We're in Aachen fitting in a bit of blogmeistering into the very full schedule organised for us by the sterotypically accurate efficient Germans. The flight for Liam was an experience of 'Kann ich hier sheiBein, bitte?' on the plane, at least for the first ten minutes, as it was his first flight. I resisted using any sort of virgin analogy in that last sentence, as I don't do things like that anymore. The experience so far has been a very rich one. The travel was quite short, although the short periods of walking felt long with a ridiculously overpacked rucksack on my back. I had a sore back one day, and a sore knee the next. The first new morning in Aachen I trashed everything I had worn the day before, including my shoes, in disgust and the hope that my load would be lightened. I found it therapeutic spiritually!
We came through Liege on the way from Brussels to Aachen, as in Liege the majority of our group will remain for the most of this week. Liam, myself, a guy called Brian and a girl Breda - both Corconians - followed the laid back lead of our Jesuit meister Fr. Leon, soon to be dubbed by Liam our Siesta Leon. As we speak he's testing the quality of Liam's lie-low, which I could have told him was very comfortable. Liam took pity on me on the first night as I was padding Peter's roll mat with my own clothes to try to ease the back. Then the shining, though unshaven, dark knight weighed in with 'give me that here, son; you take mine'. No greater love has a man than ... . Liege was quite ordinary and run down, though the Church of St. Paul was nice, whereas Aachen is quite lovely and the Octagonal Cathedral just incredible. Some of the others in Liege are trekking about 15 - 20 kilometres per day, so I'm glad I'm not there. I needed a few days to get my breath and health back after Italy. It was so low that I had decided to eat meat again, also realising the limitations that would prevail on the arrangements. However the food in Aachen has been really first class. But I realise now, comparing my reactions to all others, that I've let myself go too low and will now give up any hope of vegetarianism for good. I can't seem to take enough care about my diet to balance it properly. So I'm a reluctant meat-eater from now on. I suppose that's one thing I've learnt about myself on this pilgrimage.
Liam is a hit with all the girls. He wears the aftershave I got him for his thirtieth birthday and all the eastern european girls, not to mention our own Breda, literally sniff around him all the time. I have a photo to prove it, and he just looks at me and then raises his eyes and hands to heaven in thanksgiving. One of then wanted to take him his tea, but he had nipped to the loo, so he missed out on that one. Brian shone a light in his eyes as he was dropping off to sleep on Tuesday night, and Liam for a second thought that he had entered heaven. Then he saw a room of males and dropped back off to sleep again.
The experience with the handicapped people has been amazing. But that calls for a new entry, so hopefully I'll do the same again tomorrow, or sometime soon. I hope someone is reading this. It'll be my jotting journal anyway. Bye for now. Bis Später.
3 comments:
Durch technik! Great to hear of your adventures - part of me wants to be there but the other part is content to hear about it all by proxy! Tell Liam to go easy on the girls - and as for yourself McG, behave! I was interested to see the word 'shoes' in this latest piece - it brought back happy memories!! It all sounds like a great adventure - hope you had a good time in Italy too - can't wait to hear all about it in person...take care, fin.
Thanks, Finners. Here we are just after the Mass to kick off the stuff for the week proper in Bonn. There were simultaneous Masses in Cologne and Dusseldorf which were shown briefly on the big screen. Don't talk to me about shoes ... it rained for the last half of last week, just when we were camping outside. My two pair of canvas runnners that remained after I threw away my shoes barely remain now. I am even tempted to buy a pair of something, but today it was scorching so I think they'll dry out fully as I go. Running off to the Taize brothers who are here for four days. Talk in person soon.
Thanks for best news!
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