Dear Friends and Allies of The Orkney Boat,
According to plan, at midday on 26th July we walked the last 11 kilometres into Trondheim with The Orkney Boat.
The story is not quite at an end, and the journey is not quite over, but here ends our walk through Norway with the stone. It is a bitter-sweet feeling. In our last week of walking we were (not entirely comfortably) averaging 22 kilometres on back-to-back days. Yet the last 11 kilometres were some of the most halting and unsettled.
However, we received a welcome to Trondheim far beyond anything we had anticipated! The end of the walk has become something of a collaboration between The Orkney Boat team and the Nidaros Cathedral restoration workshops! It is a privilege to have had their support and company as the walk comes to a close, and the rousing and enthusiastic welcome that we walked in to was enough to boot-out any tiredness or trepidation we might have felt. At the workshops we were fed and fortified, before pilgrims, stonemasons, glaziers, carpenters, director, news crew and all, took the final steps together to the last way marker.
According to plan, at midday on 26th July we walked the last 11 kilometres into Trondheim with The Orkney Boat.
The story is not quite at an end, and the journey is not quite over, but here ends our walk through Norway with the stone. It is a bitter-sweet feeling. In our last week of walking we were (not entirely comfortably) averaging 22 kilometres on back-to-back days. Yet the last 11 kilometres were some of the most halting and unsettled.
However, we received a welcome to Trondheim far beyond anything we had anticipated! The end of the walk has become something of a collaboration between The Orkney Boat team and the Nidaros Cathedral restoration workshops! It is a privilege to have had their support and company as the walk comes to a close, and the rousing and enthusiastic welcome that we walked in to was enough to boot-out any tiredness or trepidation we might have felt. At the workshops we were fed and fortified, before pilgrims, stonemasons, glaziers, carpenters, director, news crew and all, took the final steps together to the last way marker.
It has been an extraordinary journey.
Tomorrow The Orkney Boat will be at the Archbishop's Palace, by invitation of the Olavsfestagene and the Cathedral workshops. Please do come by- to stand in the stone, or simply hear a tale or two about its journey.
As ever, thank you also to those of you reading this, who were rooting for us and following our progress so loyally. Our pilgrim passports, dated and signed off at the Nidaros Pilegrimssenter, are testament to the days and distances we have walked with The Orkney Boat. The journey of the stone is almost complete, and soon the weight of the project will shift to focus on its return to Orkney. Plenty of potential for further adventure during our 4 day North sea crossing. I will be in touch again soon, with news of our safe landing in Orkney.
As ever, thank you also to those of you reading this, who were rooting for us and following our progress so loyally. Our pilgrim passports, dated and signed off at the Nidaros Pilegrimssenter, are testament to the days and distances we have walked with The Orkney Boat. The journey of the stone is almost complete, and soon the weight of the project will shift to focus on its return to Orkney. Plenty of potential for further adventure during our 4 day North sea crossing. I will be in touch again soon, with news of our safe landing in Orkney.
A little bit of Norwegian news coverage... ( Pilegrim-02.10)
Super about the Orkney Boat joining the festival and being in the Archbishops Palace tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI know you will have a great day.