love this bridge overlooking Eiffel in the distance and over River Seine

Invalides : Napoleon’s Militaire Fort

For 10 euros, Croque Monsieur, an illy latte cappuccino, and 2 bottled water

train passing thru Bordeaux

Bordeaux train station

My jetlagged smile at 7am...

petit dejeuner @ the hotel : croissant, butter, charcuterie & French pressed coffee = 9 euros

walking over to Sanctuaire over what looks like a glacial fed river from the French Alps

Our Lady of Lourdes Sanctuaires has 3 basilicas in honor of her apparition to St. Bernadette

Today, I am spending time at the Basilica of the Rosary...

very early AM while it’s still quiet

Dome of church

Glorious : Descent of Holy Spirit ... I like that they showed the 7 gifts

Glorious : The Assumption

Emblem for Regina Coeli in lapis lazuli - gorgeous!

Glorious: Coronation as Queen Mother of Angels & Saints

by the river bank fed by glacial waters

Can you see the Grotto of Apparition st the base of the giant Basilica?

Can you see the grotto now? That’s where she appeared to Bernadette

after 2 masses in French (1 in grotto and then at the Basilica of the Rosary)

Candl offerings

lovely afternoon @ the Sanctuaire

People watching procession on top of Basilica

Scale : 1 person by the top spires

by the grotto...

They built a gigantic basilica on top of the Grotto of Apparitions

Candlelight Procession finishing ...

Candlelight Procession

Pilgrims like me \240passionate about Ave Maria ... note Philippine flag from Paris filipino group in the very front

Love this fresh French rendition of Ave Maria! Note the scale of tiny people on top in contrast with the Basilica

early trek to Lourdes Sanctuaire for mass

outside Basilica of Immaculate Conception

Crown of Mary overlooking the Sanctuaire

Heading to the Crypt for the Latin High Mass

Reliquary of St. Bernadette

the relic

half awake ....

passing by the grotto...

Angelus by the Grotto of Apparitions

The spring opened by Our Lady thru Bernadette at the Grotto of Apparitions

inside the Basilica of Immaculate Conception

my first rosary of the day after high mass

yes... the boiler...

Local lunch :

Duo d’agneau francais avec rosemary : Roast Lamb with Rosemary with St. Emilion AOC Bordeaux \240wine.... all for the budget price of 24 euros!

Apperitifs : Liqeur de Cassis & Violettes !

armangac...

choir practice before procession

London/Westminster Archdiocese with hundred medical volunteers \240& elderly fragile patients.... they were on a chartered plane & does pilgrimage for 1 week every year. Lourdes Sanctuaire houses the patients in its very own hospital...

the Basilica of Immaculate Concepcion in the evening

hanging out by the bridge on the way to offering candles for today

Grotto of Apparitions... just spending time with Our Lady after the Candlelight Procession...

Out of nowhere, a priest started preparing an alter & announced they’ve decided to do an 11pm English Sunday Mass! (Definitely not schedued in the calendar).. 12 priest cocelebrants... then \240followed it with a Benediction.

What an amazing Sunday... spent more thanksgiving time w/Exposed Eucharist @ the Grotto like a Perpetual Adoration... I remember asking the Info Centre this morning, where the Perpetual Adoration is, they said He roams around through the Sanctuaire so they can’t say where...Yet, here He tonight at midnight with Our Lady @ the Grotto.

there’s so much here... could barely peel myself away from the Grotto tonight...

Candle offering enclave

entrance to the bath

what do 2 Ethiopian sisters from Chicago, a Puerto Rican woman from New York, a lady from Cambria IT and a Bay Area nurse - have in common?

we all waited more than 2 hours to get into the Baths! Swapped stories and tales from Etats-Unis \240& la dolce vita en italy ... offered the lunch skip as a penance & prayed the rosary together in \2405 different languages while in line... ;)

Apres le bain!!! Prayers offered before, during and after + the individual immersion in freezing alpine glacial water sans robe was invigorating!

Jolie grand - mère d'italie!

Cara & father from \240Italia!

Joined the British Troupe from Liverpool - parents in front & young ones in the back : they’re the only English speaking group here...

To my left, troupe from Espanya!

Walking forward \240towards the front & \240choir: This is just 1 group : patients and volunteers and archdiocese of Liverpool... hundreds of them

Espanya’s own musical arrangement for Our Lady of Lourdes -as she was being brought back from the procession into the Basilica : \240love all of it : the acoustic vibe and meaning

bulletproof French press :)

au revoir!

Gare du Lourdes ...

found my Platform E

Made it to Gare de Toulouse in 2 hrs...

now find the Gare Routiere

then find my lane : Ou est le bus pour aero port? oui oui 2 euros!

airport food ... saumon + mousse chocolat + sparkling elderflower soda

1 airport : 2 borders

har har ...one chance to get your luggage at the right time and there’s a countdown to the minute ... if you miss it, then you’re just going to have to the Swiss border to claim it

quintessential French Patisserie

French soap shop

Cathedrale Saint Pierre for AM mass, rosary & Perpetual Adoration

Clear alpine water with wooden boats!

Paddle boats anyone?

cutest mahogany boat on Lac d’Annecy!

flowers on every turn

crossing over to Annecy-Le-Vieux \240(Old Town Annecy) for lunch!

Entrance to Old Town Annecy

cute little bridge

view over little bridge...

Maisson de Glacé (Ice Cream House) with 70 flavors & parfums! Loved the Praline with roses the best!

Church by the bridge

Medieval Town of Annecy

I love this little alpine town!

Puis-je voir le menu?

Jamerais dejeuner: fresh Fritto misti

Medieval old town restaurant...

On the lake now

Limestone caves

Limestone massifs on top

Chateau on the lake

Caves

Alpine lake with massifs

Chateau on Lac Annecy

I’m hungry...

yummy testers!

Bread dipped in limoncello! genius!

interesting

Dijon with herbs

Jams

Nougat and chocolate!

various nut butters

ice cream house at every corner

a good patissier for breakfast

then it was time for dejeuner...

Dish for the Day: Moulles fraiches marinieres

up the hill in 108 degree heat...

Remains of St. Francis de Sales : Patron Saint of Journalists, by the church altar

Remains of St.Jane de Chantal : Patron Saint of the Forgotten, by the church altar

Relic of St. Jane de Chantal

Relic of St. Francis de Sales

La Basilique de la Visitacion

Liturge de Heures : du soir Vespers with the Visitation nuns then Benefiction afterwards

Chateau d Annecy

my everyday glace

Old town for glace

Lac d Annecy

3 Michelin star restaurant

Michelin Star Patisserie!

dipped in the lake!

left behind by the bus twice

Hitchhiked on a boat \240:) to my town across the lac

British saves the day and took me halfway back to Old Town

Basilica de Sant Thérèse of Lisieux

beautiful mosaic inside the Basilica for the Little Flower

Pelerin ... oui oui :)

gorgeous mosaic all around

just as beautiful on a a Sunday morning

choir practice before Sunday mass

beautiful colors

Basilique Superiure

Basilique Inferieur

Famille de Sant Thérèse ....

Blessed parents of Sant Thérèse canonized in 2015 to Saint Louis (father) & Saint Zelie (mother)

relic of St. Louis

relic of St. Zelie

Dome of Basilique de Sant Thérèse

Les Buissonet: where Therese and her sisters grew up

Tour Group with Seminarian Guide

Sant Therese lock of hair

Sant Therese gown for her 1st communion, daily garb on the left, her books on far left etc

city

City Park

Cathedrale Sant Pierre

British Choir practicing for their performance tonight... we got admitted 😊

Cathedrale Sant Pierre

WW Soldiers pray to Sant Therese in the battlefield

miracles in the battlefield...

another miracle

another miracle

amazing

Sant Therese Corps \240Incorrupt

Sant Therese Armitage