PILGRIMAGE (2)

Because I went on this year's walking tour just after Easter, I was able to go on my wife's pilgrimage this Whitsun weekend (hence no blogging for three days). 65km over three days, in baking hot sunshine. It was tough towards the end, since I got a rather large blister under my toe towards the evening of the second day; but I made it.

A couple of observations. First, there are a lot of churches in Denmark. We walked through many small villages and nearly all of them had a church. Plain, whitewashed walls, wooden pews, and few or no pictures; but surprisingly well kept, both inside and in the churchyard. Secondly, a large proportion of priests in Denmark are women, particularly young women. It would not surprise me if they became the majority in x years' time; which would be remarkable, if you take a long view of the history of the church. Thirdly, although the churches are well kept, there are many derelict houses in these villages, particularly former grocers' shops. People are moving to the big cities, and small shops can't compete with the supermarkets. It is not easy to think of a solution to this problem, but if something is not done, then some of these villages will become deserted.

Walter Blotscher