Lourdes

First stop was Lourdes, which was about an hour away by car, I think. All the highways seem to be toll ones, too. Stink...

Not being of faith, I didn't really know a lot about the place, but I had swotted up by reading some of the touristy stuff that us assistants got given! For those that, like me, don't know a lot about it: it's "one of the world's great spiritual centres" because it was there, in a cave on the bank of the gave, that Bernadette Soubirous saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1858. I think Nikolas said that she ended up seeing the apparation on about 3 separate occasions. Anyway, to give an indication of how big an attraction it is: my tourist info says the town has about 15,000 inhabitants, but received about 6 million visitors each year! Luckily, it's not the tourist season atm.

Nikolas quite rightly pointed out that the place is basically full of hotels (this little place apparently has more than Paris!!) and shops, like the ones below.



We wandered down to have a look at where the cave was, but didn't take any pix in that area... Somehow seemed kinda disrespectful. However, there were queues of people in wheelchairs, waiting to go into the caves, and people kneeling in prayer in front of the caves. I can't say I understand that kind of faith, but I hope they get their miracles!

Also looked at where people leave candles. There are heaps of little trailer-like things in which you can put row upon row of candles - and vending machine thingees that you can buy them from. The vending machines are only for the wee candles, though. On the trailer-like candle holders, it had 'This candle continues my prayer.' So, if you want it to continue for a really long time, you spend 100+ euro on a massive candle. Amazing.

Oh, and you can also bring your 5L containers to fill with Holy Water.

Finally, checked out what I *think* was the Notre Dame de Lourdes. The big church near the entrance, that looks like this, anyway.



Stained-glass windows were amazing, and throwing coloured light on the opposite wall of the church. Sweet vaulted (I think that's the word?) ceiling. Also, messages of thanks for miracles received carved on the stone blocks of the back wall. Could have (and did, I guess) stayed there for quite a while, just looking at it.

Another impressive part of the Notre Dame (I'm just going to call it that until I find out that I'm wrong) was this whopping great crown. (Château de Lourdes in the background).



Nikolas reckoned that Lourdes was ugly, but did see a couple of pretty, more natural areas like below.