Hello Everyone!

Well it is just a few days to go until we depart on our long awaited Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and everyone is very excited! We are away for 10 days, 4 to 13 June 2016. We are 33 pilgrims, including Fr. Leo Maidlow-Davis, who is the Prior of Downside Abbey, Fr. Dominic Mansi, who is one of the Monks, (and a magician, but more about this later!), and Fr. Jean-Patrice Coulon, who is Parish Priest of Holy Ghost Church in Yeovil, and St. Michael's Church in South Petherton. He is also a Missionary of St. Francis de Salles.

We are all ages, all shapes and sizes, and come from many different places, and even other countries, including Canada, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Lithuania and France. We all have one thing in common; a great desire to visit the Holy Land, and some sort of link with Downside Abbey. I hope that during our pilgrimage, I will find out more about each of the pilgrims, and especially why they have decided to make this journey. It could be interesting!

"Downside Abbey - Sky of 6 September 2011" by Philip Bouchard

We are very fortunate in being able to visit the Holy Land, but recognise that not everyone is able to do so. Hopefully, through this blog, you will be able to journey with us as we visit many Holy sites, and some cultural sites too. Those who are brave enough, will be taking a dip in the Dead Sea, and all of us will be travelling on a camel to spend some time with the Bedouin in the Judaen Desert. It is going to be quite an experience, so please share our journey by following this blog, and invite others to do so. I will be putting in as many 'photos as I can so you can see what we see, and I will try and give you a little commentary along the way too.

This is me training for the "Camino Portuguese" later this year! (Thanks Anne for the pic!)

Enjoy the Journey with us!

Love

Rina