Our Field Trip to Lourdes

Yesterday, Wednesday, April 9th, we took our first field trip, traveling about 2 hours west to the pilgrimage town of Lourdes. If you don’t know its history, let me give you a brief run down, since Polley and I sat through the video (a private viewing in a room that would have seated about 50!) In the middle of the 19th century, a young girl, Bernadette Soubirous (the car is not named after her!), saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in a grotto where she had gone to do her daily chores. For the next two weeks or so, she was visited by the apparition a total of 18 times. Word spread about the sightings and, eventually, Bernadette became Sister Bernadette and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was built on the rock of the grotto (at the behest of the Virgin).

The entire town is built around this shrine and millions come to visit every year. More about all of this later.

Polley and I were going to reach Lourdes by taking a train from Toulouse to a town called Tarbes, where we to then change trains for a brief ride down to Lourdes. We had decided to take a cab to the train station as we left quite early Wednesday morning. At first, we were going to simply flag a cab down, but we noticed cabs are not very plentiful in Toulouse except at the aeroport and le gare (train station). So, I thought that if one is truly going to enter into the culture, one needs to do things like get on the phone and call a cab. So, I did! The phone reservation went very smoothly. The only problem was that our apartment is right next to a Novotel Hotel. The cab arrived that I was sure was for us, but, of course, it went to the hotel and picked up someone else (they had not taken my name on the phone). Suddenly, with about 45 minutes to go we were without transportation. So we hustled down the main street to find a cab. No luck! Finally, in a panic, I went into another hotel and got the desk clerk to call us a cab. With 10 minutes to spare we were at le gare!

French trains, of course, run precisely on time. We were shortly underway for out 90 minute trip to Tarbes.


The trip runs parallel to the foothills of the Pyrenees. I took a couple of pictures out of the train window at the snow-covered peaks.




While the wind had been howling and light rain falling in Toulouse, by the time we got to Tarbes, the sun was shining and with an hour layover, we found a little café and based in the sun for 45 minutes or so. Tarbes, just in the few blocks around the train station had some interesting architecture. I captured a couple of the places close by.




At about noon we arrived in Lourdes.

We, of course, had bundled up because it was cold and damp in Toulouse. In Lourdes the sun was shining and we spent more time carrying out jackets than wearing them. We went immediately to the Tourist Information Office to get a map of the town and to begin our own pilgrimage.
To get a sense of Lourdes, you need to understand that this small town of about 16,000 has the largest number of hotels, second only to Paris. Building after building is a hotel. Most are on the second floor (the French lst floor) with a retail business below, most likely a souvenir shop related the blessed miracle. One of the things that people do in Lourdes is bless themselves or submerse themselves in or drink the water. The most amazing “trucs (French souvenirs)” were the variety of containers one could purchase to collect water from the grotto. My favorite was the clear plastic Virgin Marys in a variety of sizes. I imagined freezing them and having some amazing ice cubes for parties or University socials! There were also small water containers that looked like a miniature version of our standard gas cans. I must apologize for not documenting these containers. They were truly amazing.

Anyway, from the tourist office, we made our way down the hill, winding through the town, past the hotels, truc shops, and water source for the town.


You enter the Sanctuaire at St. Michael's Gate.


Beyond that is the Basilica and all that is contained within the complex. It is a bit like entering the "Magic Kingdom."


It is immense! There are dormitories for those who are ill and handicapped and who have come to seek the blessing of the waters of the Lourdes. You see volunteers wheeling those less mobile to and from the basilica. There are chapels everywhere, with a huge underground basilica, and chapels of reconciliation and contemplation. There is a journey past the Stations of the Cross, which, from photos, looks to be quite spectacular in the evening. It is truly amazing.

Polley and I made our way through St. Michael’s gate and up to the Basilica. It was built in the latter part of the 19th century at the insistence of the blessed Virgin.








We also made our way around the side of the Basilica to the grotto itself where you could walk along the dampened wall of stone and touch the place in which the vision took place. Spigots run along a wall so that you can fill your personal Holy Water canteen.


Beyond the grotto itself is a huge area for the lighting of candles in tribute to particular friends and family members. Here we are not talking your small votive candle, but you see people carry candles that are four or five feet in length, some which appear to be small missiles. Those that have melted down are continually replaced by new ones. It seems never ending!


After our visit to the Basilica, we returned to a Tourist Information Office right on the grounds We did start up the path for the Stations of the Cross. We had seen these in the video presentation. However, when we climbed the hill to begin, we were shocked. They are bronze, life-size statues, but they have been an exterior coating that makes them appear to be plastic representations of metal. I did not get pictures, because I was afraid I could not do them the proper injustice!.

After a lunch and some further wandering about the town, we slowly made our way past Lourdes Castle that stands on a hill, separated from all the activity, looking a bit like a hurt child who is no longer the center of attention. "Up until 1858 it was all about me! What happened?"



By about 5 p.m., we had been pretty thoroughly beaten down what with various treks back and forth through the town, around the Sanctuaire grounds and up the hill for the Stations of the (double) Cross. We slowly worked our way back up the hill to a cafe across from the train station, where I caught another view of the town with the Pyrenees in the background.


About 6 p.m., we caught a direct train back to Toulouse. We got in about 8:20 and headed home. A very nice cabbie in a very posh Mercedes whisked us to our door. We followed up with some excellent bread, cheese, and paté and headed to bed. The first of what we hope will be weekly field trips. More later.