Paid for the Pilgrimage

You know tour operators -- they gotta make plans, like hotel reservations and plane tickets.  Everything is pretty much included in the quoted price, except for a few meals and maybe the boat ride at Niagara Falls.  

Bottom line:  we paid the money and earned the credit card rewards.  This adventure gets more real each and every day.

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We've heard from the tour operator, Scott Scaria.  Read about him here

The Details -- Pilgrimage planned for Oct 1-8, 2016

October 1  to October 8, 2016  $1,995.00 per person Land only $1,595.00 per person
Day 1	Depart from your airport for your flight to Albany, NY where you will be taken to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2	In the morning we will have breakfast and Mass at a church in Albany.  After Mass we will go to theShrine of North American Martyrs, birthplace of Kateri Tekakwitha in Auriesville, NY (if it is open) then we will travel to the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA where we will take part in the 3 o'clock hour of mercy.  You will have time to see the grounds and visit the gift shop.  We will then return to our hotel in Albany for dinner and overnight.
Day 3	This morning we will travel the shrine of St Anne de Beaupre, east of Quebec City, Canada.  On the way we will see the beautiful Autumn foliage.  Upon arrival we will check into our hotel.  We will have dinner then take part in the evening Mass and the candle light procession.
Day 4	This morning after breakfast you can visit the Basilica and enter thru the Holy Door.  You may also want to see the life size way of the cross, the Holy Stairs or you may take time to visit the gift shops.  In the afternoon we will travel to the shrine of Our Lady of the Cape (Notre-Dame-du-Cap).  We will have Holy Mass, visit the shrine and take part in the candle light procession.  Dinner and overnight
Day 5	After breakfast we will travel to Montreal to see Saint Joseph's Oratory where Saint Brother Andre lived and died.  We will have Holy Mass then a tour of the shrine.  If time permits, we will visit the beautifulNotre Dame Basilica in downtown Montreal.  We then travel to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 6	After breakfast we will drive to Niagara Falls where we will have our Mass. We will have a short tour of the falls. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7	We will have Mass and breakfast and then spend the day on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls.  A boat ride which takes you near the falls is an option at your own expense.  In the evening we'll have dinner at the Skylon Tower in the world famous revolving dining room with a view of the illuminated falls.  We will also see a fireworks display if they have them that evening as the fireworks are seasonal.   Overnight
Day 8	After breakfast we will travel to Buffalo, NY for your flight home.  Land only people will be returning to Albany, NY.
	This itinerary is subject to change

It Started as a Lark

Sometime during 2015 Darliss sent Becky a link to info about the Compostello -- that walk across the north of spain, from France, to the cathedral where it's believed that St. James is buried.   "HeHeHe," said Darliss, "maybe we should do this.  We do love to walk."

And Becky replied, "Well, why not!" Found a website showing a tour for the minimum required walk, about 60 miles in 8 days.

We put it on the calendar for 2017 (no money paid, as yet.)

Roll the film forward -- we're both older and though we walk quite a bit, the long ones are killers.  We can do them -- but probably not day after day doing a 10-12 mile walk -- and then arise next day to do it again.

Sun rises and sets many times . . .

Darliss and Becky attend a special first birthday part for Darliss' grand niece in St. Helens Oregon.  As we always do if the road trip includes a Saturday or Sunday, we find a local church and attend mass.  In St. Helens Oregon, we found St. Frederick's Catholic Church.  It's a small town so we had no trouble navigating from hotel to church.  We arrived a bit before service began..

Darliss explored the narthex and bulletin board and found us a Canadian Pilgrimage.  Price was affordable and the timing fit our calendars.

God just meant for us to go on a pilgrimage.