The ‘Remarkable Rhine’ Adventure comes to a close

Houston - Hilton Garden Inn

And so the ‘Remarkable Rhine’ Adventure comes to a close. As you may recall it began with me standing under “The Adventure Begins” and playing “Follow Me” by John Denver.

It closes, fittingly enough, with the saying behind the Houston Houston Garden Inn desk, “a garden’s path can take you anywhere,” and John Denver’s “Follow Me” playing in my headphones.

I've updated Amsterdam - Day 5 and AMS to HOU below. If you'd like to read them first I'll wait on you.

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For me the adventure has, indeed, been Remarkable. It has been all I hoped for and even more. I’ve seen sights I never dreamed of seeing, eaten exotic foods I’d never dreamed of tasting, made new friends with special bonds, and broken my diet in so many ways I can’t even begin to count.

This blog may close this chapter of “My Travels with Molly” but it’s only the beginning of new adventures.

On the planning board, I have a two month RV trip with Molly down the Great River Road following the mighty Mississippi from her headwaters in Minnesota to her end at the Gulf. Along the way I plan to spend some time with Hill and his family.

Then in October, another River Cruise with a close friend and his wife, my travel agent and her husband, and I’m not sure who all else. We’ll go from Passau to Budapest, and explore “The Enchanting Danube” on SS. Saint Theresa. Disembarking at Budapest several of us will continue by car to explore in depth such sights as Vienna, Prague and other great cities. And in April of next year, following a West Coast tour in the RV, I’m heading off for a 10 day tour of Japan.

If, indeed, my ministry in this chapter is to be a peripatetic priest sharing spiritual experiences that others may bless me with the opportunity to hear, and, hopefully, sowing seeds of The Good News, then I’m going to have plenty of opportunities lined up before the Lord says, “Enough.”

I may or may not blog about future adventures, but if I do I’ll drop a note and let you know.

There’s not a spiritual reflection to accompany this blog. I hope you realize, that, if you read my sharings, you have seen more deeply and transparently into my live than I’ve ever done. Privacy has always been my shield, and the decision to open my reflections to you has taken more courage than I ever knew I had. But the decision, whatever the risk, has been cathartic and healing for me in ways I'm only dimly beginning to accept. Only a couple of times have I withheld something because it cut too deeply to share. I hope you respect those moments, even though you may never find out what they are.

To all of you who have hung in with me from beginning to end, I say, simply, “Thanks.” Because of you I may have been solo, but I’ve never been alone.”

Till we begin our next adventure together, I give you my heartfelt

Blessings and peace!

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