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Showing posts with the label Our Lady of Lourdes

Meditation Hills

Halfway between Roxas City and Kalibo is the town of Sapian, Capiz which is the home of the lush gardens of Meditation Hills. Yes, it is a great place to meditate amidst nature's beauty and bounty. What I like best about the Healing Chapel is its location halfway up the hill. It has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside and the hills across the road below.  This uphill path leads to the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. I didn't venture the climb as we were there at midday and it was really too hot and the sun had sapped away my energy. All I wanted to do was take a nap. The best time to attempt this climb would be early morning or late afternoon. Bring a hat or parasol and suntan lotion.  The grounds are well manicured and the trees seem to have grown and recovered easily after the devastation of the super typhoon, Yolanda.  Above the grotto and many more steps to hurdle is a big white cross which can be seen for miles around. That cr

A Day in Lourdes

  Our Lady of Lourdes Bayonne is the ideal home base for explorations in the Atlantic southwest of France (Basque country). This town has distinctive architecture characterized by colorful window shutters. It also has an impressive Gothic cathedral with a medieval cloister. Bayonne reminds me of Zürich without the glitz. From Bayonne, its an easy 15-minute train ride to Biarritz, the surfing capital of France and an elegant seaside resort. Biarritz has a long promenade with breathtaking views of the Atlantic as it crashes into the rocky shores below. St. Jean de Luz is a picturesque village just south of Biarritz. It has a vibrant harbor, ornate iron balconies and a protected beach. And I love its sleepy small town feel that is suddenly transformed after siesta. But my main destination during this trip was Lourdes, the second most visited city in France. I wanted to see the grotto where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the young girl, Bernadette Soubirous (this story was popularized