Pilgrimage Symposium, 17/Apr/24, London

[Graeme]

There is a symposium organised by the British Pilgrimage Trust being held in London on 17th April. Although the majority of their website focuses on walking, I'm thinking of turning my travel into a 'cycling pilgrimage'. I'm interested in the speakers:
Tom Holland (author)
Phoebe Smith (adventurer)
Dr Rupert Sheldrake (biologist)
Galahad Clark (cobbler)
Ruby Reed (co-founder of Advaya)

I think a pilgrimage is different to a touring holiday, in the sense of the intention with which a person sets out. If I go on a touring holiday, or if I go on a cycling-pilgrimage, there may be no practical difference, but there is a difference in my heart and head. I'm going to have to resist the temptation to ask Galahad if he has "Cobblers to the King" above his front door.

Sharing in case this nudges your interest.
Details: clicky-here

 

[Regulator]

I'm a member of the British Pilgrimage Trust and have done a number of their pilgrimage walks.  They're not always suitable for cycles but can usually be easily adapted with a little tweaking of the routes.

I've devised two routes that I'm going (when I get the time) to walk/cycle and then submit for inclusion:

• The Eleanor Crosses (a cycle route from Lincoln to London visiting the 12 sites of the Eleanor Crosses)
• The English Martyrs route from Cambridge to Oxford

I think you're right about there being a difference between a pilgrimage and a touring holiday.  A pilgrimage is as much about the internal journey as the route.  Often people think of pilgrimage purely in a religious context but many of those walking the pilgrimage routes (e.g. the Camino) are not particularly religious.

[Graeme]

I'm a member of the British Pilgrimage Trust and have done a number of their pilgrimage walks.  They're not always suitable for cycles but can usually be easily adapted with a little tweaking of the routes.

I've devised two routes that I'm going (when I get the time) to walk/cycle and then submit for inclusion:

• The Eleanor Crosses (a cycle route from Lincoln to London visiting the 12 sites of the Eleanor Crosses)
• The English Martyrs route from Cambridge to Oxford

I think you're right about there being a difference between a pilgrimage and a touring holiday.  A pilgrimage is as much about the internal journey as the route.  Often people think of pilgrimage purely in a religious context but many of those walking the pilgrimage routes (e.g. the Camino) are not particularly religious.

I've been watching Frieren (anime) and there is a journey there which feel like an internal experience, and certainly not religious. Our elf-mage hero certainly doesn't believe in the "goddess" of the story. I totally agree that pilgrimage doesn't have to be religious. I'm excited by the speakers and topics of this symposium, and an opportunity to develop my own understanding of what I'm doing. I've had a few self designed cyclo-pilgrimages, and each has brought something to my internal journey. Tickets bought, and the Diocese of Leeds agree that I can extend this learning experience into an immersive and practical exercise by cycling there and back from Huddersfield. Yay!

[Tim Hall]

"Dr Rupert Sheldrake (Biologist)" Hmm.  Biologist is doing some heavy lifting there.  Yes, he's got a PhD in biochemistry but he's surely better known for "inventing" morphic resonance.

Anyway, any reason to go on a bike ride sounds good to me, so have fun. 

[Graeme]

"Dr Rupert Sheldrake (Biologist)" Hmm.  Biologist is doing some heavy lifting there.  Yes, he's got a PhD in biochemistry but he's surely better known for "inventing" morphic resonance.

Anyway, any reason to go on a bike ride sounds good to me, so have fun.

Lol

I sometimes refer to myself as a Chemist - but it would be stupid to leave me unattended in an analytical laboratory these days.

Yay for bike rides!

[Regulator]

Galahad's an interesting character.  He's part of the Clark's Shoes dynasty and he's one of the co-founders of Vivobarefoot (I have a couple of pairs).

[Regulator]

Looks as though the last stages of the via Francigena are on for this year (hopefully the end of May). 

[The Family Cyclist]

Unfortunately I'm on shift so can't make it as looks just up my street.

[jsabine]

Looks interesting - tied up that evening though, so it's a shame it doesn't look as though it's being streamed or recorded

[jsabine]

"Dr Rupert Sheldrake (Biologist)" Hmm.  Biologist is doing some heavy lifting there.  Yes, he's got a PhD in biochemistry but he's surely better known for "inventing" morphic resonance.

We are proud to announce a partnership with Vivobarefoot to launch the first fully-conductive Grounded Vivobarefoot shoe, named “The Pilgrim”. As well as being a Wide, Thin & Flexible barefoot design bringing you closer to the earth and natural movement, the Pilgrim shoe will provide further grounding by conducting your body’s electrons straight into the ground. Several health benefits are associated with grounding, such as stress reduction, anti-inflammatory, sleep improvement and gut health.

Feels to me as though there may be some elements of woo involved here.

[Cudzoziemiec]

"I like to wear my Vivobarefoot Grounded shoes when standing underneath a high voltage transmission line. I can feel the old, tired electrons streaming out of my body into the earth, where they're rejuvenated by the magnetic core, while the new, energised electrons from above pour into me."

[Graeme]

Huddersfield to London... I'm at the enjoyable stage of planning a route. Switching back and forth between RwGPS, BikeHike and Googlemaps, looking at popularity heatmaps, streetview and contours. I might provisionally book a couple of Travelodges  to give me some flexibility on my first night.

[Regulator]

I have now booked my via Francigena pilgrimage walk (23 May - 2 June).  I'm going to do the last 120km from Montefiascone to Rome.

I've had to book via a tour company, as accommodation is not as prevalent as on the Camino and has to (on the whole) be booked in advance.

I'll be flying to Rome and then getting the train from Rome to Montefiascone (for the grand sum of c. €6.50).  It's only six days walking and I've booked a couple of extra nights in Rome - I'm just trying to see if I can get a room at the Domus Sanctae Marthae or whether I'll need to get a normal hotel (depends in part on whether Mr R decides to come out for the weekend - I'm not sure they'll be keen on us sharing a room at the DSM).

[Flâneur]

I think a pilgrimage is different to a touring holiday

I think so too - for the pilgrim, there's the ultimate, highly significant destination, and the preceding days are, to some extent, to be 'endured'. Presumably most touring holidays are planned in the vein of 'seeing/doing good stuff every day (or two at most)'

If I go on a touring holiday, or if I go on a cycling-pilgrimage, there may be no practical difference, but there is a difference in my heart and head

Having done the last half of the Camino de Santiago by bike with friends, very much in a touring vein, seeing the delight of the proper pilgrims as they approached Santiago was humbling - we could see how much of a struggle it would have been for the foot pilgrims on the many preceding days. TBH I think it might be a hard thing to replicate by bike.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I'm reading Wanderlust, A History of Walking, by Rebecca Solnit, and have just got to Chapter 4, which is about pilgrimage, both in religious and non-religious way (and how for some, an activity such as rock climbing might be more spiritually fulfilling than a walking pilgrimage). She doesn't have anything to say about cycling but it's a good read.

[Regulator]

I think a pilgrimage is different to a touring holiday

I think so too - for the pilgrim, there's the ultimate, highly significant destination, and the preceding days are, to some extent, to be 'endured'. Presumably most touring holidays are planned in the vein of 'seeing/doing good stuff every day (or two at most)'

I try to make it a mix of 'endurance' and 'seeing/doing' stuff.  I tend to go for shorter walking days to enable this.  I also tend to walk on my own, as then I don't have to to debate with other people about what we want to do.  I like to be able to stop or do things spontaneously.

If I go on a touring holiday, or if I go on a cycling-pilgrimage, there may be no practical difference, but there is a difference in my heart and head

Having done the last half of the Camino de Santiago by bike with friends, very much in a touring vein, seeing the delight of the proper pilgrims as they approached Santiago was humbling - we could see how much of a struggle it would have been for the foot pilgrims on the many preceding days. TBH I think it might be a hard thing to replicate by bike.

I think symposia like this are good (the Confraternity of St James and the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome both offer these workshops quite regularly) at both exciting people about pilgrimage and also tempering their expectations.  Quite often people who haven't done these sorts of walks don't really understand the strain it puts on you.

I'm planning to do the last 120km to Rome over six days of walking.  So and average of 20k or 12.5miles a day (reality is several shorter days and several longer days).  That doesn't sound much and people will say 'that should only take a few hours each day'.  What they don't realise is:

• On these sorts of walks, your average walking speed will drop by about 1mph or more.  So you might be able to walk at 3.5mph for a short period normally but most people won't be able to sustain that for several hours on end.
• You're often walking up and down hills/mountains (everything in Portugal seems to be uphill and this part of Italy is similar)
• You may well be carrying a pack - an extra 10-15kg makes a hell of a difference to speed and endurance.
• You're also often walking in hot weather (which tends to slow you down).
• You're navigating as well and it can take time to get your eye in for the markers.

I would encourage everyone to give it a go though - whether on two feet or two wheels.  Even doing it solo you're never really alone - there's a camaraderie amongst pilgrims that is very special.

Just be realistic about what you're taking on.

[Graeme]

I had a wonderful couple of days as a pilgrim, and I've written up my thoughts here:

https://fatherhilarious.blog/2024/04/pilgrimage/

It's a longish read.
😇

[The Family Cyclist]

I had a wonderful couple of days as a pilgrim, and I've written up my thoughts here:

https://fatherhilarious.blog/2024/04/pilgrimage/

It's a longish read.
😇

It's a longaih but brilliant reason, you've got quite a talent for writing. If you remember message me when next year's is set as would be something I'd love to attend

[Peter]

Saving it for this evening, Graeme.  But I glanced just now and had a smile at Dean's famous aphorism!

[Graeme]

I had a wonderful couple of days as a pilgrim, and I've written up my thoughts here:

https://fatherhilarious.blog/2024/04/pilgrimage/

It's a longish read.
😇

It's a longaih but brilliant reason, you've got quite a talent for writing. If you remember message me when next year's is set as would be something I'd love to attend

It would be lovely to share the journey. If you have a moment, subscribe to the British Pilgrimage Trust for updates.

[Graeme]

Saving it for this evening, Graeme.  But I glanced just now and had a smile at Dean's famous aphorism!

He's so quotable.

[Peter]

Excellent resume, Graeme, thank you.  I was particularly struck by your reminiscence of childhood involving Baldock!  For reasons I won't go into here, I and two of my brothers received lengthy sentences at a boarding school near Watford.  At the beginning of each term, we travelled from Stockton-on-Tees in Godshire either by train or an overnight coach.  If it was the latter, we always stopped for "refreshment" at Baldock.  I thought I had a memory of it being at Jack's Hill Cafe but can only find info about that being in Towcester.  The Great North Road was well to the east of where the A1 is now in Huntigdonshire and Northamptonshire and I'm guessing you went down the old line?

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's a good read. A couple of things that stood out for me were Dean's quote, which I hadn't heard before, and that the Shard is visible from so far off. Albeit, judging by the photo, from the top of a hill.

[Graeme]

It's a good read. A couple of things that stood out for me were Dean's quote, which I hadn't heard before, and that the Shard is visible from so far off. Albeit, judging by the photo, from the top of a hill.

It caught me by surprise, you know the way you're riding along and sometimes don't really know exactly where you are... I was in a world of my own at the time, I came around a corner and realised that the M25 was in front of me. I was coming downhill from near Cuffley:

[Cudzoziemiec]

It actually made me think of one of my own favourite (much shorter) rides, which includes a short but steep hill just outside Gloucester. Heading back south, you crest the hill and get your first view of the city, which is dead flat (as well as obviously much, much smaller than London) and I'm still struck how, in 2024, the tallest building is still the cathedral.