Pilgrimage - Bbc 2

[naomi24]

A group of well-known people following in the footsteps of St Columba from Ireland to the Scottish Isles, and discussing their varying beliefs en route. This is, I think, the third series of its kind, the other participants having trekked to Istanbul and to Rome, but this is by far the most gruelling.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09w7lc0

If you're watching it I would be interested in your thoughts.

[goodgoalie]

I quite enjoyed it (apart from the annoying L-L B) but I think it was far from 'gruelling'. One moment they were on the Mull of Kintyre, the next suddenly on the shores of Loch Ness, with no explanation! Much travelling by minibus, but not shown to keep up the idea that it was all on foot.

I think there was a lot more walking on previous iterations of this, but they're running out of recognised pilgrim trails, hence the rather convoluted route taken for this programme.

[naomi24]

Hi Goodgoalie. Thanks for answering.

They followed the route that St Columba took - and he went to the north shore of Loch Ness. The first reference to the Loch Ness monster relates to him.

https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/day-565-st-columba-spotted-loch-ness-monster-1469045

I'm aware that much of the journey was covered by transport but I thought this more gruelling mainly because they trekked over some very rough terrain and had to contend with gusty wet weather, often ending up soaked through, not to mention sleeping on the floor of a hut with no mod cons. No Mediterranean sunshine there.

I thought Sikh cricketer, Monty Panesar, quite arrogant to insist that Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen, who claimed to be closer to a Pagan than anything else, harboured a deep faith but was unaware of it. It often seems difficult for people of faith to get their head around the reality that some people live quite happily without religion.

Additionally, the moment when modern Muslim writer and comedienne, Shazia Mirza, thanked the men of the mosque (that had no separate room for women) for 'allowing' the ladies to stand behind them at prayer I found utterly bizarre. Not a proponent of equality then.

Scarlett Moffatt I thought delightful. Naïve, simplistic, but a thinker nonetheless, and entirely sincere in her beliefs.

I look forward to the next series.

[naomi24]

There was another series ... The Road to Santiago.... so this is the fourth.