Choppy Departure For Vancouver

I am in Vancouver. Things happened before I left Holy Island. Paul, our vicar-designate, arrived. People like him. Probably that's because he is genuine. My computer crashed, with all my Canada stuff on it plus six one minute talks I had to record at Melrose for Borders Radio. 'Calm me, Lord', we pray .... Brenda and our computer guru Brian helped. So did a new battery.

During the long hours at London Heathrow and on the flight to Vancouver I read Simon Young's 'The Celtic Revolution: in search of 2000 Forgotten Years that Changed the World.' Simon is recognised as an outstanding scholar. He clears up the disputes about the use of the term 'Celtic' in the light of new, recent findings. he describes how the ferocious Celts won battles against Rome and Greece that indirectly helped to shape Europe. He then describes how Christianity re-channelled the passions of these people who refused to be standardised - and gives a chapter to Aidan of Lindisfarne. The last third of the book is about Authurian mythology in the second millennium - which to my mind slightly devalues the earlier parts. Someone needs to write a visionary section on the next five hundred years.

I awoke at 5.0 am in Sylvia Hotel, that overlooks English Bay, Vancouver, meditated on Places of Resurrection and emailed the revised text of a talk about this to the Sorrento Centre, BC where I shall be on Saturday. I'll let you know when this becomes a download. Now I am to meet Merry and Gerry, who were pilgrims at The Open Gate last year, and who will show me some sights.