Traveling 6/26 6/27

The worst part about traveling from home to the Great St Bernard Pass had to have been the Belt Parkway. Between trying to do those last minute house chores before leaving and re packing to fit everything in my backpack we headed out to the airport a little later than planned. Friday afternoon on the Belt Parkway therefore proved to be a very stressful drive. It must have been Divine Providence, but we made it. Saying a goodbye to Lisa was not easy; saying goodbye to Teresa and then asking her to say goodbye to Steven and Teresa for me (instead of saying Catherine and Steven) seem liked a typical stressed-parent moment of mixing up the names of the children.

The flight to Dublin went smoothly enough. After a lay over of about an hour and a half, the flight to Geneva took off. Both flights were pretty uneventful - my preference for air travel.

It took a while to learn the Swiss rail system, but very helpful people made it possible. In the first train I mistakenly went in the "first class" car without knowing it. It was more than half way that the conductor checked tickets and informed me that I should be in second class. Oops. Going into the second class's car, it was still more comfortable than trains in the USA. I think Europe has far surpassed the US in train service.

The last mode of transportation was a bus from Orsieres to the Gran San Bernard Hispice. A welcome cup of tea was offered by Brother Frederic (a deacon in the Augustinian community) who set me up with a bed in a room shared by another deacon hiking in the Alps. I never met the other deacon, whose bags and clothes were in the room, but was to show up the next day. Vespers with the Brothers, Sister, and Prieats of the community followed by dinner and then Saturday night Mass for Sunday was all in French. Due to jet lag and perhaps not understanding a single word of the liturgy, I was quite frequently nodding off during Mass.

The next morning after Lauds and Breakfast I hoisted my backpack, took up my walking stick, and started along the Via Francigena.