To the West country...

...for a family visit, travelling by a very late train from Paddington, and with a change at Bristol Temple Meads: one dear little family on the train had a child who was asleep, snuggled safely against Mum and Dad,and actually continued half-asleep as they gently stood him up to get him off the train - I knew exactly how he felt...

 Somerset, as always, enchantingly beautiful in lush summer greenery. A good time of family talk and catching-up over a cheery lunch, and then  a winding bus journey back to Taunton.  Because of travelling home on Sunday, I caught an evening Mass at St George's Church, a magnificent and imposing building in Billetfield,

Somehow, as it was a Saturday evening Mass, I had expected something slightly dreary, but it was very well attended, with lots of young people, and a rather good homily about St Paul. One of the readers was a young man with an exceptionally fine strong voice and we got chatting afterwards - turned out we had mutual friends in the English College in Rome...

An evening busy on the computer: rather blissful to have a comfortable room, no distractions, opportunity to tackle various projects.The hotel is very near the church, which is illuminated at night. I used, for the first time, my brand-new blessed-by-Pope-Francis rosary, given to me in Rome, and stood by the window, looking out on to the glorious tower of the church illuminated against the night sky...