Sunday, August 26, 2012

And so the rubber hits the road....

Action Dude!

Time for the talk to stop and the action to begin!  Monday morning at 09:30 I take my first tentative pedals at the start of a long journey.  I'm simultaneously apprehensive and excited. Looks like it will be cool with some showers all the way into France. 

Send Off

Many thanks to Pick n Pay, Suzanne Ackerman, Widad Permall and the people of the Corporate Office for the wonderful send-off on thursday. FTH:K presented 20 minutes of their latest play Office Block which everyone enjoyed.

At the PnP Fresh Connection

and the the team came to see me off at the airport


What now?

I'm in a village, called Lydden, in Kent staying with my friend Maeve who will take me to the Cathedral and make sure I ride off into the sunrise.   Today we're going to visit Canterbury and the Cathedral and hopefully have my Pilgrim Passport stamped and validated for the start.  The passport is stamped frequently along the way to prove that you have actually been along the route.  Finally it is presented at the Vatican where one is given a certificate of completion of the pilgrimage.  More pics later!

It's Later

We went to the Cathedral - what a beautiful building.  At the welcome centre a friendly young lady stamped the first of many stamps in my pilgrim passport and showed us the official starting point.
So here I am at the Cathedral Entrance

and this is me - looking like I'm taking a picture of the official starting point but actually asking for a blessing....and wind at my back!


So this is it ....where pilgrim from centuries have started their quest

Exciting.  So the programme for Mon 27th is:
  • Meet a reporter from the Kent newspapers at the starting point at 09:00 for a photo and chat
  • Say fond farewells
  • Leave about 09:30 - the route is
    • Canterbury
    • Shepherdswell
    • Dover
    • Ferry across the channel
    • Calais
    • Wissant
    • Guines
    • A total of 71 kms and I'll sleep at Guines camp site for the night
See you all here tomorrrow!


10 comments:

  1. Tex,
    All the very best for the start tomorrow! Have a great time. Looking forward to seeing you AFTER Rome!!
    Love Jude and Mike

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  2. good luck and be safe!
    love
    Jim & Lorraine

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  3. Hi Elred
    Will be thinking about you. Have a fabulous time.
    Love from
    Keith, Joy,Andrew,Michael

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  4. Great showing you Canterbury and being at the start of this fantastic trip. All the very best Tex, and be safe. Love Maeve

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  5. Our very best wishes and we will be following your progress via the blog. Love Karen and Kevin

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  6. Teki!!!! Have an amazing trip, can't believe you are finally doing it!! See you at mom and dads after to celebrate!! Love shells xx

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  7. Hugs from Heather..... see you at Guines

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  8. Have an awesome time - thinking of you and with you in spirt.

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  9. Great to read the daily accounts of your experiences. Enjoy your day off tomorrow, Love from
    Joy

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