Castle in Southern Germany

I was struck by this village church, its location in the middle of a field

Baroque style church- its elaborate detail is typical for its time!

Monks in Ottobeuren used this book to chant the daily office

I saw lots of woodcarvings in Germany, and the passion in this “Last Supper” caught my attention

Here’s the view from a mountain we snowshoed up in Unterjoch

Man-made lake

A small German village we caught on a beautiful afternoon

The murals in this church had me shocked- without historical context, it’s nearly impossible to understand what’s going on with all these characters and symbols!

A popular pilgrimage site in Southern Germany, known as the Church of the Scourged Savior

One of my favorite organ designs I saw

I only knew the “Oberammergau” song before I came here, but I learned the town is also famous for woodcarving and for the huge Passion re-enactments that happen every 10 years. 2020, anyone?!

A fairytale kind of castle in the woods- my favorite part was the mysterious, tiny chapel (not pictured here unfortunately!)

Before Cardinal Ratzinger became pope, this was his church! I fell in love with the stark architecture and the prominence of the huge crucifix.

This church in Munich felt almost womb-like to me…a bit like Jonah in the whale’s belly, surrounded by images of his subconscious and unconscious, perhaps

Many signs throughout Germany give you this kind of “Hearty Welcome”

The last church we visited in Munich- this one was very ornate, but without variety of color- the whole interior is white!

Another view from our beautiful afternoon at Wieskirche

We spent a bit of time with this homage to sentimentality (I think that’s what it was called…) at the art museum in Gothenburg (Sweden)

Some friends we made at the zoo in Gothenburg

Beautiful afternoon in the Gothenburg zoo

I met Mijke in Taize two summers ago, and it was great to visit with her again, this time in Gothenburg!

I just returned to London after some travels around Europe, very grateful for all who helped me out along the way- especially those family and friends who opened their homes to me! I was kept company by my sturdy backpack (named Kelty) and a bag of peanuts I bought in Lyon for one Euro that somehow didn’t run out until today. 

The trip started on the 20th of December with an overnight bus from London to Paris, then Paris to Lyon, then a train to Hautcombe Abbey. I spent Christmas with my brothers and sisters of the St Anselm Community, but also with the consecrated celibates of the Chemin Neuf Community who graciously hosted us at their abbey! It was a powerful week for me to welcome Jesus into my heart once again this Christmas, to realize the liberation that he wants to offer us, and to experience the profound joy of his coming as a baby… dancing (rather, running!) around the church in our robes after Christmas Eve mass was an unforgettable experience. 

From Hautcombe, after a short stay in Lyon with some of my St Anselm brothers and sisters, I took a train to Kempten (Germany), where I have some distant relatives! We spent the next few days touring the area- visiting local churches and castles, snowshoeing up mountains, and even driving into Austria. I got to try playing an alphorn for the first time, see pictures of my dad as a little kid when his family visited, and even learn a tiny bit of German. We spent New Year’s Eve on top of a mountain, watching hundreds of fireworks go off in the valley below. I was grateful for the views, the great food and the hospitality of family I didn’t yet know, but now do! 

My next adventure was a flight from Munich to Gothenburg, Sweden, where I stayed with friends I met two summers ago at the Iona and Taize communities. We cooked, did yoga, visited an art museum and a zoo, and spent time just relaxing and conversing. We watched and thoroughly critiqued La La Land! I was grateful for the time we spent together and the relaxed pace we took for that leg of our holiday. 

Friday night brought me back to London, which felt, in all its bustle, surprisingly like home. I sang down the streets on my way to the friend I stayed with for the last couple nights, and spent Saturday getting lost in Hyde Park and finding gluten free food. I feel blessed to have added three more countries (Germany, Austria and Sweden) to my list of places traveled (though to be fair, Austria was very quick- maybe someday I’ll be back!). And I feel most of all blessed by everyone who gave up their bed or couch, cooked some gluten free food, and shared their time with me. Happy 2018, everyone- God bless you!