Thurs Nov 21
I have been back home a week now – a busy week settling back, medical appointments, catching up with friends, etc. This time it has taken me a week to get over jet-lag, which used to take only a few days. But that was when I always had a stopover in the US on the way back. Now am back for just 3 weeks before going away on my next trip…..including a visit to Adelaide next week. I leave Melbourne on Dec 13 to go back to Germany for Christmas. I did this in 2016 & loved it, so thought that I would do it again one last time. The good thing is that the fights are free (Qatar business class) thanks to frequent flyer points I have earned from my regular footy trips!
Saty Dec 21
I left Melbourne on the Overland train to Adelaide, had a nice weekend there & flew to Frankfurt on Tuesday. I was warmly welcomed back to the Hilton & have had 3 days relaxing & coping with jetlag. There has been light rain most days, but not too cold. Went to the Christmas market last night & this morning woke to news of the terrible incident in Magdeburg. Today I catch the train to Hannover, where I will have 2 days before going to Koln for Christmas week.
Frankfurt Romer market
Hannover Christmas markets
Koln Dom Weihnachtsmarkt
Christmas Day
I got to Koln Dom for Midnight Mass at 10.30 pm when doors were to open – already a huge line. It took 10 mins to get in & the nave was already full. Must have been 1,000 there. Got a seat in the transept, which had a good view until all the late arrivals came & stood in front! A wonderful Mass, with a choir of over 100. This morning I returned for Mass of the Day. I got a seat at front of nave this time. It was just as wonderful as last night – see pics below.
Saty 28
I am now in Munich for the weekend. It is very cold! At 11 am the sun came out, so I walked into the city. It was really busy with locals shopping & tourists. Walked into Burgersaal church just as 12 noon Mass was starting. The Christmas crib was almost over-the-top!
Dec 31st
I caught the train to Berlin yesterday. As we were leaving Munich it started to snow. On arrival in Berlin it was chilly, but not snowing. Went to 6 pm Mass at St Hedwig’s cathedral, where I have enjoyed attending Mass over the years. It has been closed 5 years for interior revamp & the result is very plain & modern, with the congregation seated in a circle around the altar. This morning I went for a walk past the Brandenburg Gate & Reichstag, & at 5 pm will attend a concert in St Hedwig’s. For midnight I am planning to go to Unter den Linden to see the fireworks at Brandenburg Gate. Not sure how close I will get – there so many visitors & international tourists here. Guess I am one of them!
Jan 8
NYE in Berlin was crazy…….fireworks everywhere. It’s not illegal to possess fireworks in Germany, so everyone lets off their own. I had a great view of the official fireworks at Brandenburg Gate. On Jan 1st I attended High Mass in St Hedwig’s cathedral. It had been closed 5 years for interior renovations & now has a modern central sanctuary with the congregation seated in a circle around it. The Mass was nice, with a full church.
On Saturday I returned to Cologne. That night it snowed & I was delighted to see snow on the church across from the hotel. Monday was the Feast of the Epiphany & the Dom has the supposed relics of the Magi. High Mass was celebrated at 10 am & I didn’t get there early enough to get a good seat. Even tho Monday was not a pubic holiday, like at Midnight Mass it was standing room only. At the end of Mass lots of kids dressed as kings came up & sang to us. Then we were invited to follow the archbishop, clergy, servers & choir to the shrine of the Magi.
Yesterday, after saying my farewells to the hotel staff, I caught the train to Frankfurt. Thus ends the first 1/2 of my trip in Germany. Today I catch the train to Zurich & tomorrow go thru the Swiss Alps for 2 weeks in Italy. More exciting adventures!
Snow on the church seen from my hotel room
Wed Jan 15
I have just had 5 nice days in Rome. I have been here before, of course, but this visit was to do the Jubilee Year pilgrimage. This involves visiting the 4 Papal Basilicas. Weather was better than Germany, but I have had a cough which turned into a cold. I arrived on Friday a/noon & was delighted to find that my hotel was opposite St Mary Major. So after unpacking & checking where the local laundromat was, I did my 1st pilgrimage. St Mary Major is my favourite basilica & it was more stunning than I remember. I attended the 6 pm Mass, which was packed.
Saturday after doing my weekly laundry, I walked to the Vatican, discovering Rome again. It took an hour, so I decided to catch the metro on Sunday. I visited St Maria in Transpontina, where I attended Mass in Feb 1991 & shook hands with Pope John Paul II as he came down the aisle. This pic is where I stood back then:
On Sunday I got into St Peter’s in time for the 9 am Mass at the cathedral altar. I then explored the basilica until it was time to join the crowds in the square for the Pope’s Angelus, blessing & message.
On Monday I walked to St John Lateran – 30 mins from my hotel. It wasn’t crowded & to my surprise, when I entered the basilica a Mass in English was about to begin. It was for a confraternity of priests from Australia, US & UK. There were several bishops at the altar, 30 concelebrants, a robed choir of 20 (from Dublin) & a local small orchestra. The organist was a priest from Melbourne & the music was wonderful. I could not believe my luck! Afterwards I spoke to Mgr Keith Newton, an English bishop I knew thru SSC. One of the clergy remembered me from Walsingham – a small world.
Yesterday I caught the metro to St Paul’s Outside the Walls. I think this is the most beautiful of the 4 basilicas because of the cloisters. Like, St Mary & St John, it was built in the 4th cent & repaired over the years. But 200 years ago it was destroyed by fire & completely rebuiltto the original plans, so it has a uncluttered simplicity about it.
After 5 days of doing my pilgrimage, today I caught the train to Naples. I have never been here & am staying in an old palazzo where a young Tony Curtis lived before his Hollywood career. It is a chaotic city with narrow streets & lanes. After setting into my hotel, I wandered around & discovered the stunning cathedral.I will spend tomorrow exploring the city & return to Rome on Friday.
Thurs 16
I had an interesting day wandering around Naples. Below are some pics – the last is of Mt Vesuvius over the bay
Sat 18
Was a lovely sunny a/noon when I arrived in Rome, so after unpacking I went for a walk around the Coliseum, Forum & Circus Maximus (see pic). Today I went to the laundromat & then did the final act of my Jubilee Year pilgrimage at St Mary Major. Will go there for Sunday Mass tomorrow & on Monday catch train back to Milan.
Mon 27
I spent last Tuesday in Milan wandering around the city, beginning with Mass in the famous Duomo. Wednesday I caught the train to Verona, where I visited in Oct 2023. Stayed in a lovely boutique hotel & had dinner in the nice restaurant I enjoyed last time. Thursday I caught the train thru Brenner Pass to Munich & on Friday on to Frankfurt. Have just hd a relaxing weekend in Frankfurt & tomorrow fly back to Adelaide.
It has been another wonderful trip – more spiritual than usual. It was very cold the whole 6 weeks, with light rain regularly. But wonderful churches, basilicas & services made it all worthwhile. However this will be my last trip to Europe in the winter. I now look forward to returning home to the warmth!
February 12
I arrived safely in Adelaide on Wed Jan 29 & flew on to Melbourne on Fri 31st. It didn’t take me long to get over jet-lag – mainly because I never really adjusted for the whole of my 6 weeks in Europe. Sunday Feb 2 was the 45th anniversary of my ordination – a low-key celebration, but I was the reader at Mass. Since then I have had the usual medical appointments & 3 lunches with friends (incl Q train on Bellarine Peninsula). It is strange being here in Feb, but I am glad to be able to celebrate the 75th birthday of my great friend, David Hunt, this Saturday. Now it is countdown to the footy season!
Thurs Feb 27
I have been reflecting on how significant through my life have been years that end in 5.
1955 Moved from Salisbury to Semaphore. So I became a Port Adelaide person
1965 Started work in the National Bank & in September my mother died
1975 Was living in London & felt the call to the Anglican priesthood
1985 Moved from Adelaide to Melbourne, to be Vicar of St Mark’s, Fitzroy.
1995 Very busy running a growing parish & community centre, but also able to travel to US & UK
2005 Living in San Diego, where I was Rector of All Saints. In October had prostate surgery
2015 Retired & living in St Kilda. Going overseas regularly for church locums
2025 Visiting Adelaide every 2 weeks in the footy season & still getting to Europe & UK
Wed March 19
The football season began last Saturday. Port Adelaide played Collingwood at the MCG….& were thrashed! For the game I was given an invitation to the Collingwood President’s Club. This was because when I came to Fitzroy in 1985 I joined the Collingwood Football Club. Port Adelaide supporters usually followed Collingwood in the VFL (as it was then) & I never dreamt that Port Adel would be admitted into the AFL (as it became). Collingwood honoured me & others for our 40 years as members with the invitation & I took my friends, Peter & David, as guests. It was a wonderful evening, apart from the result!
Yesterday I had lunch with Robert, whose team also lost badly last weekend. We bemoaned our team’s awful starts to the season! Tomorrow I fly to Adelaide for Port’s 1st home game on Saturday. It will be great to see my various friends – & I hope Port turn it around & win! So I begin my regular footy trips back to Adelaide.
