The Pilgrimage Begins in Earnest

I am back, and did not make it to the Internet on the way. The opportunity was there, but I found myself reluctant to jump in while on the journey. And so I wrote my journal long hand these past days, and will post it here chronologically over the next few days. I will save my summing up for when we are all at the same place, at least in the hearing of my experiences.

July 24-25, 2008

And so, we start at JFK Airport in Queens. We all of us arrived safe, and on time. Sat on the plane about an hour before take-off. I have been advised that the best use of time on this 6 hour flight is to sleep. We leave about 8 pm from New York and will arrive about 830 am in Paris. Several of us find this something we cannot do. However, Air France has a remarkable choice of movies, all freely offered. I watch the Spiderwick Chronicles, which is very dark for what appeared in commercials as a children’s movie. Also watched the Kite Runner. This is not an easy movie. There is some violence, though the camera turns its eyes at the worst of it. A very thoughtful movie. I recommend it.

We arrive in Paris, where the Drew-ids dump their bags at the hotel and leave behind the Greater New Jersey contingent. We took a train to a train to a train to Chartres. Here we come to the first official holy site: the Labyrinth. (Here is a Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Chartres)

The labyrinth, a pattern made of contrasting stones built into the floor of the cathedral, is usually under the chairs that are set out for worship in this still active cathedral. On Fridays they move the chairs back so that people may walk the labyrinth.

There were a lot of people there, some of whom seemed oblivious to the labyrinth. Some seemed to discover it, mostly by noticing the people walking oddly, then looking down to see the pattern at their feet. This group would often decide why not, and start to walk. They usually got bored and gave up. To walk the labyrinth, there is only one path in, and one path out.

Noticed: who yields to whom? Is it a good thing to yield, or too passive? Kids dashed joyously through, not worried if they were doing it right. Maybe they are. Maybe we adults are wrong, staying within the lines. [this Sunday’s Gospel was about Peter stepping out of the boat, and faltering, nearly sinking. Was he doing it right? Maybe he should have just rushed joyously to the center: Jesus.]

We ate in Chartres before returning to Paris and the hotel.

I have a link to my photos here:
http://flickr.com/photos/38783272@N00/sets/72157606673042670/