Europe Pilgrimage Trip Day 2

I shared a room with my parents and they sleep very early. After all, with 7 hours of time difference, they are very tired and sleepy. So, when I went out to explore our hotel area, Evergreen Laurel, it was still bright, but they continue on sleeping.

So, they were up as early as 4am.

Which explains why we were having breakfast at 7am. The food here is really good. Bacon, lots and lots of bacon! And fruits and yogurt and pastry. They were quite a number of people having breakfast, including this gorgeous stewardess from Eva Air.

Nevers is about 240km from Paris. The journey took us about 3 hours. By the time we arrived, it's time for lunch.

"Where's everybody?" asked my mum. The town is deserted, it looks like a scene in a movie about zombie apocalypse. Turns out, during Pentecost, the Monday after Pentecost is also a public holiday. So, the French would love to go out else where, maybe Paris, for the long weekend, it seems, so say our driver.

Right after lunch, we headed towards St. Bernadette's Shrine. This convent houses the congregation of the Sisters of Charity, which St.Bernadette joined when she was 22.

Sr. Isabelle Tzarick showed us around. She was here since 4 years ago. Before Nevers, she served in Bolivia. How delighted she was when I greeted her in French and introduced my sisters and I. I guess, it's the same excited feeling we get back home when a foreigner speak to us in our national language.

After our group photo was taken, Sr. Isabelle showed us into a room where about 300 nuns including St. Bernadette were at when the first join the order as a novitiate. Her sharing about how St. Bernadette insisted that she's just like anyone else and really detest all the attention given to her really touched me. When the Madonna appeared to her, she didn't know who she was until she did the sign of the cross and recite the rosary together at Lourdes. Even before she died, St. Bernadette after being bed ridden for several years, received her last rites and did the sign of the cross before giving up her last breath.

Sr. Isabelle also used the example of diamond and mud. She said, "We are all diamonds when God made us, beautiful. But when we sin, it's like having mud splattered on us. After awhile, we will lose our luster and forget how wonderful and valuable we are. We fail to see all that because of the mud. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, we being washed and polished when we are made right with God. "

St. Bernadette has a unique way of praying, which is to put herself in the shoes of the characters whom Jesus interact in the gospel like the blind man, Bartemius who call out to Jesus to see again or that cripple who Jesus asked to rise up and carry his mat. By doing that she feels closer to Christ as Christ is close to the broken hearted and the oppressed.

After her session, we had a private mass at St. Gildard.

I was quite lucky I manage to get a few shots in the chapel, as photo taking is prohibited (I didn't know until after the mass is over). The intact body of St Bernadette is placed there in the church. Her body have been exhumed 3 times, the first time is 10 years after her death and her body is still intact.

After mass, Sr. Isabelle brought us to a room which used to be the infirmary where St. Bernadette died, before it is turned into a chapel. She describes St. Bernadette's final days before she died and how she used to pray the way of the cross, everyday. Her dying words were "I'm ground like a grain of wheat."

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Then, our beautiful tour guide for the day, Mrs. Magdalena Du Bourg de Bozas took over and brought us for a short tour around Nevers. She's Polish and married to a Frenchman who she met in Paris 10 years ago, who she casually tell us, owned a castle. Aha..

First is the Palais Ducal or the Palace of Dukes.

This palace used to house the Dukes who ruled Nevers before the French Revolution. Then it was turned into a court of justice. A lot of criminals were once judged in this exquisite building. Now, the court of justice is moved to the Bishop's Palce which is also beautiful.

Next is the Nevers Cathedral. It is both Gothic and Roman in design and have been rebuilt several times due to the World Wars and fires that rages the town. Some of the stained glass are also new and contemporary.

The stained glass below is very interesting, it features St Bernadette even when she was still alive and not yet beatified.

After this short tour, we checked in at Baladdin Hotel in front of the Nevers train station and explore the town. It's a charming town indeed. Too bad, it's deserted.

Too bad, our hotel imposed a curfew on us, we have to be back by 10pm. An interesting day indeed.

Europe Pilgrimage Trip ( France,Spain and Portugal ) Day 1

It's been awhile since I go on a trip with my whole family (almost). I have a list of thing I would like to do before I'm 30 that is to visit Europe, doesn't matter which country. I almost did, last year for the World Youth Day in Spain, but alas due to complications and clashes at work and my training schedule, I can't make it. It was frustrating since i've been planing for 2 years. That is why I'm so thankful when my dad insisted the whole family go for this pilgrimage to Lourdes.

My parents have always been religious, so I grew up in a sctrict Catholic environment. I have to thank them for being a hugh part of my faith formation. I've not seen them since Christmas so naturally I miss them.

It's a group of 33 people including a priest, Rev. Father Joseph Liew. My parents flew in from Kuching with the whole group and my sister, Beatrice "Beat" Emma and I joined the group at KLIA. It's my first international flight for KLIA and checking-in was a headache as the personals insisted that we use the automated self-check in kiosk which didn't seems to hold our booking info until the officer in-charge helped.

So we were at the departure hall waiting for the rest of the group before we found out the the group have been divided into two, as there have been some problem with our booking. So, the other group have to fly in to Frankfurt instead of Amsterdam with us. My family was lucky, none have to fly to Frankfurt.

There's a lot of first times for me for this flight. It's my first flight with KLM. 12 hours journey on a Boeing 777-300 is definitely my first and despite the awesome entertainment suite, I wasn't that interested and slept the whole journey. The food is good but to me the air stewardess are a shock to me. They are old. But it doesn't mean that they service are any less good. The food is good and have a variety of choice for beverages. "What would you like to drink? We have red wine, white wine, beer and water. " I settled for a glass of orange juice and a bottle of red wine.

There were about 600 people aboard the plane and only 8 toilets. Naturally, the toilets are always occupied. Aisle seat is good if you have a weak bladder not when you are seated next to someone wrote the same condition. So, I was like constantly going in and out of my seat as the lady I sat beside keeps on going to the loo.

When we reached Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, it was already very bright. Before landing, I had a glimpse of the aerial view of this beautiful country. Too bad, it's just a transit. Our connecting flight is at 8am, so we just have about an hour to explore the airport.

Our connecting flight to France is a shorter one in a smaller plane, a Boeing 737-300. By the time we got to Charles De Gaulle Airport, our ride is already waiting for us. Our driver is Portugese and he's from Lisbon. When we saw him with his blazer, he don't look like a driver at all, but like some businessman.

After picking up the rest of the tour members who flew in via Frankfurt at Terminal 1, we proceed to the City of Love, Paris. It was a pleasant journey on a modern highway with walls decorated with graffiti all the way to the city centre.

After a heavy Chinese lunch, our guide brought us for a short tour around Paris. It is a really charming city, with awesome architecture. These makes Paris so fotogenic. The city is so full of history and culture. Too bad, we didn't get to go the Musee de Lourve with housed a few thousand paintings and sculptors with includes the famous Monalisa.

After Eiffel Tower, we proceed for our private Pentecost Mass at the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse. It's a very beautiful chapel indeed. Check out the fresco below.

Right on top at the middle, the fresco recalls the night in which the young Sister Catherine Labouré received the first visit of our Mother Mary.
Her intact body is placed here in the reliquary at this chapel together with the body of St. Louise de Marillac, co-founder of the Company of the Daughters of Charity with St Vincent de Paul.
After mass, I bought some of the miraculous medal as gifts.

After the chapel, we visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral. It's huge and there's a long line snaking into the entrance.

On a lighter note, what is the City of Love without weddings. It seems to be a trend started by the Chinese to get married in Paris and hire super long limousine.

Paris is also a very dog-friendly city, with people walking their dogs everywhere.

Parisian cycle a lot too. They even have trishsaws.

Paris girls are beautiful, yes.

After a long day, we checked in our hotel at the south part of Paris. It's a little bit hard to get used to the fact that the sun will only set at around 10pm.