IN NORWICH! I am finally here. I arrived late last night because the cab driver had difficulty finding Julian's Way, the actual street where the Julian Center resides. Still, I was greeted at the door of All Hallows Inn by Sister Pamela and her rollicking dog, Mattie (short for Matthew).
In the morning, I saw a beautiful view of St. Julian's church out my window. (Upper left photograph.) The original building was bombed in World War II, and the current structure was rebuilt on the original site. Julian's anchorhold (her cell) is believed to be attached to the church. A crucifix marks the spot inside the little stone room. Benches for sitting and stools for meditating are placed around the walls for visitors.
Also from the window of my room decorated in pink, I see the garden outside. It is early spring and I find primroses, daffodils and grape hyacinths blooming in the back and along the walkways to The Julian Center.
By mid-morning I had already been to Dame Julian's cell, and I sat in the quiet and watched the candles lit by earlier visitors. I waited for Julian herself to show up, but it didn't happen. It really is time to see her again, after 600 years, perhaps tomorrow she will take pity. We can only hope! Aside from missing my friend Julia, so far, this has been a great day (after sleeping 12 hours last night).
A kind person at the Julian Center named Shawn Tomlinson who is studying to be an Eiscopal Priest and who is also an Infant Aquatic tutor, showed me old Norwich where Dame Julian may have walked, She led me to the the great cathedral and pointed out many of its 35 medieval churches (yes, that was 35!) and bought us a lunch of salad and quiche. We looked at Julian's stained glass windows and found evidence of Julian's influence in every cranny.
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