except Kathryn who resorted to English very quietly!) continued in Dioula. At the end, Kathryn was introduced to everyone which was a bit embarrassing but they were pleased that someone had come from so far for the ordination but also to join them in prayer.

An evening meal awaited - a little too "piementé" (full of chillis) for Kathryn's taste but still hospitable - and then back to the Centre d'Acceuil.

Today the plan is to go to a place of animist worship - the Mare des Poissons Sacres (sacred fish)... Not sure quite what to expect as it sounds as if chickens are sacrificed and fed to the fish - and various other rituals - which we won't be taking part in but it will be interesting to see in terms of what is traditional for many people here and the change of heart becoming a Christian brings with it. Also, we hope to sort out the gifts from the UK - a bit of a mammoth task but Kathryn needs the bag to bring things back with her!

So... if opportunity to add more arises then there will be more before returning to England but if not - watch this space for the last installments and the photos!!!!!!!!!

You know you are acclimatising when...

Well - what a week!!! So much has happened that it will be hard to fit it all in in one day but here goes!

On Saturday, it was, of course, the Ordination so it was up early and over to the Cathedral for about an hour before the Mass started. Even so, the church was full and it was good that Anselme's family adopted Kathryn as she could sit with them quite near the front. She was given a shirt in the fabric chosen for the family too - and was fascinated by the different designs used by women so that no two outfits were the same... there are photos to come!

The service began with the entrance procession - there were to be seven ordinations: 5 to religious orders and 2 diocesan priests. There were chairs for them on the high altar facing the bishop. At the beginning of the Rite of Ordination, each candidate had to be vouched for in a short history of what they had done and of their suitability and readines for priesthood.

It seemed odd at first that the candidates should have their backs to us - but as the ordination unfolded it made sense as, after their vows and the laying on of hands (by every priest there!), etc the new priests left to be vested. On their return, the chairs now faced the congregation and it felt as if they were now priests for the People of God gathered round the altar. The photos are, alas, quite dark but hopefully we will get some of the official ones and be able to do an account in more detail with those. The Mass continued and it was a joy to see Anselme take what seemed really to be his rightful place at the altar.

At the end of Mass, there were several speeches of congratulation and good wishes and the Provincial of the Missionaries of Africa announced that Anselme's first posting would be to Algeria. Once these were complete, there was an Acte de Grace - a procession of the new priests, their families and anyone else who wanted to join in! It was exuberant and full of joy as maybe 1000 people celebrated the ordinations of the new priests.

After the Mass (which lasted four-and-a-half hours), Anselme's little sister Mariam, and Kathryn walked back to the house of Anselme's grandmother. The compound had been transformed with hundreds of chairs and canopies for shade. At one end, friends and neighbours gathered and at the other, family and close friends. It seemed as if the whole neighbourhood had come for the feast! Kathryn was pleased to meet again Michaela who had come from Kenya for the occasion. As they both speak English, it was good to be able to chat- though there were many other conversations with family and friends of Anselme who had come from Ghana, Mali and the Ivory Coast for the ordination.

One highlight was a troupe of traditional dancers who danced energetically for about an hour going around the crowds to entertain them... again photos will follow!

The next morning was to be Anselme's first Mass in the church of St Vincent de Paul where he had grown up and been an altar server. Père Albert arrived to collect Kathryn at 7.30 but even so the church was full! Luckily, again, there was a seat reserved so she could get in the church! The Mass was to be concelebrated with another of the new priests and was mainly in French with some Dioula. The singing was excellent with two choirs joining forces and many of the songs were easy to pick up and join in with. At the end there were more speeches and much joy as these were the 10th and 11th ordinations in the parish. Père Albert had said that when he had arrived in the parish about 30 years before there was very little but now many people were responding to the call of God... he described Anselme as his "little Samuel" and was obviously very proud of him! This Mass - just for information - was three-and-a-half hours.

It was then to go to the parish rooms for the first feast prepared by the women of the parish... Kathryn was strongly reminded of the Mass at Pentecost when there was a similar abundance of food appearing from nowhere it seemed! After eating here, it was then to the grandmother's again for yet another feast! This was a major celebration!! On this afternoon, local drummers came and the women took turns to dance - some with incredible energy. It was exhilarating to watch but not to even think of joining in!

That evening, Anselme called by the Centre d'Acceuil and suggested a change of plan. Père Albert was going back to his mission in Konadougou and was happy for Kathryn to go back with him for a couple of days. This sounded like a great opportunity and so it turned out to be. The first stage was to Banfora where they stopped briefly at the Cathedral and Kathryn met a priest who has started a local Catholic radio station which broadcasts 4 hours a day. Then on to Konadougou which was another 50km further west/southwest. This route was particularly beautiful as the road was lined with mango trees for miles. Further into the area, the roads were more and more affected by the rains and became more and more uneven - especially as they turned off and headed to Konadougou... Père Albert's truck with 4-wheel drive was probably the only way to travel - other than motorbike/ moped/ bike (of which we saw many).

We dropped off the Sisters and went to the simply furnished White Fathers' house. The whole settlement were the houses, the church, school and a hall - very remote! There was electricity and a television (now picking up Burkinabé TV as opposed to Ivory Coast) but we were far from things like the internet - hence the gap in the blog!

There were traditional villages nearby and, though it felt far from anywhere, there were often people walking to and from fields. After lunch chez Paul in Sindou (and a siesta!) we visited the parish dispensary and a local village. Here we met the man responsible for the care of Christians in the area who introduced us to his son Simon Pierre and the new arrival Eugène who was born on 8 July. This village is made up round houses made of mud bricks with thatched roofs and granaries (same shape but smaller). The population of about 200 is made up of Christians, Muslims and animists - some within the same families. All live together in tolerance - the Burkinabé (people of Burkina) pride themselves on their being an integrated people and when a sect of Islam came and threatened to disturb the tolerance, they were removed.

This was an example of a village in which different families lived together, in this area are also tribes in which the families live separately - each in their own fields. As Père Albert said, one thing the Church offers here is an opportunity for people to gather - and they do - coming around 50km for meetings and so on. It means a different approach to meetings as people cannot just drop by for an hour's meeting each week! They will come for mornings and have a meal but evening meetings are rare because of the fear of snakes and so forth on the way home.

It was a great chance for Kathryn to learn more about how people are prepared for becoming Christians - how local customs and languages are used in liturgy and so on - and to experience something of the life of missionaries deep in the countryside of Africa!

The second day, we went to the Pics of Sindou - an other-worldy place of strangely shaped rock formations; It was originally a sea bed but the sea obviously receded and the rocks were left exposed. The soft ones were eroded by wind and rain and what is left is the slightly harder sandstone - though even that is quite crumbly. It is a great location for films - and is sometimes used by the Burkinabé film people.

Then on to a dam built by the people - mainly of rocks. This holds the rainwater from the hills which is used to irrigate the fields. The reservoir is a spectacular sight with lush green grass and palm trees and fishermen and their boats on the water. However, the reservoir is only half full at this time of the year and when it is full (as in a month or so's time) the grass will be submerged as will be most of the palm trees - only their crowns will be visible! Last year, however, there was so much rain that, as well as washing away many crops, it filled the reservoir to over flowing and local people had to move away for a time.

In the afternoon, we went to the new house for the priests and Sisters - this is to be in Sindou which will be easier for many people to get to. The new place is beautifully light and airy - but already being attacked by termites... once people move in they will hopefully be able to get the, under control!

As we travelled back over the rough terrain, the clouds gathered and it looked like the much longed for rain was going to arrive... It did - spectacularly! A massive tropical storm broke and lasted over 3 hours. Kathryn was glad to be in a solid house but Père Albert reassured her that local people would simply sleep through it in great tranquility!

The next day was the return to Bobo via Banfora. Here we visited the Cathedral House again and then the Diocesan Pastoral Centre. This is mainly under construction though the chapel (an octagonal building of brick with some plastered walls painted a soft turquoise) accommodation and some meeting rooms are complete. A covered-area for concerts/ films, etc is currently being built but, as the roof had not been firmy fixed, it blew off in the strong winds of the stor, the night before. A quick look at the hospital being built and a new college being built by Augustinians but to be run by the Cenacle and it was back to the bus station for the bus back to Bobo - arriving safely and heading back to the Centre d'Acceuil for the evenng.

Today, obviously, is catching up with this... hopefully, it has given a flavour though the photos will help a lot and fill in in more details when they are uploaded (probably next week I thnk - there are so many it would take too long to sort through them here!) Lunch will be qt Anselme's grandmother's and then hopefully to meet a local catechist at St Vincent de Paul and to the women's prayer this evening...

Hopefully there will be chance to do a little more of this tomorrow though we may got the lake of the sacred fish so that Kathryn can see some local customs. Then a bit ot shopping and the preparations for the return journey... the time goes so quickly now!

So for today, a bientot...

.... oh and about the acclimatisation? Ah - well - you know you are acclimatising when, after the rain, you think things are much cooler - and then read on the thermometer that it is 26°C!

A bientot!

The Grande Marche - and other things

After our time at the "cyber" yesterday, Jeanne d'Arc took us into Bobo. We looked around the Grande Marché. This is an amazing place full of fantastic fabrics and artefacts from the region. We will return when we have had time to think about what we need and what we can carry... though there will be the space from the donations to fill! (At the moment, Anselme is very busy and thinks we will distribute the clothes, etc next week.)
The market is also very busy - everyone wants to sell you something! Afterwards, we walked around the streets of Bobo which were full of things we would not see in the UK. Life is lived outside here.
Lunch was at Anselme's grandmother's after which Kathryn returned to the guest house for time to rest and to do some studying on her course on liturgy and inculturation. At 7pm, it was back to the grande maison of Anselme's grandmother for supper.
It was a busy day with lots to see! Today, we will visit the town again and take photos and hopefully begin to upload some to Panoramio- especially of the ordination which is very close now!
For now, Kathryn is going to use some of our internet time to show Jeanne d'Arc some websites that will tell her something of life in the UK - which interests her very much.
Later, we will go for lunch and Kathryn will go to a women's prayer group with Anselme's grandmother.
Until next time - a bientot!

Safe arrival

Salut de Bobo-Dioulasso!
We have arrived safely and are writing this fro, a cyber cafe -which is very expensive so will just do a quick note of what has happened so far.
The journey was very good and the tight connection in Paris worked out fine. On arrival in Ouagadougou, we found that the visa bought in England was not valid! But all was OK. I was given a pass to enter the country and to return the next day with the required photos and fee. Anselme was there to meet us and took us to the guest house of "les Peres Blancs" where we stayed. The next day he had to return to Bobo for practices for his ordination - and took with him the gifts from England. He was amazed by how much there was - and we had had to leave some behind so as not to have excess baggage! (not too much though!) we were glad he was carrying it the next bit of the journey!
He left us in the care of Robert - a friend and medical student - who took good care of us. We found a place for the photos - changed the euros and sorted out the legalities. We were told that we could travel on to Bobo and so booked a bus for the afternoon. Alas, our mode of transport was a motorcycle and Kathryn's first descent was not - shall we say - elegant! OK - it was more of a fall off than a slide off gracefully! The consequence was not severe for her but for the camera it was bad - the screen was broken. However, the resourceful Robert found somewhere who could repair it and the trusty camera is all well! After that we had a tour of Ouaga - and a whirlwind tour of Ouagadougou on the back of a motorcylce was something totally unexpected- but great fun. Robert took Kathryn to see a family who farm in the traditional way - and to the new presidential and ministerial buildings. The extremes of life in Burkina.
The bus journey was very comfortable - but four and a half hours long! The bus was air conditioned and we stopped briefly in a market on the way.
Anselme was delayed in arriving at the station so Kathryn decided to go straight to the house... problem - she had not checked the address! There was great discussion with the locals and eventually, a taxi took her to the Grande Mission. This turned out to be the right place and the Sister there helped her to settle in until Anselme arrived to take her to his grandmother's home for the evening meal. She was made most welcome by the family and Anselme said that a "chemise" had been made for her for the ordination! There is a sort of family "uniform" for the occasion so it sounds like a great honour!
After a good night's welcome rest and breakfast, the uncle of Anselme, Jacob, and his daughter Jeanne d'Arc arrived to show her Bobo and where the cybercafe is... And here we are! Our time is running out so we will stop for today. It is a great place and the ordination sounds wonderful (Kathryn met the diocesan direcotr of liturgy briefly last night and hopes to have time to chat after the ordination which he is busy with at the moment).
Bestwishes to everyone - and thank you for the donations which have been very well received!
A bientot!

Mountains of Packing!

Almost time to leave - and to look at all the wonderful donations that people have made for us to take out to Burkina Faso!

As you can see I was nearly buried by the tee-shirts - shorts - dresses - pencils - toothbrushes and other exciting bits and bobs!!

A HUGE thank-you to all our friends who have been so generous in sending lots of love and donations with us. We also have over £300 and €30 which we'll give directly to the Missionaries of Africa or Missionary Sisters out there.

We are leaving for the aiport this evening and staying in a hotel overnight so as not to be worrying about getting stuck in traffic in the morning.

Hopefully, the next entry will be from Burkina itself! Very exciting!

Bilbo's next journey

On 7 July, I will be embarking on my next adventure! This time I am going to Burkina Faso with Kathryn who is going to an ordination - that of our friend Anselme (pictured left) who we met in Kenya last year!
We are flying into the capital Ouagadougou and then travelling down to Anselme's hometown of Bobo-Dioulasso to the south-west where the ordination will take place.
We are not sure how we will get on for internet access to keep the blog up to date but we will do our best!
So, watch this space and learn more about Burkina Faso and its people!

The situation in Kenya

In August, Kathryn and her daughter Liz were made most welcome by people in Kenya - you can read about their adventures under the August links at the side.
The news from Kenya - with all the violence - is very troubling. Thankfully, we have heard from our young deacon friend. He is safe but the situation is very dangerous and he fears for the country and its people... as is so often the case, the poor are the ones suffering most.
We can't do much from so far away - but hold all those we met - and all who showed us great kindness - in our thoughts and prayer at this time.

St Peter's Fish!

Thanks to a fellow pilgrim we now have a photo of the St Peter's Fish that many people in the group had on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

You can read more about it in the main blog.

The final couple of days (4th entry)

Thursday 25 October

Our hotel in Tiberias was in the high part of town but we were lucky enough to have a view of the Sea of Galilee from the bedroom window.

Thursday was going to be a busy day exploring the beautiful Galilean countryside and visiting various sites associated with Jesus' life.

Our first stop was at the River Jordan - close to where it emerges from the south of Lake Galilee. This is a very tranquil spot - with trees and shrubs along the banks. It is also a favourite place for people to come to be baptised as this is where it is said that Jesus himself was baptised by John the Baptist. After listening to the account in the Gospel, everyone was invited to renew their baptismal vows and then to go into the waters - though not to immerse ourselves fully! There was a lot of laughter as little fish nibbled our feet - but also a sense that this was a special moment as we walked in the River that Jesus himself knew and was baptised in. We were a little astonished as we left to find that a camera had been recording our visit - and a few people invested in a very precious souvenir of the pilgrimage.

We then travelled to Mount Tabor - where the Tranfiguration took place. It is certainly a magnificent setting - a high mountain rising out of the valley. It now has a monastery at the top which you can see from miles around. The coach can only take you so far and you then take taxis run by the Bedouin villagers up the very windy road to the top - apparently there are 16 hairpin bends on the way! The church is beautiful - with images of angels with four of the transformations of Jesus - his birth - the transfiguration - the Eucharist - the Resurrection. There were two chapels close by one for Elijah and another for Moses... so what Peter suggested about creating three "tents" for Jesus, Elijah and Moses on the mountainside came true in the end! There were many trees which blocked the view in many places but when it was visible, you could see miles of fertile countryside below - such a contrast from the barren desert of the day before.

After lunch, we headed for Nazareth. This is no longer the quiet village depicted on Christmas cards or paintings of the Annunciation but a large and busy city - with mainly Arab inhabitants. We headed up the hill to the Church of the Annunciation which is a modern building set over what is said to be Mary's house. Our Mass was said in the Chapel of St Joseph which is thought to be in the same place as Joseph's carpentry workshop. Around the Church of the Annunciation are images from all around the world - all on the theme of Mary and the Child Jesus. Someone in the group took a photo of each of them so, hopefully, we will be able to give a link to them. Somehow, seeing all the different representations of Mary and Jesus gives a real sense of the worldwide nature of Christianity.

We did not have long to linger in the shop at Nazareth but the brief stay provided a highlight of the day for Catherine and Kathryn! Inside the shop - owned by an Christian Arab - they saw the latest CD from the Taizé Community which they had bought just a few weeks before... K thought she had seen someone wearing the distinctive Taizé dove and sure enough he happened to be close enough to hear and to show it again! It turned out that he and his brother had been to Taizé three weeks before! They knew Br Paolo (the brother who looks after the English speakers) and we had a happy few minutes sharing news about one of our favourite places on the planet! It made us a tad late for the bus but what an amazing coincidence... in a shop in Nazareth, we meet two people who not only knew Taizé but had been not so very long before!

On then to Cana - where Jesus had changed water into wine. The church was down some side streets - and seemed already to have a Christmas star on the front (in fact, we saw early Christmas decorations in the streets of Nazareth too!). Here, Fr John invited married couples in the group to renew their marriage promises which was quite a moving moment for them in a church which remembered Jesus' presence at a wedding. Everyone laughed though when, just as the service ended, a recording of the Wedding March sounded out in celebration!

Back then to the hotel for a welcome "early night" in!

(More photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)

Friday 26 October

Today started in a very special way - a trip in an authentic replica of a Galilean boat. It was a beautiful morning - though a little hazy. As our voyage progressed, the sun burned away the mist and the surrounding hills gradually emerged. It was a wonderful experience - especially when the taped music and engines stopped and we had a short time listenng the silence of the Lake (through the voice of an enthusiastic preacher in another boat!) We listened to one of the stories of the Lake as it appears in the Gospel - of the miraculous catch soon after Jesus' Resurrection - and watched as one of the owners of the boat cast a net into the waters in just the way that Peter and the other fisher disciples would have done 2000 years ago... we didn't catch anything. The silence didn't last long and many people were soon joining in some of the songs playing through the system - a sort of sing-along-a-Galilee!!

At the place where we docked, there was a special museum housing a 2000 year old boat. This had been found during a drought some years ago when walkers along the beach had felt something hard. Rescuing the boat was a very tricky job as the timbers had been preserved in the water and mud and exposure to the air was going to risk it drying out and turning to dust. The whole boat was covered in polyeurethane foam and taken to the shore where it was injected with preservatives until the wood was stable and the boat could be displayed. Experts in tree-dating have said that the trees used for the boat was probably cut in about 20BC and would have lasted about 60 years - so it is likely that this boat was sailing the lake at around the time Jesus, Peter, Andrew and the others were!

Our next stop was to the church that commemorates St Peter as the leader of the apostles. This is a small church right on the edge of the Lake and our Mass was celebrated outside with the Sea as a backdrop - quite idyllic. We then headed down to the seashore and spent time paddling in the water, collecting rocks and thinking about the special place this water has in the history of Christianity.

We moved on to another key place in the Gospels - Capernaum. Although it is in ruins, there are clear signs of the life of a busy town on the lakeside - quite a prosperous town too as they were able to import marble for the synagogue at the heart of the town. The ruins of the very splendid synagogue (which possibly had two storeys) date from the 4th century but are believed to stand on the previous one - which is likely to have been the one Jesus used to go to. Close by is a modern church which looks suspended over some ruins. Looking closer you can see the ruins of an octagonal church which surround the remains of an old house. There are inscriptions referring to Simon (Peter) and Jesus - and it seems likely that this really is the house of Simon Peter where Jesus came to heal his mother-in-law. We cannot be sure, of course, but the fact that the church was built so early on does suggest that people had passed on the information about the house belonging to Peter down a few generations and so the early Christians had known where to build a church in his honour.

Ran had organised a special lunch - at a restaurant serving "St Peter's Fish" caught (we think) in the Lake. Annoyingly, we forgot to take a photo of the meal - but the fish was huge - and spiny - but most people really enjoyed it... It was certainly part of the Galilee experience even if it wasn't barbecued by Our Lord on the beach!

Outside the restaurant, we found a sandy beach and walked down for yet another paddle in crystal-clear water as warm as a bath! There were seashells here too and we collected a few to bring home. It was hard to drag ourselves away from the sun, sand and sea - but the next stage beckoned.

We moved on the Church of the Beatitudes which is a pretty church set on a hillside above the Sea of Galilee. It has an octagon tower - one wall for each of the Beatitudes. After a time in the church we went into the beautiful gardens overlooking the Sea and listened to the words of the Beatitudes then in silence strolled back to the coach.

Our next stop was the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. The mosaic set into the floor in front of the altar is very famous and easily found on souvenir plates and tiles in Christian shops. Akthough the picture is based on the story of the five loaves and two fish, there are only four in the basket. This is because the fifth is on the altar in Mass. This mosaic is just one of many in the church, most of which depict wild flowers, birds and animals of the early Christian period.

We had thought that this was to be the end of our day but Ran, the driver (Shai?) and Fr John had decided to have a go at getting to Mt Arbel in time for the sunset. As the sun was already low, we all realised this would be difficult - but we made it to the bottom of the hill and set off to yomp to the top. As an ending to our pilgrimage it would have been hard to beat.

The main sunset was indeed passed but the colours in the western sky were still stunning as the world slipped into nighttime. To add to the mystical atmosphere - the full moon began to rise in the east over the Lake - and a muezzin began the sunset call to prayer - and Jews across the country prepared for the Sabbath. It was utterly peaceful and exoked a deep sense of stillness as night fell. Before they left for the trek down the hillside, a group of women joined together to sing "The Day thou gavest, Lord, is ended..." It was hard to read the words - but was a real goose-bump moment.

Back to the hotel and our last Evening Prayer and meal before heading up to think about packing and getting ready to travel back to the UK. The journey back to Tel Aviv didn't take too long though the queues to get through security made Heathrow look positively speedy! Our plans to catch up on shopping we hadn't got round to doing - and do a bit more of the blog came to nothing as all we wanted (and had time for!) was a cup of coffee and snack ... though others had more stamina and managed some shopping as well! While we were waiting we got a text from one of the group on pilgrimage to Rome saying that they were enjoying some time in Nice! At first we thought it was a joke - but it turned out that their plane had made a diversion due to technical problems and the group had ended up in a hotel in Nice - and posh restaurant for lunch! Having planned to be back on Friday, Fr Michael (the parish priest) did not arrive in time for 5pm Mass (though managed to get to the 6.30) - and other members of the group arrived just ahead of us!

It was late when we arrived back in Southampton - to much cooler and damper weather - but warmed by our happy memories of a very special journey.

(More photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)

Qumran - Masada - and the Dead Sea (3rd entry)

Wednesday 24 October
Today was moving on day – from Jerusalem to Tiberias where we were to spend the rest of the time in Israel. After checking out, our journey took us along the famous Jerusalem to Jericho road. We saw Israeli settlements and Bedouin villages – but were amazed that anyone could live in such a bleak and hostile desert landscape.

Our first stop was to be Qumran. It was here that, in 1947, the Dead Sea scrolls were found. These amazingly preserved documents date from around the time of Christ and contain some of the Hebrew scriptures – information about worship in the Temple at the time – and details of how the community of Essenes who kept the records lived. They were a very strict and secretive Jewish sect who observed rigid laws concerning purity. They created a complex water-system which was vital in an area with such low rainfall - about 400ml a year (about the same amount as a small can of drink). They dug out cisterns that collected water from flash floods caused by rainfall much further west which percolated through the rocks and emerged in the hills around Qumran which are below sea level. The water was channelled through aqueducts into baths which were used for ritual baths at least twice a day. The Essenes seem also to have been very learned. It appears that, once they heard about the devastation of the Jewish Temple and the deportation of Jews, they realised that they needed to protect their precious writings and sealed them in jars and hid them in a cave.

Here they lay, forgotten, until 2000 years later, a Bedouin shepherd boy happened to throw a stone and was intrigued by the unusual sound it made... His stone had hit a jar containing writing he and his family did not understand but which were to become among the most valuable antiquities in the world and would help people to understand life at the time of Jesus. The whole area speaks of a community living in isolation in the wilderness but able to make and preserve beautiful things that speak to us across the centuries.

Our next stop was Masada, the hilltop palace and fortress built by Herod the Great. In his time, it was a lavish palace complete with Roman-style bath-house, frescoes and mosaics. It overlooks the Dead Sea and is not only impressive but would have been pretty impregnable – until the Romans came along that is... The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth (420m below sea level). Herod’s fortress is on a mountaintop over 800m above sea level. Today, you can access it as we did by cable car but some people still take the ancient Snake Path which does just what it says – snakes up the mountainside towards the entrance gate. We looked down and saw people walking up – and admired their stamina as it was already very hot and it is a very long way. It gave us a very good idea of what faced any attacker – by the time you got to the top you would be too exhausted to fight. The ruins sh0w the size and luxury of Masada – with Roman-style bathrooms and frescos - and large storerooms. Archaeologists even found a sealed container of wine that came from Italy... after 2000 years it was undrinkable - but showed how wealthy Herod was to import huge containers of wine from so far aftield.

Masada is also the location of a famous Story from ancient times. After the second uprising, the Jews in Jerusalem and the wider area were being killed or deported. Some seem to have passed the Essene Community and told them of what was happening and about 900 Jews made their way to the stronghold at Masada. Although they hated Herod's liking for all things Roman, they found his architecture and the strength of the defences of his palace very useful in what was to become a kind of last stand.



The Story goes that the Jews held out against the seige the Romans laid around the walls of the citadel. No Jew could get in or out - but there were the vast stores and cisterns Herod had had built years before... but they couldn't last forever. The Romans also had another trick up their sleeves. As well as building camps and walls around the mountain they also built a ramp - on the western side which wasn't as high as the side facing the Dead Sea. You can see the remains of some of the camps in this picture.



When this was completed, they broke through the gate and then - as the day was drawing to a close - decided that they would finish the attach the next day. The leaders of the Jewish "rebels" discussed what to do. The reputation of the Romans was well-known and they would be shown no mercy - they would probably be killed anyway and the families too - or be sold into slavery which would have been a living death for many of them. The solution that passed into tradition was that the men would kill their families and then draw lots to see who would kill nine of the ten leaders before killing himself. It is a horrible thing to feel that the only solution is to kill the people you love most in the world - but for Jewish people, to commit suicide is a terrible sin and the person would have been buried outside the community. Some shards of pot were found with names on and these are believed to have been the lots that were used. Recent archaeological work is showing that the Story is more complicated... as it often does! It seems that some skeletons thought to have been some of the Jews have been DNA tested and are of some of the attackers. In another room, there were found the skeletons of a man in armour, a woman and a child; the door into the room was covered in Roman arrows... which suggests that they were still alive when the Romans finally launched their attack. We may never know the full truth - but the site of Masada, high above the surrounding desert, is a magnificent testimony to architecture and building in the time around Jesus' walking the earth - and the courage of people fighting to maintain their way of life... even at the cost of their own lives.

Back to the cable cars for the journey down - and we realised again just how high we had gone! After a visit to the shop, we travelled to a cafe for lunch and then to the Dead Sea. This is a very salty and mineral filled lake... it tastes disgusting (if you happen to get some in your mouth) - smells awful - makes your eyes really sore if you get any water in them - and the water and mud are very good for you! You can sometimes see beauty products with "Dead Sea" mud in the ingredients and it has been shown to help in cases of skin complaints. The biggest claim to fame of the Dead Sea is the fact that you float in it. It is impossible to sink - totally impossible! Catherine had long wanted to test this out and so we - well, actually, Bilbo stayed in the safety of the coach (not fancying being dropped in!) - went down to the Sea. And it was true! It was the weirdest feeling - just getting into the water and sitting back on it - and floating... It was so easy to float that it was hard to get your feet to back to the bottom until you learned the technique. People had a great time - especially, resting on the water and reading a newspaper! (We wished we'd taken a copy of Portsmouth People to make a fun picture!) Some people even covered themselves in the black mud... it wasn't very flattering but probably did their skin a lot of good. It certainly seemed to fill the floaters full of energy and sense of fun!

Sadly, the sun was setting and it was time to move on to Tiberias where we were to spend three nights We watched the sun setting - and the almost full moon rising - and caught glimpses of the Sea of Galilee as we neared our hotel. Here, we had supper - and K cleared the final proofs of Portsmouth People so it could go to the printers on Thursday (we had WiFi which made life a lot easier). A little work on the blog and backing up photos - and then a night's sleep ready for our next day - a day exploring the countryside of Galilee and more of the places that Jesus walked during his earthly life.

(Note - we are now back safely - so watch this space for more on the visit and photos of the many places we were fortunate enough to get to).

(Photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)

Jerusalem continued (2nd entry)

Tuesday 23 October

Tuesday began with a comparatively gentle start – about 8.30 depart.

We were dropped close to the Old City and entered through the Zion Gate. It was rather sad as there was still evidence of artillery fire from conflicts. We were heading for the building in which it was said that the Last Supper was held. This is a very special place as it is in a Jewish compound and in the ground floor there is King David’s tomb. Like a lot of places in the Holy Land, it is unlikely that this is the actual place (Ran said that current archaeological research is close to finding what they believe to be the real tomb in the ancient City of David). But, as is often the case, it is the faith and prayer invested by the people that is the important thing... In the Tomb, the men and women went into different areas. There were a few women praying in the women’s section (where Catherine and Kathryn went) and we used one of the psalms of David.

The Upper Room is just that – and it is above King David’s tomb. This is interesting in itself but the style of the room suggests it is of a much later period than the first century. It also showed signs of having been used as a Moslem place of worship with windows facing south (towards Mecca) and the building still has a Moslem place of prayer at the top: in one building the three monotheistic (belief in one God) faiths are represented. We read Paul’s account of how Jesus had created the Eucharist in an upper room in Jerusalem just before his death – which was even more poignant having been to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

We walked on to the Abbey of the Dormition – the place where Catholics commemorate the belief that Mary was raised to new life – body and soul – immediately after death. It is part of a Benedictine monastery and quite modern. Catherine and Kathryn had agreed to prepare the liturgy and had thought it might be a good idea if people gathered around the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer and especially for the Sign of Peace. The thought for the Mass had come from the experiences of the week so far – and the need to pray for peace between the three faiths who live alongside each other in Jerusalem. They had started with the Magnificat – a highly appropriate Gospel for Mass in that church and thought about the lines about the promises made to Abraham and his descendents forever. Another name for the momotheistic faiths is the Abrahamic faiths – because they all see Abraham as their father. This led to looking back to God’s covenant with Abraham in which God promises that Abraham will be the father of many nations. Then there is the promise in Revelation that – in the days of the Kingdom – there will be a tree in the heart of the Holy City whose leaves will be for the healing of the nations. So much depended on the layout of the church building and so they were amazed to find that Mass was to be celebrated on the sanctuary – with chairs in a semi-circle around the walls... it couldn’t have been better! It went well – and it was good to be able to pray for all the people who work so hard to bring people of faith together rather than use religion as an excuse for hatred and violence.

Downstairs, in the crypt, was an image of Mary sleeping – and many more pictures on the walls around. One in particular attracted us – Our Lady Queen of Apostles. One of the churches in the Three Rivers Pastoral Area to which Holy Cross belongs is Our Lady Queen of Apostles in Bishops Waltham so it was good to have an opportunity to remember the people there – we wrote their name in the prayer intentions book.

There was a bit of confusion about what was to happen next but we were pleased to hear that we could go up to Temple Mount and see the El Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. We passed the ruins of an old Roman road that would have crossed old Jerusalem and which had been rediscovered because of a mosaic map found in an old church. Then on to the Mosque and the Dome which had been built by the Moslems on top of the platform on which the Temple used to stand. Non-Moslems are not allowed to enter the El Aqsa Mosque but we were able to go to the Dome of the Rock which is a stunningly beautiful building with a golden roof – Ran said with 80 kilos of gold! We listened to a summary of how the early Christians had been content to leave the desolation of the Temple as it was (as it tied in with Jesus’ weeping for the future of Jerusalem) but the Moslems had desired to build their own place of worship in a recognised holy place. We crossed the platform and began to make our way to the Western Wall – the only surviving part of the Second Temple (the one that Jesus would have gone to). We passed the ruins of a wall from the First Temple era – about 1000BC! – which no one is allowed to build over as it is such a rare archaeological site. At the Western Wall, the men and women again went to their own sections (C & K noticed that there seemed to be a lot more women – and a smaller space!). Here they joined Jewish men and women in praying for things closest to their hearts as they have done for century after century.

After a late lunch there was a bit of a debate as to what to do next. The hoped-for visit to Bethlehem had not happened and so it had been suggested that we went to Ein Kerem. This is reputed to be the birth place of John the Baptist and is home to the Church of the Visitation. It was getting late but many people wanted to go there still and so, after 20 minutes or so, arrived in the small town. The church of John the Baptist is very grand and the walls surrounding it have the words of the Benedictus in many different languages. John's father had predicted that John was to go ahead of the Lord and prepare people to hear his message which was to go to all corners of the world. Inside, there was a Mass – we think for people from the Philippines – but we were able to go quietly to the crypt which houses a stone saying that this was the spot on which John was born. Again, we can’t be 100% sure – but faith means that touching that spot somehow connects you to the real one wherever that actually is. We walked on towards the Church of the Visitation but we were a bit too late and realised it was going to be closed. Kathryn was a bit disappointed as her daughter is, of course, Elizabeth and it would have been nice to have said a prayer especially for her in the place commemorating the Elizabeth of the Visitation! We made our way to a space in a car park – having watched a bit of the wedding celebrations in a nearby building. Here we listened to the story of the Visitation and then had a moving solo of a Magnificat sung by Anne – a member of the group from Holy Family parish in Southampton. As the sun was setting – and the tower of the church rested between the trees – it was a very beautiful, spiritual moment – like listening to Mary sing her own Magnificat so many years before.

An early start beckoned – but first, the first proofs of Portsmouth People had to be looked at! The hotel had a pay-as-you-go internet connection – but it seemed to take ages to get all the pages in and printed – indeed the centrespread wouldn’t print at all (too big a file we think!) and two of the pages decided to go via the scenic route round the internet and didn’t arrive until the next day – which was a little scary – but to avoid unnecessary stress at this point, be assured they did arrive in time!

(Photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)

The Holy Land - Jerusalem (1st entry)

Saturday 20 October 2007

Well, here we are in Jerusalem! We can access the internet but, as there is a minimum charge, decided it was better to “save up “ the entries and upload a few at a time... so apologies if you have been eagerly waiting!

Our journey started at about 3.30a.m! There was a big decision – to go to bed or not! Catherine – who is recovering from throat & chest infections got a few hours kip but Kathryn (the night owl!) decided that there were jobs that just had to be done (well, as they were to do with getting things in for a November issue of the diocesan newspaper, she may have been right!). Keith was kind enough to get up at 3a.m. and we picked Catherine up at 3.30 to be at St Edmund’s church in Southampton for 4a.m. It was dark and cold but there was a sense of excitement as people put their bags on board and were extraordinarily cheerful for people who had had very little sleep – or none.

We arrived at Heathrow at about 5.15 and had the long queue to check in and go through security – but the time after that passed easily enough with tea and browsing books. Sadly, we were split up on the plane – something to do with the airline having allocated seats as we were such a big group but it was only a 4 hour flight and we were with good company – and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the film of choice (“for those who had working head-set"– Catherine)– so all was not lost.

We landed in a sunny and warm (29C) Tel Aviv (though it has been too warm for too long for many people who live here). The airport is beautifully designed and very tranquil-feeling after Heathrow with several closed-system water features (they recycle the water and don’t use it up) and a sense of space. The outside is being landscaped with bougainvillea trees (at least, that’s what they looked like). The journey to Jerusalem took about 45 minutes and Ran, our guide, pointed out Christian and Muslim villages – the olive groves and cotton fields – tree plantations dating from the British protectorate (a planting which continues to this day). We were surprised by how much it looked like we expected it to look – though seemed more barren in places with lots of bare rock. As we approached Jerusalem, one of the first sights was the cemetery. This is in keeping with the tradition going back to Jesus’ time – and Roman times – that people were buried outside the city walls. Ran also explained that anyone building in Jerusalem has to use a certain kind of stone so that the city maintains the look it has had for centuries – other places can use concrete and so on. We have only seen the west side so far. This is modern with busy roads (once Shabbat ended after sunset) and hotels.

Our hotel (Park Plaza) is comfortable and has everything we need for our stay (except free internet!)– though we brought kettle and tea-bags from home! Many in the group decided to go to local bar to watch the rugby match tonight – the World Cup Final in which England are playing South Africa. Catherine and Kathryn decided to see if they could pick it up on the TV in the room – which Catherine did on a French channel! At the time of writing this, we are in the first half so don’t know who won!

We’ll end the day with the first of the prayer sheets prepared for our pilgrimage. Tomorrow is an early start – though not quite as bad as last night! We leave at 8a.m. to go to the Old City and to look around there – and will have Mass in the Garden of Gethsemane! Wow... It promises to be a busy but powerful day – so more tomorrow!

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Sunday 21st October
What a day! So many new things to see – and experiences to savour... The best way is just to start at the beginning – with the alarm clock again! After a good breakfast we were ready to leave at about 8a.m. to head into Old Jerusalem.

Our journey took us first to the Church of the Ascension – one of the places from which Jesus is said to have ascended to heaven. It is at the top of a high hill overlooking Jerusalem and we were surprised by how many trees there were. Somehow, we’d imagined the hill would be open and green! It just shows why it is so good to come and see the real thing.




The coach then took us to the Mount of Olives to a spot with a panoramic view of Jerusalem – the Golden Dome – the El Aqsa Mosque – and the Dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre... and on the horizon, shrouded in heat haze, the Judean hills.

Then began our walking!


It was interesting as we walked down the hill to visit part of the Jewish cemetery. Ran told us that many people want to be buried there because, for Jewish people, when the Messiah comes, the righteous people there will be the first to rise from the dead and walk along a newly-created bridge to the restored Temple. For Muslims, the Kidron Valley was seen as a place leading to hell. As he said, it is interesting to see how religions and cultures draw on similar places and ideas – and sometimes come up with the complete opposite... but still sharing something important.

We walked through more olive groves to the church called Dominus Flevit – the church commemorating the moments when Jesus looked over to the city of Jerusalem and wept because so many people did not understand what God wanted for them – and that one day, the beautiful Temple and many other buildings would be totally destroyed.

A little further down the hill – and we came to the Garden of Gethsemane – a name which comes from the Hebrew words for “press for olives”.

The olives are now fenced off which is sad – but probably they had a little too much unwanted pruning from the visitors! It still had a feeling of quiet and prayer – even with busy roads nearby. We had thought we would have Mass in the church but were directed across the road to another part of the Garden where we found an altar and steps in a curve around it. To one side was the hill – to the other the City. We used the gospel from Matthew where he tells us of the agony Jesus went through begging God to “take this cup away” – the cup of his death – but coming to the point of accepting God’s will. As Fr Mark said – and we could see – with all the trees Jesus could so easily have hidden and avoided capture... But he chose to stay...
As we had waited for Mass to begin, we had heard the bells ringing for the Christian Sunday services in the City – and, as Fr Mark spoke, the muezzins began their calls to prayer... It was very special to hear them calling people to praising and thanking God as we prayed the Jewish prayers of blessing over the bread and wine... a very precious moment.

After Mass, we went down the – very steep! – hill, and visited the Church of Mary’s tomb. This is a very dark church almost underground where you can see a tomb. It has many lamps in the Orthodox style and is run by Greek Orthodox... it is a haunting place.

Then a very long walk uphill across the Jericho Road up to the Lion Gate which led us into the Old City. Here we met many Muslim families coming home from the midday prayers – and had to squeeze in to the walls to avoid the cars coming along the very narrow roads.
We turned into St Anne’s gate and went to the church cared for by the White Fathers. The acoustics are amazing and we sang “Tell out my soul!” in honour of the mother of Mary – remembering St Anne’s (the school near St Edmund’s Southampton). Outside, we saw ruins of the old city – from around Byzantine times. You could just see a muddy pool right at the bottom – the remains of what people believed to be the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the man who had been sick for 38 years.

Then on to the Via Dolorosa – the Sorrowful Way. After Jesus was captured in the Garden, he was brought across the Valley and up into the City to the palace where Pilate questioned him. There is a church here commemorating his interrogation with stained glass windows and a mosaic of the crown of thorns set into the roof over the altar.
We didn’t follow the whole Way – many of the group were getting tired – but we certainly got a clearer idea of what it meant for Jesus as most of it was uphill. Nowadays, it has hard surfacing but was still very hard going – and you had to watch your step as it was easy to lose your footing... how much harder for Jesus carrying a heavy wooden cross?
Part of our journey took us through a bazaar – just as Jesus’ would have taken him through stalls of people selling things for Passover celebrations. This was fascinating with many sumptuous fabrics and wonderful smells and interesting artefacts – but not really time (or energy!) to stop until we’d had lunch!

Suitably strengthened we continued the journey to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was odd seeing such an important church for the first time – because, although it is huge, you only see a very small part of it at any one time. Ran reminded us that this is a unique place – the place where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus in a very particular way. As you go in, there is a mosaic depicting the last Stations of the Cross. Turning right, we went up very steep steps to the Catholic chapel of Jesus being nailed to the cross. This has stunning mosaics including one commissioned by the Medicis.
Passing through that, we were caught up in even more crowds and were drawn to the Icons marking the death of Jesus. Here, people crawl under an altar to venerate the cross – and then go on to light candles. We lit them for the many people we love and pray for. Downstairs, we went into the “Adam chapel”. This is directly underneath the Crucifixion station and stems from an idea that the Crucifixion happened directly above the burial place of Adam – in some of the paintings, we saw a skull and bones pictured under the ground where Adam lay waiting for the one who was to come to redeem the sin that brought death to humanity. We went back to the “Anointing stone”. This is traditionally where the women anointed Jesus’ body for burial – which followed the custom of anointing bodies and then laying them in the tomb. Here they would rest for a year until the flesh had gone and then the bones gathered and buried. Ran helped us to see what a huge gift Joseph of Arimathea was giving when he gave Jesus his tomb that no-one had yet lain in... this was a very precious thing for a family to have – and to give it to an executed criminal was an incredible thing to do.

We saw the shrine of the sepulchre – but are returning tomorrow for Mass – likely to be another powerful occasion. It means another early start – but will be a good place to start tomorrow’s blog (with a few extra bits from the rest of today).

(More photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)

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Monday 22 October
And our third day... The queue for the shrine was very long, yesterday, so we decided to visit it on our return for Mass. On the way back, we travelled through the Knesset area and saw the government buildings. In the evening, Catherine and Kathryn led the Evening Prayer – allowing people to gather up the events of the day and then joining in the great cycle of daily prayer of the Church – praying the psalms in Jerusalem was a very special experience.

Our scheduled Mass was at 8a.m. which meant an early start for everyone! We all made it to the coach, however, and drove to a stop near the Jaffa Gate where we climbed up many steps to go through the Gate and back into the Old City. We were early enough to see children and young people on their way to school and very few of the street stalls were open.

The church itself was much quieter – though there was still a queue for the shrine.

We found the chapel set aside for our Mass – it had a couple of beautiful sculptures of the Resurrection and the Mass was a Mass of Easter. It was very powerful to think that very close to the spot where we prayed the Mass, Jesus had died – his friends had seen him die and thought all hope was lost as they buried him in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea – and then, returned three days later to find an empty tomb as the Lord had risen! The whole Mass – but again the Eucharistic Prayer took on even more special qualities as we remembered all that had happened in that place. At the end, Fr John and Fr Mark began to sing the Doxology and people began quietly to join in gradually getting louder as we sang: “Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, Almighty Father, for ever and ever AMEN!” The “AMEN” really did resound through the chapel.

After Mass, we were able to go to the shrine of the Sepulchre. It is made of wood and has gigantic candles in front of it.. They looked very impressive, though the effect was lost a little by the fact that they had a light bulb at the top rather than a wick. It made sense of course, but just looked a bit odd. Inside was a small ante-chamber and then you duck down under a door decorated with images of the women bringing oils and an angel sitting on the other side – Jesus is depicted rising at the top of the door. The stone where tradition has it that Jesus was laid was very simple – though there were icons above - again reminding us of the Resurrection.
We walked back to where the coach was waiting – taking a quick photo of the St Helena’s Road sign. Catherine and Kathryn’s home church is Holy Cross – and St Helena is supposed to have found the true cross from which it takes its name.

On then to Yad Vashem – a place created to remember the 6,000,000 Jewish men, women and children who died in the concentration camps under the Nazi regime. The name is taken from Isaiah 56: 5 and means “A Memorial and a Name”. On the slopes of the hill are the beginnings of a great forest which will have 6,000,000 trees – one for each of those who died: around the buildings themselves are trees honouring individuals who tried to save the lives of Jewish people – there are 12,324 of them of people known to have tried – perhaps there were more, but it is not a large number for the whole of Europe at the time... As Ran explained in his introduction, the purpose of Yad Vashem is several-fold but three in particular are: remembering the victims; remembering the perpetrators – and reflecting on the role of the bystanders... The main building is very large and made up of several galleries, each exploring a different aspect of what led to the Holocaust – or “shoah” as Ran said Jews preferred to call it (shoah means more total extinction which was the aim of what many call the holocaust and which those behind it called the Final Solution). We spent almost two hours looking through the galleries – and ended up rushing the last few to catch up with the group. This was a real shame as these were very powerful and poignant ones and, even though we were in a hurry by now, we could not help stopping and reflecting on some of the images and quotations we saw. Particularly special is the large space with files on them... like something from the British Library. Each file contains the names of people who died. At the moment, there are 3,000,000 – more names are coming in as people send in details of their loved ones – and some names will never be known as whole families and communities were wiped out. It was very sombre – but also thought-provoking - how could we as individuals work to ensure something like that didn’t happen again. Of course, genocides still happen – why? People still harbour hatred – or indifference to the sufferings of others? What is the difference between someone who will help and someone who turns away? One who doesn’t help is not necessarily a bad person – but what is “missing”? And for the one who helps – how do they overcome their fear when they know that helping could mean death... and not just their own but those of their families?

The questions were raised again in a visit to the Children’s Memorial close by. It was dedicated to the memory of a child who was murdered in the Holocaust. It is a very simple but powerful idea –the inside is dark but very large and lit by just a few candles.. but the candle-light is reflected in hundreds of mirrors and gives the impression of countless thousands of lights shining far into the distance. As 1.5 million children were murdered, this is a poignant memorial – lights of their lives snuffed out but recalled here in a moving and beautiful way. We were struck by some words from the prophet Joel on the way out: Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your ancestors? Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”
The story must not be lost – since it is a warning to all humanity.

After lunch, we went to Mt Herzl to learn more about the people who had shaped Israel’s history. Herzl was one of the first people to suggest a homeland for the Jews long before the anti-Semitism in Europe became as horrific as it did and he is buried there. Also buried there are heads of state and other political leaders including Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin as well as military personnel killed in action.

On then to the Tomb Garden. This is the Protestant equivalent of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and has a different feel. It is very busy but the sounds are very different –the hundreds of birds joining forces with charismatic prayer and a mix of traditional and contemporary songs. The site reflects some of the biblical references to Jesus’ crucifixion – the Place of the Skull could refer to a feature in the rock which resembles a skull . There are also archaeological features dating back to Jesus’ time and even beyond – it is outside the current city wall and by a gate. The tombs itself has two chambers and ante-chamber and from that another with two resting places for bodies to lie. The garden was a beautiful setting – especially as the evening drew on and the sun set. It had, as we say, a different “feel” but in some way, complemented the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – reminding us that Jesus died in the open air – and rose again from a tomb in a garden.

Back to the hotel and a discussion about the hoped-for trip to Bethlehem. This looks unlikely to happen – the company is still saying we can’t – and attempts to find ways round it have proven fruitless. We could possibly go under our own steam but if anything went wrong (even something as simple as the taxi breaking down) it would impact on the rest of the group which isn’t fair when they didn’t sign up to such a risk. There are a couple of options which we’ll tell you more about tomorrow.

Tomorrow, Catherine and Kathryn are preparing the Mass and have chosen a Mass for Peace – but geared to our experiences here. We have seen how the three faiths which trace their roots back to Abraham rub along reasonably well in Jerusalem – had our prayers join those of the muezzins and other Muslims and prayed with Jewish prayers and for the people we saw depicted at Yad Vashem. So – more on that tomorrow! The days are going very quickly and are so full of experiences – we are very blessed to be able to be here and to walk where Jesus walked and to learn more about others who share faith in the one God.

(More photos: http://www.panoramio.com/user/793436)

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Tuesday 23 October & Wednesday 24 October
Watch this space! I mean – surely you’ve had enough by now and need a break!!