Saturday 20 December
A big day ahead of us, so it was an early start (8am here is VERY early!). With Toulouse still in darkness, & thankfully no traffic or pedestrians, we managed to escape the rabbit-warren without mishap! We had decided that a detour enroute to Bordeaux was in order & headed directly to Lourdes.
Lourdes was quite different to what we had expected. Every thing we had read commented on the tackiness & huge rows of souvenir shops - obviously none of these authors had been to Surfers Paradise to truly experience a tacky town! Nestled into the foothills of the Pyrenees, Lourdes is a sweet town. Over 200 hotels catering for the myriad of nationalities that visit - St Laurence's Shamrock hotel, St Michel-Angelo & The Hotel D'Grotto were a few that caught our eye. The entire set-up of the Grotto & churches is overwhelmingly huge & mind-boggling. The Grotto & associated area is accessible 24 hours. Vending stalls sell all sizes of candles (including a 150 euro 30 kg candle!) which can be left in one of the huge row of candle stations, burning continually. A long row of taps dispenses holy water from the grotto where people were queueing to fill the 10 litre containers they had with them. A mass was being held in the grotto, which we imagine still looked as it had originally. On top of the grotto was a huge basilica, underneath another huge church (that's right - a church built over the top of another church). Large chapels were off to each side of these structures, with services in all languages being held (including one in Tamil). Across the road we experienced the initial row of souvenir shops - all selling much of the same tasteless display: water bottles in the shape of the virgin Mary (with the lid being her crown); snowdomes of the grotto and packets of sugared almonds printed with "I prayed for you at Lourdes". We were "impressed"!
Back on the road for the final leg to Bordeaux. The backdrop of the snow capped Pyrenees disappeared as we headed north & finally reached our destination just in time for another nightmare entry - once again a pedestrian area, only it was the final Saturday prior to Christmas & EVERYONE was out. One way streets teeming with every person who existed in France, all wandering across roads in every direction. Tommy not a lot of help. The parking station we had been directed to had the dreaded "parc complete" sign - once again, tension within the car was high. A new parking station eventually found & the car deposited for the duration of our stay in Bordeaux.
Our apartment is gorgeous. In the middle of the old town (buildings and streets as they were during the French revolution, and half a street from the square where the guillotine ruled), we are on the 2nd floor. Large & airy, with french doors opening onto juliet balconies, fabulous old furniture with state-of-the-art kitchen; everyone is very happy to settle in.
Dinner is pizza from downstairs and an early night in preparation for tomorrow's exploration of this great town.
No comments:
Post a Comment