Day Fourteen: Modern Art in Edinburgh

The Scottish National Museum of Modern Art (above is one of the exhibits) was amazing! Different! Engaging! Art-ful.

I woke at 5 to get two of the pilgrims--Sarah and Kelly--off to the airport.  Then I got more pilgrims to trains and buses.  Then I took off to the Scottish National Museum of Modern Art in the "burbs" of Edinburgh. 

As you can tell from the pics, this is no ordinary museum or museum grounds.  How I wish NC had such artistic adventures!

Later in the day I had a great coffee with Nicki Ewing, a former Assistant (and once director of l'Arche Edinburgh) of l'Arche Lambeth.  We laughed, cried, and laughed some more, collecting memories and regaling each other with our lives since we left l'Arche Lambeth 25 years ago.

Fantastic!

Buen camino!

B

Day Thirteen: L'Arche Edinburgh

Today was special: the group of pilgrims spent time at the l'Arche Edinburgh community, along with a trip to Edinburgh. The craziest part of the day was getting everyone to the l'Arche community, whose headquarters are found in a modern office building complex...so not l'Arche...but it works.

There was a l'Arche house that hosted us in the complex, which was wonderful.  L'Arche is the religious community with adults with intellectual challenges.  There were four core members, and three Assistants.  Our lunch was delicious and healthy. The pilgrims heard about the life and times of l'Arche. And one of the pilgrims is interested in coming back and being part of l'Arche in Edinburgh!

The craziest part of the day?  We got 11 people in the Citroen minivan, taking them to the l'Arche community. But it was all community building.

What we've been doing at night has been meaningful: I've led them through Henri Nouwen's Journey of the Heart, a pilgrimage itself, in which students have played with solitude, silence and prayer for the last three nights. Powerful prayers and times of silence.

Tonight was our "last supper" together, which was sad.  What I heard mentioned over and over again is the power of walking across England, and the "boost" to their confidence.

Buen Camino!

B

Day Twelve; Deep into Edinburgh!

Beauty of Edinburgh!  The Castle!  Holyrood! And everything in between.  What isn't there to like?

The first place we stopped?  The place that J.K. Rollings hung out while writing Harry Potter, The Elephant House.

Then to Holyrood, where the Queen stays when in the area.  The history was amazing.

The bagpipers on the side of the street; the artists who did magic acts; St. Giles; the legislative hall of Scotland; John Knox house, Edinburgh castle...amazing!

And it was blue sky!

Buen Camino,

B

Day Eleven: Inverness!

Samantha, a.k.a., Sam, forgot some medicine which she needed.  She left it in Inverness. It turned out to be cheaper if I drove the van to Inverness than any other form of transportation.  So today was a trip to Inverness.

What I loved was going through the Highlands, with snow on the hill, the greenery...gorgeous.

Got the med, and on the way home by 6 p.m.

Buen camino!

B

Day Ten: Culross!

What a lovely day!

The group of pilgrims went on a pilgrimage to St. Andrews, both the golf course and the university.  I went and joined Rick and Jill Edens--pastors at United Church of Chapel Hill--down the road in Culross.  What a beautiful historic little town.  Coffee, cake, conversation, a quaint Scottish village...incredible.

That evening we had worship, with Holy Communion.  I enjoy this opportunity to have the students share the reflection of the pilgrimage we just finished.  The next three nights: reflections on the work of Henri Nouwen.


Buen Camino!

Day Nine: To Dunfermline (from Mull to Oban to Glasgow to Dunfermline by minibus, ferry, train, and minivan again)

Made it to Dunfermline! Home town of the great Mr. Carnegie, whose remains are buried there.

Again: Dave took us via car to an early ferry to Oban, where we waited to get on the train to Dunfermline through Glasgow, catch another train to Dunfermline.

Dunfermline was a "suburb" of Edinburgh.  We got off the train (John and I) at the Edinburgh airport, and got our Citroen minivan for the day.  Exquisite!  I drove for the week, escorting people around, listening to conversations, and enjoying the day with all those who I drove.

The "castle" (above is the church where  Robert the Bruce's body is buried, with his heart in Melrose Abbey), was grand. 30 rooms+  Each student had room to spread out. Dinner was delicious.  We discovered that Asda is England's Wal Mart.

A beautiful, long day.

Buen camino!

B

Day Eight: Iona!

Iona.

I could write a lot about this day: the bus showed up on time.  The ferry ride over was uneventful, but the building up of memories, fantastic.

Memory one: getting breakfast, in which we all went different ways and got enough food for kings and queens...hungry?

Memory two: this was a moment, in the bay where Benedictine monks were killed, where we reaffirmed out baptismal covenant at the bayside. Memorable. Then we walked quietly to the other side of the island.

Memory three: picking up a stone of forgiveness and forgetfulness and throwing it into the ocean, at the place where St. Columba came on the isle from Ireland. But we kept another stone in our pocket to remember this time on Iona.

Lunch was on our own...and delicious.  A beer, a fat sandwich, and a delightful dessert.

Exploring the Abbey, taking in all the crosses, the beauty of the cloisters, the museum with even more crosses, the small chapel in the cemetery, and the remains of the nunnery.  Beautiful.  Memorable.

We got enough food to make a banquet back in our cottages.

Beautiful day.  Crystal blue sky day.

Buen camino!

B