Back home

We have been home for a week. The journey back was smooth, and the weather favourable (until we crossed the Channel.) We spent more time, with a 24 hour stop in Troyes (a delightful city, with many medieval buildings and a cathedral which had some of the best displays about the life of the church we have ever seen.) But it was quite tiring, and difficult for Jo with her worsening arthritis and stiffness.

Our time in Grenoble was enjoyable and rewarding (as all of our periods of locum ministry have been.) The congregation (around 50/60 adults most week) seem committed and regular in attendance (even if punctuality was not a distinctive feature!) As ever, most of the work is done by a small core group. But there was enthusiasm in the worship, and a strong and evident desire to come together and to learn.

There is clearly a great deal of need among many of the African members. The absurdity and injustice of many of the regulations concerning asylum-seekers was obvious; there seems a random character as to who can obtain residence rights and the right to work. People were remarkably patient in coping with what must be very stressful situations. There did not seem to be any expectation that the church would offer anything other than moral and spiritual support (though some members offered them some casual work.)

Grenoble itself is a pleasant and easy-going city. Cycle-routes abound and are well used. Drivers were more considerate than in many other French towns, to the extent of stopping as we got anywhere near a pedestrian crossing. It’s a busy university city, with a resulting cosmopolitan mix of young people, who enjoy a wife range of cultural and leisure opportunities.

We became aware of the considerable degree of uncertainty among ex-patriate Britons about the effects of Britain’s leaving the EU. Questions about residency rights, health care and pension payments have not been adequately answered. It is really disappointing that so many in the UK do not appreciate the benefits of acknowledging our European roots and links in so many areas of life. And there has been little awareness of the vision and opportunity that a United Europe can offer.

The weather improved considerably for our final weeks. On one day-off we drove westwards through an agricultural region, where there were acres of walnut trees; we passed through St Marcellin, home to cheese-making. Our goal was the old town of St Antoine l’Abbaye; the abbey church and many of the monastic buildings remain; it was a pilgrimage centre as well as home to the Antonine monks and their hospital for sufferers of ergotism (‘St Antony’s fire’.)

Our final week was blessed with the arrival of Rebecca and Nathanael who stayed for three full days. This was an incentive to use the télépherique, which goes over the Isère up to the fortified Bastille which overlooks Grenoble and offers good views over to the surrounding mountains. We also visited Voiron and the cellars of the former Chartreuse distillery: fascinating to learn that the precise recipe for the mixture of herbs used is known only to two of the Carthusian monks, having been passed down orally for nearly three centuries. After that we drove across the Chartreuse massif, passing several ski stations.

Returning to SW England is pleasant, but church life seems rather incomplete – everybody is white, and around our age! We have been asked to return to Grenoble in the summer, as the vacancy is not likely to be resolved for some time. We shall be pleased to do this , and look forward to continuing our acquaintance with the church members, and the region around the city.