August 16, 2005, Day 9
Pilgrimage log
We departed Hotel Schiem around 9:00am and then made our
way to the German city of Düsseldorf. Upon arriving in the city we passed by
the Rhine (the third largest river in Germany) and were greeted by the waves
and smiles of thousands of other pilgrims entering the city. While waiting
to register to for the WYD events we passed time by guessing the nationality
of each flag we saw. Upon receiving our backpacks, I.D. cards, food
vouchers, and pass to the Pope’s Mass, we were on our way. After a brisk
15-minute walk we arrived at a stadium in Düsseldorf with what must have
been ten’s of thousands of pilgrims. They weren’t even the tip of the
iceberg as both Cologne and Bonn were holding welcome Masses with even more
pilgrims in attendance at the same time. After moving through security we
found seats in the stadium and prepared for Mass. Before the celebration,
flags from each country in attendance were brought out for all the countries
in the world. We let our patriotism soar as we cheered for the good old red,
white, and blue. Then the Mass started and was celebrated in various
languages, but mainly German. Cardinal Lehmann gave a stirring homily in
German, but it was translated over shortwave radio into other languages.
After Mass, left Düsseldorf for the town of Haggen and checked in to the
Hotel Mercure where we will be staying for the rest of the trip. Well,
Gudennacht and Avidesene! (Goodnight and Goodbye!)
Diary entry from Cindy
We woke up
to... more bread! I swear, the Europeans love their carbs. Then we set off
for another bus ride to Düsseldorf for the opening WYD Mass. The ride was
filled with eventful games of Egyptian Rat-Screw in which David, the tour
guide, showed us his catlike reflexes. You would have had to have been
there, but seeing him hanging over the seat slapping cards with Father Jim,
was pretty hilarious. When we finally reached the mass in the soccer stadium
we had all had a long day, so the Mass was refreshing. It ended up being two
hours long, but it didn’t feel like that at all. There were thousands of
people there. They were all cheering with their flags and it was hard to
conceive, with the lukewarmness of Americans, that they were all there for
Mass. It was amazing. A video was shown with music and clips of JP2 which
was emotional and made the transition of the new pope much more real. The
Cardinal’s homily was about discerning our hearts and the messages we
receive. He talked about how sometimes we can’t tell if they are truly the
voice of God calling us to do something great, like Abraham, or simply our
deep felt desires. It was a wonderful homily or as Father Jim put it “he hit
it out of the park”. Being as this is a pilgrimage I imagine the wisdom of
the Holy Spirit has only just begun to impact me, and I look forward to what
will come in the days ahead. I have been praying for all of you at home and
I miss my family (Mom and I are having fun!) and friends unbelievably a lot.
Please keep us in your prayers and I look forward to bringing whatever the
Lord blesses me with on this trip back to you.
Ciao! Cindy
More Trentisms and observations about our Europe
trip:
1. Murphy’s Law (European Tech Version): If a device needs to work for
you in Europe, it won’t. Telephones will have sticky or non-responsive
keypads. Even if the phone does work, your calling card will just dial you a
random Italian. “No! I’m trying to call America, A-M-E, ah forget it!”
2. When going to the bathroom the scene becomes reminiscent of solving the
puzzles in Indiana Jones movies (How do I open the door? Oh there’s a secret
switch in the fireplace). In Europe it’s: How do I flush the toilet? Is it a
cord hanging from the ceiling? A flat panel lever hidden in the side? Maybe
it’s a button on the floor I push with my foot? I have encountered and
overcome all of these.
3. Nothing is free. In America one takes for granted sitting down at a table
in a restaurant, eating bread, using ketchup, and going to the bathroom for
free. Here you pay a “Cuperto” of one euro to cover the napkins and price of
washing the utensils, bread refills cost a few euros, 70 cents for ketchup
and if you have 50 cents left, save it to pay for the bathroom because
you’ll be sorry if you didn’t. I accidentally stole some ketchup so if the
Swiss police ask about me just say “Sorry, we’re neutral like you guys,
we’re just not going to get involved.”
4. Anytime we’re somewhere I don’t know the language I ask the tour guide to
teach me “please, thanks, sorry, and bathroom.” As long as you know these
words you’ll be fine.
5. When trying to improvise German, Matt Lowry and I have resorted to
completely slurring the only German words we know, “Mach Shnell Ach Du
Lieber Gudentaugen brezen glieven!” and ending every phrase with “Hasslehoff.”
We should do just fine.
6. If I had to describe what Italy looked like to someone in one sentence
I’d say: Just imagine southern California but everyone has a red tile roof.
If I had to describe Germany I’d say: Just imagine southern California, but
all the road signs have 14 letters in them and they are impossible to
pronounce.”
7. Murphy’s Law (Gelato Version): The tastier and more expensive your
gelato, the more likely it will fall to the ground where you will have to
decide, “Do I scoop up the part that didn’t hit the ground and eat that?”
(Because it was three euros, I scooped)
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