Sunday in Strasbourg. Pentecost Sunday in Strasbourg. I’m off to the Cathedral for the 9:30 AM Mass. The Cathedral is a skyscraper amidst three or four story buildings. With the tallest tower in Europe from 1647-1874, this gothic Cathedral is distinctive. It is certainly not hard to find. Since I’m early, I walk to the …
Continue reading 531. Being Blessed: At Strasbourg on Pentecost Sunday
Patience emerges as a trait worth valuing. “Patience Grasshopper.” I’m not going to get to my night’s lodging quickly. I realize that, at my pace, I’ll be there in four or five hours. If I hurry, who knows what might happen. I might twist an ankle. “Darn, I didn’t see that uneven part of the …
A Sense of Humor Water. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Safety. My desires are pretty consistent. My desires are simple. My desires are expandable. My desires can include a scorecard. “Wow, that baguette sandwich is great.”Hmmm, that dinner is way overpriced (and I haven’t gotten to Switzerland).” Water. I try to keep my water bladder fairly full. …
I enter my room for the night. Some people look at the bed-size. Others look for bathroom towels. I look for electrical sockets. I do this every time I check into a room. Every time. Outlet I have my iPhone, my Iwatch, my iPad, my Garmin, my battery pack, and my Nikon camera battery to …
I just withdrew 300 Euros from an ATM machine. I’m pretty confident that I’ll have enough cash for more than the next week. Given the uncertainty of ATM’s in village France, I want to be prepared. My transaction is cold and efficient. I don’t need the ATM to say “Good evening Monsieur, how can I …
Rest Day in Langres! Whoohoo! What, oh what, should I do? I sleep. Since I went to sleep last night at 7PM, I’m awake and fixing breakfast at 6 AM. I make myself an omelette; I have a cup of local strawberry yogurt; and, of course, a croissant and coffee. Since I’ve been longing for …
I don’t know what day of the week it is; I have no idea of the date of the month. Those are truisms of slow, long-distance walking. I know that time is changing, besides the obvious changes from the sunrise at 6:00AM and sunset at 9:00 PM, there is the obvious temperature changes which lets …
Walking. So many styles. So many purposes. Although during this past month and almost five hundred miles, I have met only four Via Francigena hikers, Ross, Alison, Kim, and Esther, I have seen all sorts of other walkers. I’ve seen several speed walkers. In Reims on the Victory in Europe holiday, they were out in …
While walking, I think about France, and some of its iconic art. I think of that painting of three peasants gleaning a field for food in The Gleaners by Millet. As I walk by garden after garden, I picture Monet painting his garden at Giverny. I remember some of Monet’s paintings capturing the smoke and …
How did Sigeric the Serious get to Rome? In asking that question, I must be careful. I could ask somebody. If there is a local sitting on the bench, should I ask him for directions? Should I ask the local gendarmes? Sigeric may have asked the locals; I suspect that he didn't ask any "local …
Journeys: Explorations in Body, Mind, and Spirit 