I have put the other blogs aside. They will be on record just as are all of the photos I don’t share on this site. A number of years ago, when we first started doing long walks, I got myself a digital camera and made a decision about how to approach photography on our walk. I had been a person who had enjoyed taking pictures in the old fashioned way using a single lens reflex camera and film. But I didn’t want to be spending time taking photos on our pilgrimage. I didn’t want it to be a burden or a source of long pauses as I set up pictures and so on.

Instead, I decided to take the same sort of approach as some people I knew who were sampling sounds digitally. So I did visual sampling. The camera was point and click, so I pointed and clicked. I sampled the world visually without doing too much to intentionally set up the picture. Since then, I have done this with other cameras with varying success mainly because it is almost impossible to get click and go with a more modern digital camera – they are too clever and I have had to wait for them to take the picture or I lose it.

Phones, generally speaking, are now giving me a chance to get back to that. Still getting used to it, but I take lots of pictures and some turn out looking good.

The reason why I have ended up sharing this approach is because, despite taking lots of photos, my focus is always on something other than the pictures. Indiscriminate snapping leaves me time to actually look around. I am not wasting time composing pictures. The intention is just click and go, and  the desired state is for me to be as surprised as you with the results at the end of the day. Warning, expect photos of walls, paths, river surfaces and bark as we go… for the same reason.

So, while you take in the visual joy of our walk (this is an amazing place to walk through), we want to assure you that the real pilgrimage goes on wonderfully, too.

We had a thin view of the walk from London to Canterbury. For us, regardless of the walk, we always approach it as a pilgrimage and this route, for us, had all of the ingredients of one, despite our lack of confidence that we would meet any pilgrims on the way. So, we were deeply conscious of walking in the footprints of so many pilgrims and new that we were just a couple more. Nothing bad in the context of so many historical companions who have established and walking on our way.

As I have said, our welcome during each day has been consistently joyous wherever we have ended up and people’s enthusiasm for our pilgrimage have helped elevate us on a daily basis.

Then, after joining the Way from Winchester, we bumped into a trio of American pilgrims who added another level to the journey. Ironically, before this encounter, it was another pilgrim who appeared ahead of us on our way that had given us the first frisson that we were really in pilgrim territory. This lovely man walking our way turned out to be a man who hails from Cambridge and was walking the Way as part of his period of discernment after retiring and before committing to training to become an Anglican priest.

After encountering and walking with the Americans (Matthew, Ruth and Sarah) we left them to stride on ahead as we continued, then we met up with the other pilgrim, Chris, as we entered a little church. He waved us in and we entered a place filled with peace and joy.

Matthew, who is a singer, songwriter and story teller had found a piano in the church. He was playing and singing something that just seemed to filter through the air, fuse with the stones around us and resonate as if it was something organic that was there to offer us peace and shelter on our way.

This was back to the full rich palette of pilgrimage that all of us seek. Thank you Matthew, Ruth and Sarah!

So, that evening we stayed together in Aylesford, encountered each other on the way the next day, Chris walked with us, on and off and was already in the pub we arrived in for lunch the next day, and the then the two of us and our American pilgrims shared Sung Evensong tonight in Canterbury. Chris doesn’t arrive until tomorrow and we are all praying for him.

So, Just before I finish this rambling blurb, I want to urge you to check out Matthew’s site. His music, like his personality, is deep rooted, reflective, and richly inspired. Go here now then come back for my conclusions (just set my self up… see you in a long while) https://www.matthewclark.net/ .

So, despite all of our physical distractions, and despite the fact that one of our consistent comments, as we walk, is that we are so lucky to be walking here, in these special places and times, there is a specific core that underlines all of our walks. And it is something that has been at the heart of our experience so far.

The idea that we are walking in other people’s footsteps seems such a trite idea that it almost worries me that it might not be enough for such discerning readers as you. But that is really it. People were walking here yesterday. They walked here last year and last century.

They were here a thousand years ago and I might even know some of their names. They stayed and drank in the pubs we stayed in and (wait for it) drank in those places, too. The forebears of some of those serving us were serving pilgrims hundreds of years ago. They built and developed the churches and they cultivated the fields, Their livestock were driven along our paths, and they skipped along those paths to markets and to visit girlfriends, boyfriends and family as well as going on those longer walks. These paths are redolent of so many people’s lives and experiences and we are part of that geographical and temporal narrative, too. Our prayers have been heard within the walls of the same places of worship and the people who welcomed us into Canterbury as pilgrims were working and volunteering to carry out these very old traditions that have continued and have been unbroken (despite the reformation) for hundreds of years.

The fact that we are not on our own as we partake in this deep rooted journey gives us hope and joy and confirms, for us, the personal commitment we have for the rest of our journey. It adds to our growing anticipation as we head south to Dover and to France. The buzz on the path is real ands alive and we can feel it through our feet!!!!

OK, this is not compulsory. A very shortened summary of our visual encounters for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Hold on, should it be Friday, Thursday and Wednesday…. OK a journey back in time so you may want to start at the bottom….