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A journey with some unexpected changes
Liz and I set off on my retirement holiday for 7 weeks not expecting some changes to our plans! We began in San Francisco where we crossed the Golden Gate bridge, visited the zoo and loved Grace Cathedral which has an interfaith AIDS memorial chapel and labyrinths inside and outside the building. The labyrinth could be taken as a model of our journey - so often close to the destination but so often so far away!
In Auckland I enjoyed playing the fine Town Hall organ and we discovered the Maori instruments in the museum on which 2 of the stops had been based. The sailing trip on the harbour was great and we enjoyed lunch up the tower with stunning views. Our 18 day tour of New Zealand had many surprises. The word “awesome” became overused. The tall ships sailing day and seeing dolphins in the Bay of Islands were highlights. In Rotorua we enjoyed the Maori show and meal cooked in the ground for us and the geothermal tour . Queenstown has a fine sky gondola and we had dinner across the lake and loved the singsong on the steamer trip back. Skippers canyon had hair raising roads and Arrowtown a fine museum. We found a small museum in Arrowtown where Mary McKillop had stayed. Stunning Milford Sound and the Franz Josef glacier were followed by Mount Cook beautifully clear.
We went to Mass twice in New Zealand and experienced the new translation for the first time. The music used did not seem to work at all well and the general feeling was of unease. We were unable to go to Christchurch and we were very aware of the tragic situation there having been there before. Our friends from there have in fact come back to England! We flew early to Melbourne and this meant that I was able to play 4 fine organs – the town hall, both cathedrals and Scots church.
At the Mass at St Patrick’s cathedral Melbourne the seminarians were welcomed by the archbishop. There is a lovely running stream fountain outside the cathedral. The Great Ocean Road proved to be a highlight of the journey with a perfect stay at Castaways, Apollo Bay. We saw koalas in the wild and the superb 12 Apostles and the Otway fly in the forest.
We were able to have longer with my sister in Sydney because we were unable to go to Japan as planned. We visited the Mary McKillop museum, Australia’s first saint and where she is buried. There is a beautiful meditation room next to the chapel with running water.
Thomas Wilson who was precentor at Westminster cathedral is doing great work with the choir at St Mary’s cathedral, Sydney and he accompanied us when I went to play the organ in Sydney Opera house which is the largest mechanical action organ in the world.
Instead of Japan, Trailfinders arranged a fine hotel in Bangkok and we had a personal guide. Anu took us the grand palace and beautiful Buddhist temples. He bought flowers and showed us how to open the lotus flower and fold the petals in 3 ways before presenting them at the temple of the reclining Buddha. The lotus is a symbol of enlightenment. Thai Buddhism is different from Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism being more influenced by Hinduism.
The temple of the dawn was particularly beautiful and we saw it on the night river dinner cruise and the next morning. Having visited 2 huge shopping centres where one can buy a posh car in shops which look like temples and visit an oceanarium in the basement we had a full body massage together and then it was a 12 hour flight home.
What joy to see our grandchild again! This was the first time I had come back from holiday and not had to go to work. This is a time of adjustment for both of us and a reassessment of my role in retirement. I shall continue with my interfaith work, church, Catenians and music and have returned to swimming, mosaic and tai chi. Like the labyrinth one seems to reach the goal only to find there is a long way to go and having reached the centre you have to retrace your steps!
Article sent to Oremus, Catena, Coulsdon magazine and Province 7 newsletter Catenians - only the latter have responded!
Liz and I set off on my retirement holiday for 7 weeks not expecting some changes to our plans! We began in San Francisco where we crossed the Golden Gate bridge, visited the zoo and loved Grace Cathedral which has an interfaith AIDS memorial chapel and labyrinths inside and outside the building. The labyrinth could be taken as a model of our journey - so often close to the destination but so often so far away!
In Auckland I enjoyed playing the fine Town Hall organ and we discovered the Maori instruments in the museum on which 2 of the stops had been based. The sailing trip on the harbour was great and we enjoyed lunch up the tower with stunning views. Our 18 day tour of New Zealand had many surprises. The word “awesome” became overused. The tall ships sailing day and seeing dolphins in the Bay of Islands were highlights. In Rotorua we enjoyed the Maori show and meal cooked in the ground for us and the geothermal tour . Queenstown has a fine sky gondola and we had dinner across the lake and loved the singsong on the steamer trip back. Skippers canyon had hair raising roads and Arrowtown a fine museum. We found a small museum in Arrowtown where Mary McKillop had stayed. Stunning Milford Sound and the Franz Josef glacier were followed by Mount Cook beautifully clear.
We went to Mass twice in New Zealand and experienced the new translation for the first time. The music used did not seem to work at all well and the general feeling was of unease. We were unable to go to Christchurch and we were very aware of the tragic situation there having been there before. Our friends from there have in fact come back to England! We flew early to Melbourne and this meant that I was able to play 4 fine organs – the town hall, both cathedrals and Scots church.
At the Mass at St Patrick’s cathedral Melbourne the seminarians were welcomed by the archbishop. There is a lovely running stream fountain outside the cathedral. The Great Ocean Road proved to be a highlight of the journey with a perfect stay at Castaways, Apollo Bay. We saw koalas in the wild and the superb 12 Apostles and the Otway fly in the forest.
We were able to have longer with my sister in Sydney because we were unable to go to Japan as planned. We visited the Mary McKillop museum, Australia’s first saint and where she is buried. There is a beautiful meditation room next to the chapel with running water.
Thomas Wilson who was precentor at Westminster cathedral is doing great work with the choir at St Mary’s cathedral, Sydney and he accompanied us when I went to play the organ in Sydney Opera house which is the largest mechanical action organ in the world.
Instead of Japan, Trailfinders arranged a fine hotel in Bangkok and we had a personal guide. Anu took us the grand palace and beautiful Buddhist temples. He bought flowers and showed us how to open the lotus flower and fold the petals in 3 ways before presenting them at the temple of the reclining Buddha. The lotus is a symbol of enlightenment. Thai Buddhism is different from Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism being more influenced by Hinduism.
The temple of the dawn was particularly beautiful and we saw it on the night river dinner cruise and the next morning. Having visited 2 huge shopping centres where one can buy a posh car in shops which look like temples and visit an oceanarium in the basement we had a full body massage together and then it was a 12 hour flight home.
What joy to see our grandchild again! This was the first time I had come back from holiday and not had to go to work. This is a time of adjustment for both of us and a reassessment of my role in retirement. I shall continue with my interfaith work, church, Catenians and music and have returned to swimming, mosaic and tai chi. Like the labyrinth one seems to reach the goal only to find there is a long way to go and having reached the centre you have to retrace your steps!
Article sent to Oremus, Catena, Coulsdon magazine and Province 7 newsletter Catenians - only the latter have responded!
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