Arrival

We have arrived in beautiful Canterbury - the pinnacle, the goal, the destination of our trip. Having traveled so far, it was a breathtaking sight to see the Canterbury Cathedral come into focus in the horizon. We plan to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, rest a few days, and start our journey back to Southwark. It has truly been a pleasure traveling with everyone in the group thus far and I look forward to the journey back.

As for the contest, we are right on schedule with our storytellers. The Knight, Miller, Reeve, Cook, Sergeant of Law, Wife of Bath, Friar, Summoner, Clerk, Merchant, Squire, and Franklin have all spoken, and the others are scheduled to tell their tales on the way back to Southwark. Do not forget that the winner of this contest is to have a feast in their honor once we arrive back.

We are about to enter the Cathedral, so this is where I leave you for now. I will rejoin you on the way back to Southwark.

Enjoy,
The Host

Life on Land

Ahoy!

I am the Skipper, a man of the sea. I have traveled every body of water in and around England. People say that I am ruthless and unafraid to steal, and I assure you they are every bit correct. Even the horse I was riding on (attempting to ride on, rather) just today was stolen from a farm as the farmer slept.

This trip has been incredibly beneficial for me thus far. The other members of the pilgrimage are quite clueless when it comes to the disappearance of their belongings. Hopefully they will remain clueless as I plunder their bags each night.

I have never been one to say much, so I leave you with several pictures of things I have stolen from my fellow travelers.

a fighting knife, a bottle of wine, and a pair of leather boots

Stories and Hunting

Greetings:

I am the Monk, one of the three members of the pilgrimage the Host has asked to post on the blog. Personally, I have many other things I would rather be doing. However, the Host has been exceptionally kind thus far and I found it hard to refuse.

First, a little about myself. I am a member of the clerical class, and my job is to devote my life to work and prayer. Over time, I have found these tasks to be dull and meaningless. Instead, my life is filled with hunting, good food, and fancy dress. My hunting dogs and prized horses are the best in the country, bettered by none. The life I lead is much more exciting than the boring life of a normal monk.

Reading the blog, I see the Host has already revealed the Contest to you. Others in the group have told me that the Knight, the Miller, and the Cook have already told their tales, but I am not to be bothered by these lifeless stories. Instead, I stray from the group as we travel to hunt. Like my lifestyle as opposed to the accepted lifestyle of a monk, hunting is far more fun than riding slowly with the group and listening to stories.

Included below is a picture of a deer moments before I started hunting it down. I regret to say that I was unable to kill this one, but I will certainly have better luck in the future.

Having fulfilled my promise to the Host to post, it is unlikely I will post again. I wish the best to all of you readers.

- The Monk

The Contest

I thought I would just give you a little update on our trip:

We are well on our way to Canterbury now, and have arrived in the small town of Darenth. 

During the meal the night before our trip began, I proposed a little contest to make the trip more interesting. Every member of the pilgrimage is to tell their own personal story, and the person with the most interesting story will be treated with a feast in their honor when we return to Southwark. I am to be the judge, and straws were drawn to determine the order in which they will tell their stories. 

The Knight has already recited his tale, filled with adventure and suspense. The Miller's tale is up next, and he will have a hard time captivating his audience as the Knight did. After the Miller, the Reeve, Cook, and Sergeant of Law are to have their turns.

I look forward to the rest of the trip and to hearing the rest of the tales of this diverse group of people. I will post again once I have the chance.

Best wishes,

The Host

Expectations of the Doctor

Hello, everyone!

The Host has asked me to aid him in the updating of this blog, and I am looking forward to it! I wish to express my expectations of this trip as well as make several predictions, but I will first tell you a little bit about myself.

I am considered by many to be the best doctor in the area. With a background in astronomy, I have the ability to watch the stars and cure any illness that comes my way. I am well versed in all the famous doctors and philosophers, including Hippocrates, Rufus, Hali, Constantine, and Dioscorides, among many others. Any illness that happens to ail you will stand no chance against my skill. I eat only what is necessary, never indulging in any superfluities. I am not a very religious man, and it is my belief that gold stimulates the heart.

This pilgrimage to Canterbury is something that I look forward to. It is common during such trips that many people fall ill, which is beneficial to me. The more people that fall ill, the more people I will treat. The more people that I treat, the more people I cure. Stories of my skill will be told throughout my group of fellow travelers and I will find increasing numbers of people coming to me for my help. Naturally, I will charge a fee for each patient. By the end of the trip, I hope to have acquired quite a large sum of money.

We are about to begin our trip, so I am unable to write more at this moment. Be prepared to hear more of my success in the future as our trip progresses.

- The Doctor