Perambulating Griffin
Active Member
I took the risk leaving YYZ yesterday that the security personnel would allow my trekking poles as carry-on and that I would not get hung-up in the layover at Frankfurt. There was some lengthy inspection of my poles (collapsed FLZ Black Diamonds) and it was a little nerve-wracking but in the end it was fine. Frankfurt did not even have security clearance for baggage… just port-of-entry/passport stuff. I was very grateful to be able to hop into the EU passport line — not at all sure I would have made my tight connection otherwise.
Final destination today was Bordeaux, and I trotted off to the Cathedral St. André to get my first stamp… However, the first person who was going to give me a stamp balked when he saw that my Pilgrim Passport had not been signed by my parish priest. The cathedral was closing and so I was told to return at re-opening to speak to someone at 2pm. Jet-lagged, this was not really how I wanted to spend my time, but I went and had some lunch, avoided the rain, hit the Monoprix and returned as instructed.
The new person at 2pm was not at all bothered and happily stamped my first square and sent me on my way. I made a donation of a few euros to the Cathedral, but could not stay as I was becoming woozy from the jet lag.
Sadly, the timing threw off any hope I had had to go to the 6pm mass as I needed to go catch up on sleep.
Anyway… be aware that in Bordeaux attitudes can be very personal about the pilgrimage. One person may start you off and another not… so if you have a priest at home who will do it for you, have them fill out the information and put your home parish stamp in the first spot.
My home parish has done this for me only once, on the only time I requested it, but is generally busier with pragmatic and pressing community work than allows for things like pilgrimage keepsakes, so I don’t like to ask. They have enough to do without getting into the stamp business.
Tomorrow — the train to Bayonne, and from thence I start the walk as soon as I disembark from the train.
Final destination today was Bordeaux, and I trotted off to the Cathedral St. André to get my first stamp… However, the first person who was going to give me a stamp balked when he saw that my Pilgrim Passport had not been signed by my parish priest. The cathedral was closing and so I was told to return at re-opening to speak to someone at 2pm. Jet-lagged, this was not really how I wanted to spend my time, but I went and had some lunch, avoided the rain, hit the Monoprix and returned as instructed.
The new person at 2pm was not at all bothered and happily stamped my first square and sent me on my way. I made a donation of a few euros to the Cathedral, but could not stay as I was becoming woozy from the jet lag.
Sadly, the timing threw off any hope I had had to go to the 6pm mass as I needed to go catch up on sleep.
Anyway… be aware that in Bordeaux attitudes can be very personal about the pilgrimage. One person may start you off and another not… so if you have a priest at home who will do it for you, have them fill out the information and put your home parish stamp in the first spot.
My home parish has done this for me only once, on the only time I requested it, but is generally busier with pragmatic and pressing community work than allows for things like pilgrimage keepsakes, so I don’t like to ask. They have enough to do without getting into the stamp business.
Tomorrow — the train to Bayonne, and from thence I start the walk as soon as I disembark from the train.