London to Chester 4/23 - 4/24/26

Greetings!  Yesterday, I took the train from London to Chester.  I was on the fast train, so it only took about two and a half hours. Chester was originally in Wales, but now it is in England, right on the border of Wales.

 Last night, I had a British dinner at the Brawn Lodge Pub across the street from my B & B. 

I ordered a brie and cranberry on ciabatta bread.  It was accompanied by rocket lettuce, onions, and a borderline-lock-your-jaws tart dressing.  It actually worked perfectly alongside the sweet cranberry salad.  Everything in England seems to be accompanied by chips (British for chunky fries). 

The Royal Post.

A mysterious door (and prayers) just for Mary P.

Chester is one of the most interesting places I have ever been to. It is a 2,000-year-old city founded as a Roman fortress in AD 76. There was street after street(called rows) of gorgeous Tudor buildings. Most of these Tudor buildings are almost 1000 years old.

According to “Five Great Facts about Chester,” the Eastgate clock only has faces on three sides. A popular landmark of the city center and reportedly the most photographed clock after London’s Big Ben, the Eastgate Clock is a popular photo op for visitors. The tower was modeled on the design of the Cloth Hall in the Belgian city of Ypres. The west side of the tower, which is blank, faces towards Wales, and the legend claims that the snub was related to an old rivalry with the neighboring country. Wales is now a part of Great Britain. While unobserved today, Chester has a medieval law that states that if a Welshman lingers inside the city after sunset, a Cestrian may shoot him with a longbow.

Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral which opened in 1591. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is my favorite cathedral/church I have ever visited

The cathedral must have had well over a hundred beautiful stained glass windows. Of course, I had to find Saint James among all the windows depicting the famous and not-so-famous saints.

Looking down the Cathedral towards the high altar.

When I first entered the church, I heard the most beautiful music. A  choir of high school or college-age girls was warming up with "Slipping Through My Fingers” from Mamma Mia, and originally sung by ABBA. What a beautiful song to hear in such amazing acoustics. 

Later, I tried to record an unfamiliar song, but my camera just doesn’t do these beautiful girls’ voices justice.

More giant stained glass windows.

Above the pews for important people, it looks like ornate stone, but it was all carved wood. It could have used a good dusting, but I am sure that is not an easy task.

The high altar was all mosiacs.

According to the sign beside the shrine: "This sacred place at the Shrine of St Werburgh marks the start or finish of the 88-mile Two Saints Way pilgrimage route between Chester and Lichfield.  In medieval times, Chester was a very popular place of pilgrimage because of this shrine and because St John’s Church nearby was believed to hold a piece of the true cross, known as the Holy Road.  Pilgrims traveled from here to Lichfield to visit the shrine of St Chad (I am 100% sure that my nephew, Chad, is not the Saint they are referring to.) St Werburgh and St Chad were key figures who lived at about the same time in the seventh century and 'by their labors' brought about a complete change in the religious and cultural landscape of Mercia - the name for Middle England at that time.  Chester was also a starting point for pilgrims traveling west to the Welsh holy island of Bardsey off the coast of Llyn peninsula in Wales.  Three pilgrimages to Bardsey were considered of equal value to one pilgrimage to Rome.  Now, since the inaugural pilgrimage of the Two Saints Way began here on March 25th, 2012, modern pilgrims are once again walking in their footsteps on a contemporary quest for ancient wisdom."

A surprisingly modern stained glass window.

This tattered flag was hanging in the South Transept of the cathedral. It piqued my intrest so I researched it. It is the actual Union Flag that flew on HMS Chester during the Battle of Jutland in 1917. The ship was hit by seventeen 150mm shells, with twenty-nine men killed and almost fifty others wounded. Later that same year, the flag was brought to the cathedral and laid to rest with full naval honors.

There was a series of these huge, intricate mosaics.  I could have taken photos all day.

This was an actual courtroom, inside the cathedral.  If you look to the right, about midway up, there is a chair just hanging in mid-air.  That seat was for the accused.  At the top left was the judge's seat.

One such case was against George Marsh in 1555.  He was brought before the Court after retention in Lancaster Gaol (jail) following his arrest in 1554 for being a vocal Protestant priest in Catholic England. He was accused of heresy. The court ruled against George, and he was found guilty and sentenced to be burned at the stake on Gallows Hill in Boughton.

As I am working on this blog, a band is at a nearby pub, and the music can be plainly heard, wafting through my window.  The lead singer is belting out “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers.  How fun.

Back to the blog: I stopped and had a Diet Coke in the lunchroom.  Above the doors was this cartoonish window.  I think it depicts video games.  It was probably 20 feet tall. and proportionally wide

My dream hotel.  If you cannot read it, it is the Chocolate Hotel, and the lobby was filled with Chocolates. YUM!

Lunch was at “The Grill,” in a former church turned restaurant and bar.

I ordered the Oxheart Tomato Tartare, described as having "smoked honey, goat's curd, black olive, and sourdough wafer.” The tomato was filled with finely chopped tomato, onions, herbs, and other stuff.  It was so flavorful. I loved everything about it. It had little dabs of whipped goat cheese and other strange but wonderful things on the plate. I could have this for lunch every day.  And, as expected, it came with chips.   

On my way back to the hotel, this heavy metal-looking guy was playing an AC/DC song on his violin.  I only know it was them because I overheard someone say so. I don’t normally care for their music, but he was extraordinary;  It had a totally different vibe on a violin.

For dinner, I decided to try The Faulkner, another pub.  

I wasn’t starving (no surprise there, as I have been eating like I was already hiking), so I ordered the marinated Campagnola olives and the house hummus. Both had a bit of heat to them, but not fire-engine-hot.  The hummus was topped with chili oil, pomegranate seeds, and crunchy deep-fried garbanzo beans.  Instead of the traditional pita bread, it was served with lightly toasted sourdough bread, which I liked even better. I waddled back to the hotel with strains of Jim Croce as the band played on.

Tomorrow, I start the hike.

Good night and God Bless.

London 4/21/28 & 4/22/26

Greetings from London.  I am staying at the Park Grande - Hyde Park.  Not as posh as it sounds, but very nice.  I have never stayed in this area.  It has many beautiful residences.

The first church that I saw was the Saint James Parish Church.  It was a good omen, but I assure you, there have been no saints in my background.

Art.

Art

Art?

Last night, I ate at the Sawyers Arms.  It was three stories and packed to the gills.

I had this fun little perch with just one table.  I enjoyed watching the people from above.  I wondered if the bartender thought I couldn’t behave, so she put me in timeout.  I was too tired after the long flight to act up.

For dinner, I chose the Duck Hash, a slow-cooked duck confit that was scrumptious.  I am not crazy about duck, but I love duck confit.  It is rare to get a true confit, but this was incredible. If you have never had it, imagine the best juicy pork roast on steroids - not gamey at all. The duck was accompanied by cubed potatoes, pan-fried with bacon and cabbage.  It was served over an orange-and-black currant coulis and topped with a fried egg.  The dish absolutely hit a home run.  I am starting off well.

Today I wandered around and took in the neighborhood - a little more than I meant to.  I wandered so far from my hotel that it took me more than an hour to get back.

This describes exactly how I felt when I got back to my room.

I decided to have Indian food for dinner.  I think England has the best Indian food anywhere. 

I chose Tandor Chicken Balti and rice. According to the menu, Balti dishes are cooked in a cast-iron Kashmiri pan with chopped ginger, garlic, ground Indian spices, including exotic herbs, creating a thicker, richer, more distinct flavor. Balti dishes can be prepared mild, medium, or hot according to individual preferences.” I love hot spicy food, but if you order it hot, you will need the fire department.  I chose the medium. I also ordered the cheese naan (bread).  You must have bread to soak up the savory gravy-like sauce.  This dinner also hit a home run.

Tomorrow, I take the train to Chester, Wales, to start my hiking adventure.

Good night and God Bless.

The Finale 11/17/25

Good afternoon.  Today is my last day. My flight leaves at almost 10:00 tonight.  AAARRRGGG!

I attended the Pilgrims' Mass today.  There were two of these nuns, and I think they were from one of the Central or South American countries.  If you look closely, you can make out her hiking boots under her habit.

Today's cantor is in red, and he had a beautiful tenor voice, but I was sorry that the soprano nun, whom Dennis and I have named the Songbird, was not there. She was like an angel that had come to life.

No matter how many times I visit the Cathedral, I always notice something new. The domed ceiling above the high altar is painted almost entirely in shells.

The clergy.  Today’s mass was in Spanish, but that did not make it any less special. You don’t have to understand thed words to know that you are a part of something with spiritual essence. There is no doubt in my mind that God is present in life, if you just listen. I always feel such gratitude for the experience of the Camino, for all its hardships.

The city of Compostela de Santiago has undergone significant changes over the years.  It is no longer like Gatlinburg, with its abundance of tchotchkes and overpriced religious items made in China, but rather a town of art, culture, and fashion. When I completed my first Camino, there were no tapas bars or quality restaurants except for the Parador. Now the town teems with tapas bars open all afternoon and into the evening.  A hungry pilgrim can eat before 9:00 at night.  Whoo hoo.  Even the Parador has started opening its fine dining restaurant at 7:45.

This LLADRÓ of Saint James is less than 12 inches tall and is priced at just over $3,000 US.

There are many fine jewelry stores. I struggle with photos on my iphone.  I miss my camera.

These art pieces are entitled “Peregrinos del Mar” and the artist makes them out of driftwood that he collects during Caminos.

 

There is now a milliner, but the hats are not nearly as spectacular as Louisville’s derby hats. I learned from a speaker at one of the Woman’s Club Luncheons that a milliner actually makes the hats and does not just decorate pre-made hats.

This is a different shop.  Interesting combination of old lady bras and men’s hats. There is a joke in there somewhere.

A fabric store (for sister Sandi)

High-end women's fashion.

Even men’s Fashion

A Camino is a time of quiet contemplation, a time to turn off the cacophony of our modern existence and turn inwardly and upwardly. It is a solitary journey that one must accomplish on one’s own two feet and in the depths of one’s heart and soul.  There is beauty in that journey of self reliance and yet, one cannot do it alone. There are many Camino Angels along the path who come just when the journey becomes most dire.  

The reasons for walking the Camino de Santiago are as different as the Perigrinos who undertake such an arduous journey. On the Camino, each pilgrim is equal, letting go of pretension, status, and responsibilities. Each struggles with the same physical pain and mental uncertainty in its successful completion. It cannot be bought or gifted, and it depends solely on one's fortitude and reliance on God.  And yet the camaraderie of fellow pilgrims gives one the hope that human kindness is inherent in all of us. Each step is a step towards a common goal of letting go of past angst and beginning anew. 

Sir Walter Raleigh said it well when he wrote in the "Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage,"

Give me my scallop shell of quiet,

My staff of faith to walk upon,

My scrip of joy, immortal diet,

My bottle of salvation,

My gown of glory, hope’s true gage,

And thus I’ll take my pilgrimage.

So I will bid you Good Journey and God Bless!