Saturday, September 28, 2019

Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes: The Best of Lourdes by Mini- Train (Immaculate Lourdes Series 8)

Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes 
The Best of Lourdes by Mini- Train
Immaculate Lourdes Series 8

Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes is a trackless
train, that goes around the pilgrim city of Lourdes,


The train is similar to the one being used
in LA’s Universal Studios Backlot Tour,


…and comes with  free tickets to Le Petit Lourdes,
a park with miniature diorama of ancient Lourdes,

 

...and  Musee de Cire a religious themed wax museum.

 

The mini train leisurely cruises
the main streets of Lourdes,

 



…and offers tourist the best views of the bucolic city




…with stops to most of the major tourist destinations.

 



A Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes ride
is the best way to see what the pilgrim city of
Lourdes has to offer aside from the Domain.

Links for the Immaculate Lourdes Series:

Hotel Majestic 
Tranquil Abode in Lourdes
Immaculate Lourdes Series 1 

AFC (AMMA Fried Chicken) 
Better Than Finger Licking Good. 
ImmaculateLourdes Series 2 

Rue de Grotte 
The Road to Holiness
Immaculate Lourdes Series 3 

Cinema Majestic 
Ancient Religious Theater
Immaculate Lourdes Series 4 

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes 
The Sacred Domain
Immaculate Lourdes Series 5 

Gave de Pau 
A River Runs Thru It
Immaculate Lourdes Series 6 

L’ Ermitage Restaurant 
Delicious Food, Friendly Service 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 7 

Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes 
The Best of Lourdes by Mini- Train 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 8 

Funiculaire du Pic du Jer 
Scenic Ancient Funicular Train
Immaculate Lourdes Series 9 

Pic du Jer 
The Best View of the Pyrenees 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 10 

Lourdes Evening Procession 
River of Lights at the Shrine 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 11 

L’ Europeen 
Delicious Indian Cuisine
Immaculate Lourdes Series 12 

Traditional Lourdes Pastries 
Unique French Provincial Snacks
Immaculate Lourdes Series 13 

Le Petit Lourdes 
Ancient Lourdes in Microcosm
Immaculate Lourdes Series 14 

Musee de Cire 
Awesome Religious Wax Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 15 

La Maison de Bernadette 
A Saint’s Humble Home
Immaculate LourdesSeries 16 

Musee de Pyreneen 
Breathraking Hilltop Castle Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 17 

Au Rendez vous des Ch’timis et des Bretons 
Good Food, Homey Restaurant
Immaculate Lourdes Series 18 

Amazing Lourdes 
Beautiful Rustic Pligrim City
Immaculate Lourdes Series 19

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

L’ Ermitage Restaurant: Delicious Food, Friendly Service (Immaculate Lourdes Series 7)

L’ Ermitage Restaurant 
Delicious Food, Friendly Service
Immaculate Lourdes Series 7 

Located right at the side exit of the Lourdes Sanctuary
right in front of the Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes
station, L’ Ermitage Restaurant  became our favorite
restaurant in Lourdes as it was a case of love at first bite.

 

The restaurant offered a massive spread on the salad buffet,

 

…and it was just for starters.

 

What followed was some of the most
delicious dishes served on our table.


My wife truly enjoyed her
File de Salmao el Jurancon

 

While my son got addicted to
his Hamberguer Patatas Fritas.


While I had the juciest, freshest Truta Meuniere.
The trout was oven baked to golden perfection, it
was sweetish and oozed with the delightful taste
and aroma of fragrant herbs and various spices.

 

My daughter was not feeling well that that
she decided not to eat and slept on the couch.

 

We concluded our lunch with a slab
of strawberry and vanilla ice cream,

 

… a sinfully delicious caramel- topped creamy custard,

 

…and the most delicious Apple Pie in the world.


We returned the next day for lunch and I recommended
Truta Meuniere to my daughter. Just as what I have
been raving, she agreed that it was indeed very delicious.


My son had a huge slab of tender, juicy, tasty 
Roast Chicken which he devoured with gusto.

 

My wife’s Grilled Rib Steak
was also very juicy and delicious,

 

Just like saving the best for last, my Duck Confit
like the trout, was oven baked to golden perfection.
It was very tender, oozing with the herb infused juices.


Despite the numerous dining options near our hotel,
at one located at one end of Rue de Grotte-.we chose  
 to dine several times at the L’ Ermitage Restaurant
located at the other end of the road. With the yummy
food they serve, the long walk to restaurant is worth it.

Links for the Immaculate Lourdes Series:

Hotel Majestic 
Tranquil Abode in Lourdes
Immaculate Lourdes Series 1 

AFC (AMMA Fried Chicken) 
Better Than Finger Licking Good. 
ImmaculateLourdes Series 2 

Rue de Grotte 
The Road to Holiness
Immaculate Lourdes Series 3 

Cinema Majestic 
Ancient Religious Theater
Immaculate Lourdes Series 4 

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes 
The Sacred Domain
Immaculate Lourdes Series 5 

Gave de Pau 
A River Runs Thru It
Immaculate Lourdes Series 6 

L’ Ermitage Restaurant 
Delicious Food, Friendly Service 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 7 

Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes 
The Best of Lourdes by Mini- Train 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 8 

Funiculaire du Pic du Jer 
Scenic Ancient Funicular Train
Immaculate Lourdes Series 9 

Pic du Jer 
The Best View of the Pyrenees 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 10 

Lourdes Evening Procession 
River of Lights at the Shrine 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 11 

L’ Europeen 
Delicious Indian Cuisine
ImmaculateLourdes Series 12 

Traditional Lourdes Pastries 
Unique French Provincial Snacks
Immaculate Lourdes Series 13 

Le Petit Lourdes 
Ancient Lourdes in Microcosm
Immaculate Lourdes Series 14 

Musee de Cire 
Awesome Religious Wax Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 15 

La Maison de Bernadette 
A Saint’s Humble Home
Immaculate LourdesSeries 16 

Musee de Pyreneen 
Breathraking Hilltop Castle Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 17 

Au Rendez vous des Ch’timis et des Bretons 
Good Food, Homey Restaurant
Immaculate Lourdes Series 18 

Amazing Lourdes 
Beautiful Rustic Pligrim City
Immaculate Lourdes Series 19

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Gave de Pau: A River Runs Thru It (Immaculate Lourdes Series 6}

Gave de Pau 
A River Runs Thru It
Immaculate Lourdes Series 6 

On our way to the Lourdes Sanctuary, the sight of the beautiful
river that runs thru the Domain caught my family’s attention.


We later learned that it was the Ousse-


…a tributary of the Gave de Pau.

 

Gave de Pau is a river of south-western France
named after from the city Pau, through which it
flows from its source in the Pyrenees mountains.


The Ousse river was so clear,



... we could see the smoothness of the rocks underneath 
and it amazed us, as we have never seen a river this
pristine in any urban centers in the Philippines.



My daughter got tempted to descend on its grassy
slope, gently inclining into the clean sandy bank-

 

…and  took a draft of the cool water in a cup of her hands
and commented; “it’s so cold and so clean you can drink it.”

 

The city of Lourdes reminds me so much of Naga City,  the
 city  where we came from. Just like Lourdes, it is also a 
pilgrim city  where the Lady of Penafrancia is found. 



It is considered as the largest Marian devotion in Asia.


Just like Lourdes, a river also runs thru it.
The Naga River, a tributary of the Bicol River 
plays an important role in the Marian pilgrimage
being the site of the Penafrancia fluvial procession.


Unlike the pristine Ousse, Naga River is murky and polluted.
The plant life is dead, there are no more fish, and even if there 
were it wouldn't be wise to eat them. For decades, people  
treated  the river like  it was a sewer and a dumping ground.


It is a dead river and the only time it becomes alive
is during the annual Penafrancia fluvial procession.


The miracle of the venerated Lady of Penafrancia
is probably due to the fact that nobody gets sick among
the devotees bathing in the filthy waters of Naga River.

Links for the Immaculate Lourdes Series:

Hotel Majestic 
Tranquil Abode in Lourdes
Immaculate Lourdes Series 1 

AFC (AMMA Fried Chicken) 
Better Than Finger Licking Good. 
ImmaculateLourdes Series 2 

Rue de Grotte 
The Road to Holiness
Immaculate Lourdes Series 3 

Cinema Majestic 
Ancient Religious Theater
Immaculate Lourdes Series 4 

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes 
The Sacred Domain
Immaculate Lourdes Series 5 

Gave de Pau 
A River Runs Thru It
Immaculate Lourdes Series 6 

L’ Ermitage Restaurant 
Delicious Food, Friendly Service 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 7 

Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes 
The Best of Lourdes by Mini- Train 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 8 

Funiculaire du Pic du Jer 
Scenic Ancient Funicular Train
Immaculate Lourdes Series 9 

Pic du Jer 
The Best View of the Pyrenees 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 10 

Lourdes Evening Procession 
River of Lights at the Shrine 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 11 

L’ Europeen 
Delicious Indian Cuisine
Immaculate Lourdes Series 12 

Traditional Lourdes Pastries 
Unique French Provincial Snacks
Immaculate Lourdes Series 13 

Le Petit Lourdes 
Ancient Lourdes in Microcosm
Immaculate Lourdes Series 14 

Musee de Cire 
Awesome Religious Wax Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 15 

La Maison de Bernadette 
A Saint’s Humble Home
Immaculate LourdesSeries 16 

Musee de Pyreneen 
Breathraking Hilltop Castle Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 17 

Au Rendez vous des Ch’timis et des Bretons 
Good Food, Homey Restaurant
Immaculate Lourdes Series 18 

Amazing Lourdes 
Beautiful Rustic Pligrim City
Immaculate Lourdes Series 19

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes: The Sacred Domain (Immaculate Lourdes Series 5)

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Sacred Domain
Immaculate Lourdes Series 5 

Being a pilgrim city the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is
 the main destination of most of the tourists in Lourdes, France.


Most commonly known Domain, the refers to the area
surrounding the sacred shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes.

 

The Rue de Grotte, is the main
thoroughfare to the sanctuary-

 

…that crosses a bridge at the Gave de Pau, which leads to
 the Abri Saint Michel the main gateway to  the sanctuary. 



 Right at the entrance is the Calvaire des Britons,
a sculpture of Christ’s crucifixion of at the calvary.


The L’ Esplanade is a tree lined pedestrianized road
flanked  with lovely well manicured gardens, parks,


 

… important places of worship like the Chaplee de St Joseph,
Basilique Saint Pie and the Musee de Miracle de Lourdes


The L’ Esplanade leads to a rotunda with the
Satatue de la Vierge Couronnee de Lourdes
perched on a tall pedestal serves as a centerpiece.

 


Right in front is spacious plaza
called the Rosary Square


…which leads to the Basilique de Notre Dame du Rosarie.

 

 

 

The Rosary Basilica, flanked by the two ramps and stairs,

 

…that leads to the Crypt,

 

…and the Upper Basilica,

 

...  which are built on top of
 Massabielle, above ground level.



Right is front of the Crypt is a wide space 

 

...that offers an awesome view of the Rosary Square,
the Satatue de la Vierge Couronnee de Lourdes
and the scenic, verdant, tree- lined L’ Esplanade.

 

At the right side of the Basilique de Notre Dame du Rosarie-

 

...is the grotto, the most scared place in this pilgrimage site.

 

The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
 within the rock cave at Massabielle-


…is the exact site where St. Bernadette Soubirous witnessed
the apparitions on what is now called the miracle of Lourdes.

 

Lourdes water flows from a spring discovered
by Bernadette at the base of the grotto, now
protected by a glass screen and lit from below.

 

Pilgrims drink Lourdes Water due to its reputed
healing power and collected from individual taps
located between the Massabielle and the baths.

 

The Baths or Piscines is located right ahead
and each year, approximately more 350,000
pilgrims bathe in the healing water of Lourdes.

 

Across the river is the Chapel of Candles -

 

...where pilgrims can light devotional candles and 
about 800 tonnes of wax is burnt annually in here.

 

 

Also at the other side of the river is the Church of St .Bernadette.


 .  
 It was built opposite  the Grotto, this is the spot where  Bernadette 
 stood during the eighteenth and final apparition of Virgin Mary..


Also called Église de Sainte Bernadette in French,
it has a church patio that offers a breathtaking view
of the Massabielle and the beautiful Upper Basilica.

 

At the rear part of the Église de Sainte Bernadette 
is the  Monastère des Sœurs Carmélites .

 

Nearby is the Accueil Notre Dame. Designed in the form
of “open arms” to remind that everyone is  welcome and
cared for at the Lourdes sanctuary. It is exclusively reserved
for the accommodation of the sick and disabled pilgrims.


Beside it is the Hospitalité Notre-Dame de Lourdes.
The headquarter of a Roman Catholic volunteers that
word like a religious confraternity, This group serves
various sections of the sanctuary like welcome pilgrims
at the Baths especially during the peak pilgrimage season


Sick pilgrims miraculously healed by Lourdes water
has been meticulously investigated and documented
by the church and by the Lourdes Medical Bureau.

 

For the Catholic devotees The Lourdes Sanctuary
is a must visit destination for Marian pilgrimage.

Links for the Immaculate Lourdes Series:

Hotel Majestic 
Tranquil Abode in Lourdes
Immaculate Lourdes Series 1 

AFC (AMMA Fried Chicken) 
Better Than Finger Licking Good. 
ImmaculateLourdes Series 2 

Rue de Grotte 
The Road to Holiness
Immaculate Lourdes Series 3 

Cinema Majestic 
Ancient Religious Theater
Immaculate Lourdes Series 4 

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes 
The Sacred Domain
Immaculate Lourdes Series 5 

Gave de Pau 
A River Runs Thru It
Immaculate Lourdes Series 6 

L’ Ermitage Restaurant 
Delicious Food, Friendly Service 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 7 

Petit Train Touristique de Lourdes 
The Best of Lourdes by Mini- Train 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 8 

Funiculaire du Pic du Jer 
Scenic Ancient Funicular Train
Immaculate Lourdes Series 9 

Pic du Jer 
The Best View of the Pyrenees 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 10 

Lourdes Evening Procession 
River of Lights at the Shrine 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 11 

L’ Europeen 
Delicious Indian Cuisine
Immaculate Lourdes Series 12 

Traditional Lourdes Pastries 
Unique French Provincial Snacks
Immaculate Lourdes Series 13 

Le Petit Lourdes 
Ancient Lourdes in Microcosm
Immaculate Lourdes Series 14 

Musee de Cire 
Awesome Religious Wax Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 15 

La Maison de Bernadette 
A Saint’s Humble Home
Immaculate LourdesSeries 16 

Musee de Pyreneen 
Breathraking Hilltop Castle Museum 
Immaculate Lourdes Series 17 

Au Rendez vous des Ch’timis et des Bretons 
Good Food, Homey Restaurant
Immaculate Lourdes Series 18 

Amazing Lourdes 
Beautiful Rustic Pligrim City
Immaculate Lourdes Series 19