Goodbye to Italy and a Pilgrimage within a Pilgrimage

Since my Ryanair flight left at 8:15 Monday morning, I decided to not tempt fate by trying to go from Cremona to Bergamo by train Monday morning. So I booked a very small (read 'cheap') B&B near the airport for Sunday night. To make it even better my friends Licia and Stefano offered to take me. We found the little B&B to be a second story partially restored home in an old castle/manor house so we explored the manor house before finding a place for a bite of supper. I was so glad for their company. I was not ready to say goodbye to Italy. 

Although I was really worried about Ryanair's weight limits, I was way under and made it to the Frankfurt Hahn airport some 22 miles from my destination: Bad Sobernheim but it took 2 hours of bus, train and taxi to get me to the hotel/spa. 

From the train in Oberstein station: notice the castle up to the right. 

At the four-star Hotel Maase Therme, I have the joined a group from Spiritual Directors International for a 10-day pilgrimage to the sites of the 12th century visionary Hildegard of Bingen during the time of her feast day (Sept. 17). To read more: http://sdiworld.org/interfaith-pilgrimage/germany 

My room. The switch from less than one star to a 4 star hotel has been 'challenging' but I am managing!

View from my room. Ours days will be spent alternating between rest/prayer/free time and visits to the sites important in Hildegard's life (1098-1179) as abbess, visionary, healer, letter writer to popes and emperor and bishops, preacher starting in her late 60's in a time that only men preached.