50ccPilgrim.uk

Although I'm making a pilgrimage to Assisi, I took the day off today to be a tourist, have a break, and look around the lovely French town of Châtillon-sur-Seine. Which reminded me of an interesting article I read before setting off, by an Irish Catholic priest named Frank Fahey, and titled Pilgrims or Tourists? I'd be interested in your thoughts. Fr Fahey suggests that there are eight aspects of pilgrimage that mark it out as different from simple tourism (I'm quoting his words):  FAITH: "Pilgrimage is essentially a journey in faith or at least with an element of faith expectancy in it. In this most people are indeed pilgrims." PENANCE: "Pilgrimage is about growth—in search of wholeness. Growth entails 'change' and in the context of pilgrimage, change means 'change of heart'." COMMUNITY: "Tourists can seek the company they choose, the persons that they eat with, the people they talk to on a tour. Pilgrims shouldn't. They must an...

I stood in front of this medieval illustration today while reading a descriptive panel in Laon. (Well, reading-ish as the panel was in French so it was mostly guessing). I noticed the fella on the right has the same tailor as me, and the same black boots. The accompanying text described the identifying signs of a medieval pilgrim. Leaning on my walking staff I bent down to read about 'le bourdon qui aide â marcher'. Went I leant forward the leather bag on my back swung forward too, so I pushed it out of the way to read about 'la besace pour transporter ses effects.' My pilgrim's passport and floppy sun hat had fallen out of the bag, so I had to retrieve them before I could learn about the other two signs: 'la crédentiale qui est une sorte de passeport attestant sa qualité de pèlerin et non pas de vagabond,' and 'un large chapeau pour se protéger de la pluie ou du soleil.' On the way back to Rocinante I heard a little girl ask her mother a...

Today, rather than pushing on straight over the Channel, I took a more restful day and just made the 15km trip to Canterbury. I thought it might be worth a couple of hours. I was way out. I arrived in Canterbury late morning, picked up a few essentials and enjoyed a cup of tea in a coffee shop, then sauntered over to the Cathedral for a little look. And, as it turns out, that was me for the next six hours. I'd never been to Canterbury Cathedral before, and perhaps you haven't either, especially as a pilgrim. So let me say this: if you plan a pilgrimage, whether to Canterbury, from Canterbury, or just passing anywhere near Canterbury, GO TO CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL. You won't regret it for one second. I walked in the door of the visitor centre to buy a ticket and was immediately greeted by Torin, one of the staff, with the words, "Well, you look like a pilgrim!" (Perhaps it's the cassock and pilgrim staff?) From that moment on I was wrapped in hospitality. There wa...