We made it!
The flight was long-- we were rerouted due to bad weather adding an extra 4 hours to the 10 scheduled--but otherwise uneventful. All pilgrims are present and accounted for. The city is beautiful, a constantly surprising mix of old and new all jumbled together. The bed and breakfast where we are staying is beyond charming with airy lofted rooms and a lovely patio overlooking the city and the bay. Our host here at the b&b is Ben Johnson, a delightful and infinately knowledgable ex-pat with good sandwich connections.
Leaving, for me, was a mixed bag. It is hard to leave my small children behind for eight days. But I am so excited by the opportunity to be here, to travel and reflect with such a great group of people in such a rich setting. I expect that this struggle will stay with me for the whole week.
