Taizé is a monastic community in central France founded by the late Brother Roger after the second world war. It is an ecumenical community and for the last thirty odd years has welcomed thousands every week to join in a pilgrimage of trust.
I’ve been to Taizé a total of ten times, with my first visit in 1993. Each time has been different. A couple of times I spent the week in silence. I’ve traveled by train, ferry and bus. I’ve met and made friends with people from all over Europe. I’ve traveled by myself, with a group, and the last few times with Mrs A; who, I was glad to discover, also enjoys Taizé after I introduced her to it.
Each time I go I do feel closer to God, and my hope is I’ll hear from Him this week also.
We were by train this year, as I say in my “Taizé-English”. The Eurostar to Paris is much quicker now from St Pancras. Not sure who St Pancras was, but probably a more French friendly terminus name than Waterloo. There was a family in the seats near us, and I guess it was the children’s first trip through the Channel Tunnel.
Daughter: Mummy, I suppose we’ll have to come up slowly on the other side of the tunnel.
Mother: Honey, we’re not going deep enough to get the bends.
We didn’t have a great hotel in Paris, but it was close to Gare de Lyon for our TGV train on Sunday morning. And after dinner in a local pizzeria (even with two weeks in Italy this Summer we still wanted Italian food) we had a nice evening stroll around the Seine and Place de la Bastille.
