Traveling Day 2

After a long day from Melbourne to Dubai - we arrived about 30 minutes late it then took us some time to get through Passport Control, collect the bags of the three North/NW Pilgrims before heading out to catch a taxi or shuttle bus to the Holiday Inn Express. We could see the building from where we were so decided to see if we could walk but were not able to get through because of a freeway (we couldn't see - and at 1.00am we weren't seeing that well, anyway).

So we got a Hotel shuttle bus which took us to the Holiday Inn and part way through the checkin process the duty manager tells us that we are at the Airport and we should be at Jumeirah - some 25 minutes by taxi away so off we headed (all 6 of us in a Datsun 7 seater) and finally got to the Hotel, got our rooms and headed to bed.

Just had breakfast with 4 pilgrims (one possibly still sleeping) and we have Mass in just over half an hour and then off to the airport to meet up with Gay Morgan and then on to Amman and finally to Tel Aviv (by air) and then road transport to Jerusalem and the start of our journey in the footprints of Jesus.

Mass this morning went well.

Joe and Libby in the airport - with iPads working

Traveling Day - 1

It is a beautiful morning in Hobart - temperature expected to be 20C - in the middle of the night in Jerusalem it is reading 22C - so hopefully what we enjoy today will help us acclimatise.

Three of us are leaving from Hobart at 10.40am and we meet up with three others from the North & North West of the State to travel to Dubai leaving at 15.25 and arriving at 23.25 on Saturday night (6.25am Tasmanian time Sunday). Thankfully we will have a short sleep before we fly on to Amman and then on to Tel Aviv on Sunday.

The photo below is of the six of us flying to Dubai today, back row l-r

Tony Brennan, Mark Garnsey, Mike Delaney

Libby Van Tienan, Peter Santamaria, Joe O'Hea

Tuesday, 27th August - one week before the program starts

Just finished the first pack and everything fits so that's good.

Finished at Queenstown on Friday and travelled to New Norfolk later in the day - the roads were a little bit icy (followed the snow plow for part of the way). The temperature in Jerusalem is currently 20C but rising to a high of 32C later in the day - a little different from Tasmania at this time.

The Gospel for last Sunday said that Jesus travelled through town and villages heading towards Jerusalem and I felt a little bit that way as well as I travelled from Rosebery to Queenstown then to Pontville, New Norfolk and Bothwell before I head off to Jerusalem.

Collected a Bible from the CEO yesterday and chatted with two of the Pilgrims about their preparation before purchasing the last of the items I need for the trip.

Then back to New Norfolk for an evening meeting with the Lay Liturgical Leaders who will deal with any significant Liturgical issues whilst I am away.

Two weeks to go

Yesterday, 14th, I was in Launceston for Catholic Education Week celebrations and caught up with two of the group going to Jerusalem at the end of the month. Well, actually I caught up with three as I found out that one of the teachers at St Thomas More's, Newstead, is also going to do the course.

Rosemary was a student of the Sisters of Sion and is going to Ecce Homo on a part scholarship from the Congregation so that means there will be 9 of us all together.

The group is: Tony Brennan and Sr Gabrielle Morgan from the Catholic Education Office, Mark Garnsey from the North West Coast, Peter Santamaria, Darryl Tuppen and Libby Van Tienan (and Rosemary O'Brien) from the North and Joe O'Hea from the South - and myself, of course.

We fly out on Saturday 31st and stay overnight in Dubai as we arrive there latish and then we need to stay in Tel Aviv as well because we are late arriving there and will travel to Jerusalem the next morning.

More news when I have something intelligent to say!!