12 days in Spain & 4 days in Paris- 9/12/14- 9/9/28/14

A day in Lourdes- Inside the cathedral

In the center is a small altar bearing six candles.  Wall is decorated with large Mosaics dating around 1900.

 

People come to pray...

 

Large Mosaic depicting Jesus Nativity scene.

 

Mosaic depicting Pentecost, referring to the whole 50 days between Easter and Pentecost. The feast is also called White Sunday.

A scene depiction the resurrection of Jesus.

The nave is open and circular, surmounted by a dome.

 

The dome contains sixteen circular stained glass windows. The fifteen spaces between these windows signify the fifteen decades of the traditional rosary.

The nave and the virgin Mary mosaic.

In the upper is a mosaic depicting Mary with outstretched arms and the caption "Par Marie à Jésus. 

Close up view of the beautiful Mosaic depicting the Virgin Mary.

Here the Virgin Mary is represented as a very young woman just as Bernadette's descriptions of the apparition.

 

The upper Basilica

 

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (French: Basilique de Notre Dame de l'Immaculée Conception de Lourdes), known widely as the "Upper Church", is a Roman Catholic, built between 1866 and 1872 and consecrated in 1876, it was the second of the churches to be completed. The church was built on top of the rock above the Grotto and next to the Basilica of our Lady of the Rosary.

 

The exterior of the dome is surmounted by a dramatic Gilded crown and cross. The crown symbolizes the power and glory of God and is donated by Irish pilgrims in 1924.

 

Entrance of the upper Basilica

 

Inside the walls are lined with ex voto plaques where worshipers seeks grace or wishes to give thanks, and banners from official National Pilgrimages of the past.

 

The basilica is 51 meters long, 21 meters wide and 19 meters high.
Built in 13th century and was blessed on 15 August 1871 and consecrated in July 1876.
It has a series of stained glass windows depicting various events in the story of Lourdes.

 

Hoa is heading out going to the Crypte.

The Crypte

The entrance of the Crypte

The Crypt stands on the “rock of Massabielle”, between the Upper Basilica and the Basilica of the Rosary
The Crypt was the first of the churches to be completed, and it is one of the smallest
. It was opened on 19 May 1866 and has room for 120 people.
A long access corridor covered with ex-votos (thanking and praising God, through the intermediary of the Virgin Mary, for all of his kindness) leads you to a place of silence and personal prayer.

 

Portrait of Bernadette at the entrance.

Next to Bernadette's portrait is a large bronze statue of St. Peter

The altar is a very quiet area.

The nave is small with enormous pillars supporting the weight of the Upper Basilica.

Corridor leading to other part of the Crypte

Chairs are set up for Mass.

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That's the end of our visit of Lourdes...

Boulevard de la Grotte

Boulevard de la grotte is the main Boulevard in Lourdes.  This boulevard is filled with  shops selling souvenirs for tourists.

Religious souvenirs are everywhere.

It was close to 1:00PM and we were searching for a restaurant to eat lunch.  We walked around a bit but there are a lots of shops but we did not see a lot of restaurants so we decided to eat at the first place we saw at the Hotel des Ambassadeurs.

 

After lunch we stopped by Bayonne and then we drove back to San Sebastian.

 

Next.. Dinner at Bodega Donostiarra/Film Festival

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