Armchair Pilgrim: Solitude and Resilience

Today’s “official” pilgrimage theme was stories of solitude, but a newly enforced ban on buses at our afternoon destination meant the pilgrims got a bit more of a 6th century pilgrimage experience than anticipated.   

The day began with morning prayer on the banks of the Menai Straits, where we listened to the words of Welsh poets from an anonymous 9th century monk and the current Welsh National poet, Hanna Issa. 

A short stroll along a causeway took us to the church of St. Tyslio, where the missionary monk who established churches from the south to the north of Wales spent the final years of his life in solitude. In 1918, the local lord gave the island to the people of Anglesey Island to be used as a burial place, particularly for soldiers killed in the World War I.

After stopping for lunch in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (or Llanfairpg as the locals call it), we headed toward the south coast with the intention of walking from the beach parking lot through the Newborough pine forest to Ynys Llanddwyn, a tidal island that was once home to a church founded by St. Dwynwen, sometimes called the Welsh St. Valentine. She escaped to the island to live a life of solitude and prayer for true lovers after experiencing her own heartbreak. 

Unfortunately, a new rule that just went into place prohibited our bus from dropping us off at the beach, so we walked an extra mile and half through more of the forest to get to the sea. Once there, some pilgrims opted for a solitary nap or stroll along the sand. Some found benches and sat together for quiet conversation while another group continued the two-mile hike to the island to explore the church ruins, high crosses and lighthouse.   

By the end of the day, our morning blessing echoed as we boarded the bus to head back home:

The blessings of heaven, the blessings of earth, The blessings of sea and sky.

The blessings of solitude, the blessings of community,

The blessings of the company of heaven.