Lourdes - Pyrenees, Laruns - Pyrenees - FRANCE

FRI 16TH OCTOBER, 1998

We awoke by 10 and late as usual! and from my warm bed I could view the mountains through the window. They looked even more magnificent than yesterday in the warm morning light. We delayed our departure this morning as we urgently needed to do some washing (I last did it in Dublin) and to affix the number plate on the car.

After a somewhat relaxing morning we pulled the car out of the campsite and drove to downtown Lourdes. The events that occurred to Saint Bernadette (explained in yesterday's text) led to Lourdes becoming the world's most visited Pilgrimage site. The town itself is sited on a hillside over looking the river "Gave du Pau", which flows at a ferocious rate past Bernadette's Cave (where her apparitions occurred). The holy cave now has a basilica built above it. As you walk down the main boulevard towards the church you pass many pilgrims, mostly of Italian, French and Dutch origins. As well as the largest group of nuns you can imagine gathered in one place. Among the nuns are multitudes of sick people all wishing for that miracle cure from swimming in the sacred spring. I've never seen anything like it. The site offered more types of movable wheelchairs/beds than you can imagine.

As I am not a religious person myself I found the cave to be most extraordinary. Hordes of the faithful would line up and pass the mouth of the cave (where a statue of Mary is now placed) and rub anything they could against the wet limestone rock. Young and old alike were in a state of ecstasy and I quite frankly could only perceive it to be likened to a circus. I have nothing against religion, but believe that it is something you keep precious to yourself, rather than selling it like mass tourism. Lastly we spent a few moments looking at the interior of the basilica with its domed roof and detailed biblical mosaics adorning the walls. We left and retraced our steps back to the van, passing the kitschy souvenir stalls. Would you believe we left without buying a Mary water bottle (one wonders how holy it would look filled with orange cordial) and a copy of the latest Christ holographic poster, blood stained and all!

The next few hours were some of the most enjoyable yet. We began to cross the Pyrenees mountains towards the Spanish border, passing some of the most breathtaking scenery. Including high mountain passes, small villages, tunnels carved in stone and views to die for. Again the autumn colours in the afternoon sun were beautiful and the snow capped peaks made a fabulous background. We stopped on the Col D'Aubisque pass surrounded by soaring snow capped peaks and pastures with horses grazing. On one side we looked down upon the ski town of Gourette with its maze of lifts.

Finally we took a descent down the mountain, through a narrowing gorge (crowded with autumn colours) to the town of Laruns. We found a nice campsite over looking the town and the mountains and settled down for a dinner of smoked salmon, salad, salami and cheese whilst the sun set. Bonne nuit for the last time in France.