Ite, mairimasu

There are lots of things that I could be blogging about over the next two weeks: the garden, the orchard, the Lambeth Conference, American politics, even Beowulf – but it will have to wait. We leave tomorrow for a 50th wedding anniversary trip with all the results and consequences of that Easter Monday event half a century ago: four children, three spouses, and four grandchildren. We have chartered a barge that has accommodation for exactly that number of persons – plus a captain, a cook, and a steward. We range in age from 76 to 3 and will have a week to cruise the canals and rivers of southern France. Avignon is probably the best known location in the area, but there are vineyards and cheeseries and ancient churches and palaces to be visited as well as the papal palace and famous bridge. When bored with the barge’s stately progress, we can get off and bicycle alongside or veer off into the countryside. Lots to do, but plenty of time to relax and enjoy each other.
While we are gone, the Lambeth Conference will start. How could they have scheduled that so badly?
But also while we are gone, peas and beans and broccoli will be ripening, as will blueberries. How could we have scheduled that so badly?
But go we must and the crops will just have to wait.
The bishops won’t wait either. You might want to check the Times of London web site for an article (two, actually: a long version and a summary version) by me on the history of Lambeth. But you may have seen it already in Episcopal Life or the bulletin inserts.
The Japanese phrase in the title slot means “Going, but returning.”
Assuming the airlines do their job, we’ll be back along about July 22 and you will find a full report here.