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