Grotte de Massabielle

We got up this morning at our site in Lourdes. Not terribly pleased to be charged full price and then find out that the toilets and showers are locked due to redecoration but, hey, we are here and we are in walking distance of the Basilica and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. The map provided told us we were a good 2 kilometres away from the shrine - but we left our site at 10 past 9 and we were at the Basilica by 10am. As our visit is on a Sunday, services were being held almost back to back, at the shrine, in the Basilica and in the Crypt. Choir boys were rushing here and there with their red and white vestments on hangers slung over their arms ready for their service. Many nuns were present, mostly wearing mid blue midi length garments with long stockings and shoes and their paler blue habits. But mostly it was just average families, individuals travelling alone, people being pushed in wheelchairs - having said that the site of the Basilica and Grotto covers a huge acreage. I have to say Lourdes itself is a very dusty, busy place with a fair bit of traffic, including very noisy motorbikes and scooters. It’s not really somewhere you would take time to visit were it not for its very special significance. Having said all that, it was relatively quiet and we were very lucky to find it so. We walked through the gates with Tom and walked nearly to the Basilica itself when a security guard asked us to take the dog away and outside the gates - one can’t blame them, but you can’t blame a girl for trying!!! Tom must be one of the few doggies to have made it as far as he did!!! Anyway, Alan and I had to separate and I went onwards alone whilst Alan sat outside to take his turn once I’d finished. It is very difficult to describe the atmosphere in this place - as you would expect it feels very humbling to be here - as you approach the side of the Basilica (which by the way can accommodate 25,000 people) towards to Grotto there are a row of stainless steel taps where you collect your holy water. I had in my bag some very special prayers to fulfil the wishes of friends who have very real and heartfelt reasons to have their prayers heard and that was in my mind as I walked. I also had little bottles with me so I could collect some of the holy water available here and I have those to bring back to the UK with a heart full of hope for those special people. As I approached the Grotto the Catholic Sacrament of Holy Communion was being held and I was able to join the service and kneel in prayer with the many pilgrims gathered. It was an incredibly moving experience and one which I will never forget. I was so lucky to be able to be so close to the Grotto and to the service. As time went on and the service came to an end, I left this area and moved back up to the Basilica itself. By this time I was quite cold, so I was grateful for the warm sunshine in this area. I went into the Basilica and witnessed another service taking place - bearing in mind Alan was waiting outside, I didn’t want to linger too long here so made my way up the steps to the top of this building which was very impressive and again there was a service taking place in the crypt. I made my way down from here and eventually made my way outside so Alan could take his turn to go and experience things for himself. Prior to our visit I did read up a little on the little girl Bernadette and her Visions of the Virgin Mary. She visited the area as a child with her sister to gather wood and it was there in the grotto that she witnessed her first vision of Our Lady. (There were 18 apparitions in total) She didn’t know who this vision was and didn’t want to tell anyone about it. However, her sister had other ideas and when they got home, she told her Mother what Bernadette had witnessed and both children received corporal punishment for their troubles. There were several visits by Bernadette to the grotto and on her third visit the apparition identified herself as the Imaculate Conception and instructed Bernadette to dig in the earth below her until a spring arose - she then told Bernadette that she should bathe in these waters to assuage herself of sin and to tell people to build a Chapel there. Well, sure enough, in time and following many trials for Bernadette and her family, the cathedral was built and believe me when I tell you, they built it right over the Grotto! Quite amazing. The apparitions occurred between 11th February and 16th July 1858 and on the 8th September 1933 Bernadette was declared a Saint of the Catholic Church. After Bernadette‘s death, her body was exhumed a total of three times - basically it would appear everyone wanted a piece of her! That feels sad. Anyway, eventually I returned to Alan and he then had the chance to go and check it out and came back as impressed as I was. As I said earlier, the town had very little else to offer other than tacky souvenir shops and so we made our way back to our base, packed up and travelled a few miles to Bagneres-de-Bigorre. The views along the roads here are so lovely. I think I have said before, it has a real alpine feel to it here and, nearly always, in the distance are snow capped mountains. We arrived mid afternoon - a nice

site with all services - very tidy, lots of lodges and very much child oriented. The weather has been so kind to us. Bright blue sky and not a cloud to be seen - long may that continue. Apologies for the photo being of the Tomdog again! But he is an illegal alien in this picture and was lucky not to have been banged up for the night. 😂😂😂 You can just see the pillars of the Basilica in the distance. Nighty night