Last month I went on a 10-day Pilgrimage in Italy. The tour leaders cautioned that a pilgrimage is not a “vacation.” Naturally, never having been on a pilgrimage, I had no idea what that meant. This pilgrimage related to my new faith as a Catholic, but there are many kinds of pilgrimages, exploring interests of all kinds. I recommend them with all my heart.
There were lovely, air-conditioned accommodations and transportation, certainly, but there were also gigantic basilicas with no AC, and hard-to-find paid public restrooms. And goodness, the walking and climbing up hills and steps; it seemed never-ending. I even ascended a rather long set of wooden steps in a cathedral on my knees! There were crushes of people and crowds, but there were also moments of profound tranquility, hospitality, and warmth. You find your limits on a pilgrimage, and push past them, way, way beyond what you thought you could do.
It was hard work, and a fair bit of culture shock, but gratifying and meaningful in a way no vacation could have been. The experience will be with me always – along with a hankering to find another one, after a little more rest.
