The Slipper Chapel, Walsingham, Norfolk

I'm on holiday in Norfolk with GG.

Today was our first full day. Our coach took us to Walsingham, where the driver and his assistant neither knew nor cared about the various different shrines associated with the apparition of the Virgin Mary. I, on the other hand, had once researched a book about pilgrimage, so wanted to head to the Roman Catholic shrine.

Walsingham info here: http://www.divinemysteries.info/the-virgin-by-the-sea-walsingham-1061ad/

GG and I set off down the road in the heat. A labourer told us it was "at least a mile" to the shrine. GG decided to stay in the village, as she wanted a coffee and we only had one hour to spare. I think she made the right call, for her. I teamed up with two other women from our party and we struck out briskly. Fields of gold glinted on either side of the road, once we'd passed the priory, and the sun beat down. One of the women said that she was making this small pilgrimage in honour of her sister, who'd passed, and that it was her first solo holiday. We congratulated her. After a while we came to a bend in the road, and a bridge. Some accomplished artists had sent up an easel en plein air, and were painting there. Eventually we glimpsed a tiled roof in the distance, and it turned out to be part of the complex of buildings we wanted to reach. Relief all round! We just had time to glimpse the inside of the chapel, filled with silent worshippers, and then I popped into the gift shop to buy some 'holy pictures' for friends who couldn't be there with me, but who would have liked to be.

When I emerged, the other two had disappeared! I set off down the road again, then returned and searched a few buildings, knowing that they definitely weren't ahead of me on the road. No sign of them. I set off again. The sun scorched me. Heavy rumblings began to be heard in the clouds above me. My pace grew ever faster. I thought of the opening scenes of North by North West. On and on I went. The occasional car passed me, but the two women were not to be seen. I began to feel I'd let them down. I didn't even know their names.

Finally, I saw a sign on a country lane pointing uphill to a coach park. This seemed most unlikely, but I took the lane and it turned a corner and led to a closed barrier. I shimmied under, and saw our coach twinkling in the distance. Phoned GG, and asked to speak to the driver. He was not worried about my being a few minutes late, nor about the other two women.

I boarded the coach, and we waited. A short while later, the two women arrived. One of our fellow travellers, who had the pilgrim's scallop shell dangling from his knapsack, told them that there was a much shorter way to get there and back! No mind, we had completed our Sacred Journey. My shirt was sticking to my back.

The coach set off for our next destination. GG announced that she'd like to walk the Camino, in Northern France and Spain. I warned her that it is Tough Going. I'd caught a glimpse of pilgrims travelling the Camino five years ago, in Cantabria, and it's a serious walk. Later, I caught up with the two women and asked them if they'd thought it was worth it, and whether the deceased sister would have liked it. We all agreed that we'd have liked to spend more time in Walsingham, because it is a village of many shrines of many faiths, as well as the priory and some beautiful flint-studded houses.

I shall return.

We also visited Wells next-the-sea, which is inland, and took a boat trip to Blakeney point, to see seals and seal pups in their natural nursery on the point. This was a stunning sight and a beautiful boat trip, but I've chosen the Slipper Chapel image because of my would-be 'pilgrimage'.