Lourdes, France - 14-16 April 2009

Above left: Peaks of the Pyrenees; Above right: Lourdes

While in France, I made a pilgrimage to Our Lady's Shrine in Lourdes, located southwest of France - a 6-hour direct (SNCF) train ride from Paris (round-trip cost 135E). The spiritual visit was a little disappointing as the town was overly-commercialized with hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. Medjugorje it is definitely not! That aside, I participated in pilgrimage activities like walking the Jubilee Way and the Way of the Cross, attending Mass, and joining the nightly Marian candlelit procession from 9-10 PM in the Sanctuary.

A visit to Lourdes would also not be complete without a visit to the Grotto. I paid homage to the Sacred Shrine of Our Lady in the Grotto and frequently drank and collected water from the taps nearby. For believers, the water from the Grotto has miraculous healing powers - spiritually, emotionally, and/or physically. This would explain the many sick, disabled and elderly pilgrims who visit Lourdes with steadfast faith for healing. If anything, the support, empathy and shared pain and suffering amongst the sick, disabled and elderly pilgrims, and the love and compassion from the volunteers seemed to lift the spirits of those involved. That, to me, was the biggest take-away of my brief pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Above: The church where Bernadette Soubirous was baptised - also the start of the Jubilee Way

Above left: The start of the Jubilee Way




Above right: The Jubilee Way led me to the Sanctuary

Above left: The water taps; Above right: The line leading to the Grotto where the Lady of Lourdes first appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858

Above left: The Grotto

Above right: At the start of the Way of the Cross

Above right: View of the Sanctuary from the Castle

Above: View of Lourdes from the Castle

Above: Pilgrims gathering for the nightly Marian procession

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Honfleur, Etretat and Giverny, France - 11-13 April 2009

Above left: Honfleur Town Center; Above right: The old harbor at Honfleur

Two hours drive northwest of Paris was the beautiful port town of Honfleur located in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France. My imagination was jump-started when I saw the medieval town-homes and old harbor as our car drove into the compact town center. The town managed to retain her old medieval charm without the feel of having "sold out". Still, with the long Easter weekend in place, the narrow streets were crowded with cars and weekend-ers from other cities.

Above right: In addition to these (seen) local delights, I also sampled mussels with fries and the apple brandy, Calvados - an aperitif or digestif alcoholic drink that instantly warmed my body from the cold

Above left: Notre Dame de Grace chapel (1615) on the hill Cote de Grace in Honfleur

Above left: Honfleur with the Pont de Normandie bridge in the background

Above right: Honfleur's old harbor at night

Less than an hour's drive north of Honfleur was the small coastal town of Etretat, famous for her stunning cliffs and three natural arches. I was impressed by the long and modern Pont de Normandie bridge that we crossed (over the Seine river) on our way to Etretat.

Above left: The Pont de Normandie bridge; Above right: A serene backyard of a home in Etretat

Above left: Etretat's natural beauty was also the inspiration of famous painters like Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet


Above: The White Bird monument in Etretat

Above right: The pebble beach of Etretat

Above left: The sandy beach stretch of Etretat; Above right: A house-boat :)

On our return to Paris, we detoured to Giverny to see Monet's hometown. Alas, we arrived too late to see his home and garden in a proper tour but still managed a few glimpses of them from the outside. The surrounding gardens of the American Art Museum were serenely beautiful to the senses all the same. :-)

Above right: Giverny blooms in Monet's Garden

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