Diary ng Seminaristang Pinoy sa UK...

Diary of a Filipino Seminarian in UK...

June 28, 2001

Peace and God bless.

As of this writing I am here in Plymouth for my personal holiday. I am staying with Ivor and Hiedi Howell, who were my pen friends when I was still in college, way back 1989. You see how God finds way for me to meet my friends, whom I never expected to see in person. The couples are both retired, so I had all the chances to be with them. I am also lucky because they have a car, a great advantage for me to see around the city of Plymouth and the countryside.

Ivor confessed to me that he is an atheist. Then he asked me if I am shocked of what he described of anything, because he questioned about my religious background, my faith and beliefs, customs and traditions and any reflections of the Church now and many more. I answered him the way I experience God in the Church and in my real faith. Also, he asked me about theological studies and in relation to science. I answered him simply, for when I pray I set aside theories and lectures. I pray and dispose myself according to my own faith. Yet, I have doubts. I do not really believe him to be an atheist for he has a deep understanding of religion and theology. Maybe the orientation is different, but he is more reflective than me in terms of faith and religion. I am nothing compared to him. I find him really very deep and well rounded in the field of religion.

Anyway, that does not affect my relationship with them. We do not argue about our own faith. In fact, I find it very helpful always to discuss with him about theology. He helps me a lot in my essays, not only for corrections of grammatical structures, but also of information. He finds it a joy always to receive my essays, which are more of theological interpretations. As I have said, he is and expert on theology and philosophy, very reflective and deep. Everyday, he is downloading books and information from the Internet for his file. He has his own library in the house and he is updating information always. He is such a great man.

Yesterday, we had our café at the port. The place is called Marina. You can see a lot of privately owned yacht. This is a millionaires' place. My friends are not well off, but they have enough to make a pleasure after their long work years ago. They are dependent on their pension and the savings before. They are members of the National Thrust, so they all have the chances to go and visit places anytime, free of charge. I am very happy to see them very careful with money expenditure, which is really very practical in this country. In their old age, they have prepared their future very wisely. I had a few photos at the port with them. We just roamed around the place, watching the boats coming in and out. We went home for a toast of bread with butter and pickles. Then we watched an old recorded tape of a German entertainment. Hiedi is a German and Ivor can understand very well German. Though I did not understand what they were talking, but I enjoyed the film.

In the afternoon, we went to Slough Prior at the countryside. It was really beautiful, with river flowing and falls and Rock Mountains. We had a great time trekking up to the top of the mountain. I enjoyed so much the beauty of nature. The place is very much preserved. People here are much disciplined and never throw any wastes anywhere. They respect so much the law of nature.

Today, we went to the house Cotehele. As the information says: At the heart of the riverside, the house of Cotehele was mainly built in 1485-1627 and was the home of the Edgcumbe family for centuries. Its granite and stonewalls contain intimate chambers adorned with tapestries, original furniture and armor. Outside, the formal garden overlook the richly planted garden below, with medieval dovecote, stew pond and Victorian summerhouses, and 18th century tower above. Cotehele mill has been restored to working condition, and at the Quay there are old buildings housing an art and craft gallery and an outstation of National Maritime Museum. The restored Tamar sailing barge Shamrock is moored alongside. A network of footpaths throughout the estate provides a variety of riverside and woodland walks with a high nature conservation and archaeology interest.

I really enjoyed the place. The steep valley garden was such a very wonderful footpath, under trees and cold. There was a little chapel, which was dedicated to Thomas Becket, who is now a saint. Actually, he is the first English saint. One would wonder how this huge Cotehele house is being built at the top of the hill. The garden in front is truly marvelous. We went inside the house, which is transformed into a museum. Lovely! There preserved are the armors, steel helmets, swords and many other things used during the war. Also preserved were the rooms and beds of the Royal family, the Edgecumbe's and the ones of Queen Anne and King Charles. The old chapel was very simple. It has become part of the museum, but they still use it for special occasion. They have transformed the stockroom (barn house) into a restaurant. I had some wonderful photos in these places.

Cotehele Mill is another marvelous place. They have preserved all the tools used in farming, in the house, for carpentry, milling and etc. But the most amazing part is the watermill, which up to this time is functioning perfectly. The water mill generates the whole system. A nearby stream is generating it, which is also very fresh and clean water.

The Quay is also marvelous. I had a photo of the boat (Shamrock), which they used in the old times. The port is still there. I guess this area was a former industrial place here in Plymouth. Tamar River is still very much there after hundreds of years ago. The bridge is very beautiful; the water is very strong, which gives more beauty of the view itself.

We had a very tiresome afternoon. We decided to have a bit of rest, a toast of bread and tea and a pudding of berries and cream. Then we watched the second part of the tap dancing. The River dance was such a powerful hit. Ivor recorded the show and they are just marvelous. I love both tapes. I wanted to borrow them for Edgar to see. But I realized we just have a short time to see it. Tomorrow, Ivor is going to send me off at the bus station for London. I just packed my things ready for tomorrow. On Friday, I will leave for Leeds, then to Chorley, Preston for my pastoral work. This place is close to Manchester and Liverpool.

Hope that things are going fine with you. Know that you are very much remembered and prayed.
In Christ's love
Raul