April 14

Today, the Grade 11's and other travelers left the Earl of Desmond Hotel at 8:30 AM. As we were driving, we passed through some small, but interesting villages. Before too long, we took a bathroom break at a little store that sold coffee with Bailey's cream (for the adults) and some good hot chocolate. 

Down the road, a surprise awaited us. Infront of a beautiful scenery, were Daisy the dog sitting ontop of Betsy the donkey. Their owner was making St. Brigids cross. We saw a side of Braedan that we may never see again.

Ofcourse while we were traveling, we spotted some extremely small and fluffy little lambs.

Stopped for a photoshoot of the Dingle Pennisula that we could see across the water.

A happy surprise! We "met" Charlie Chaplain.

We saw the two Skellig Islands jutting out from the ocean.

Our stomachs started rumbling, so we stopped at Molls Gap for lunch. There, we ate the most amazing food ever and Sarah and Kaitlyn had the most scrumptious cheesecake in the universe.

Jill scared us by making us think Jimmy had run over a Leprechaun.

As we were traveling down the mountain, we were stopped by a "Garda," (Police man) who told us about a fire that was started on-purpose. Everything was fine, and we continued on our adventure.

We arrived in Killarney around 2:30PM.

During the 2 hours, Jayde, Kamryn, Kaitlyn, and Jolissa went for a Carriage ride around the park while the others did some great shopping.

Our group arrived back at the hotel around 5PM and we had supper at 7PM.

We spent the rest of our evening relaxing.

April 13

Dingle Peninsula! Made famous by David Lean's movie, "Ryan's Daughter".  Absolutely breathtaking!

April 11 and 12

Sight seeing in Ireland…

Knock Shrine is one of the world's leading places of pilgrimage where the Virgin Mary appeared to 15 people on August 21, 1879. We had an opportunity to see the gable of the church where the apparition occurred.

Some one got a little nap time on the bus ride!

April 10

Breakfast today started at 7am sharp. Most of us got down at 7:30am. For breakfast, there was a big buffet set out and you could pick what you wanted. 

At 9 we boarded our bus and drove down the the Dublin Castle for a tour. 

After that, we were on our way to Trinity College when we stopped for ice cream. It was the most delicious ice cream I have ever had. 

When we got to Trinity College, we explored the book of kells and the long room. After that we had free time until 4:45.

During our free time, some of us walked the streets of Dublin and encountered a band group called Cezar playing along the street. They were so cute we took a picture with them and all got a copy of their CD.

Supper was at 5 pm, at a restaurant called Nancy Hands. The food was very good and we got back to our hotel at around 7pm. It was free time after that. 

April 9

So, today a couple of us decided to go for a run at 5 in the morning. The people who originally wanted to come did not. The 2 of us who did go, walked down the stairs to find all the lights shut off and the doors locked. So we tried opening them and we were scared an alarm would go off but we ended up opening it and it locked behind us, and we were locked outside in the cold for 2 hours. We walked back to try and open the door again, it's still locked. So we just sat in the foyer until Ben saved us.  Thank you Ben!

@ 8:30 ish we boarded this really awesome bus, it was so comfortable! 2 hours later we ended up in Lyon, France at the airport where we would be flying Aer Lingus out to Ireland!! 🍀 

PS... The security in France is like full on military. Guns, camouflage, the whole bit. It was pretty new to see.

Upon arriving at the airport, Sr. Mary was encountered by some dude that said we have to wait another 2 hours before we could even get our luggage checked. 

Another 1 hour delay and we are finally on board the aircraft to Ireland. 

We got to the Dublin airport and we were greeted by the Trafalgar tour guide, Jill and the chauffeur, Jimmy.  

A half hour bus ride later and we arrived at our hotel. 

Everyone got settled into their rooms and went back down for supper at 8pm. Showers and bedtime followed. 

April 8

Today we spent the day in Bourg. We sifted through the market wares of the winding city center streets. The girls made some purchases of the bargain priced clothing and then sampled some of the fresh strawberries and flaky pastries. In the meantime Mr.Sander was already enjoying the traditional purchases of shrimp and radishes.

After having lunch with the sisters at the house Sr.Mary gave us a tour of the building and grounds. We ended up at the chapel where we were extremely priveledged to view the bones of Marie Rivier encased in a container under the altar.

We then made our way to the ruins of the Roman bath house and Mr.Sander gave us some information about the bas relief of the god Mithra.

Before it was time to go we were treated to ice cream and a pop. Then onto the bus we went to drive back to Vivier. But along the way we made a lengthy stop to explore a recent excavation of a Roman settlement. The students were allowed to actually walk among the ruins. It was a great way to end a beautiful sunny day in France.

Bourg

April 7:

Our 7th day in France was blessed with beautiful sunny weather. After breakfast we hopped on a bus and headed for Montpezat, in Mother Rivier country.  The roads here are narrow, windy and eratic. The tunnels, bridges and endless traffic circles, turn abouts, keep you on the edge of your seats and knuckles white. However, we have been blessed with very skillful drivers. Thankfully, the view is spectacular. There is a seemingly endless number. Of castles, churches and quaint towns that adorn the mountain sides. Reminders of the past Roman presence is everywhere.

At our first stop, Montpezat, we visited places where Mother Rivier was born and raised; the roads she walked; the mountains she climbed and he places she prayed at as a child. These places would come to be reflected in the rest of her life.

In Thuyets we explored the first house Mother Rivier established. Several Sisters live there and a small elementary school is still run on the grounds. It was a very intimate experience to walk in the footsteps of our dear Mother Rivier and to see first hand some of the difficulties she faced and the love she handled everything with.

On our way back to Vivier we stopped at some Roman ruins. It was a city that had been buried for 1500 years. It was found when removing an old vineyard. It was very interesting, however, I think the geckos got more of our attention than the old foundations!!

From all of us here we hope this post finds you all in good health and spirits. We send our love and good wishes to all on the moon. 

Montpesat

April 6

Monday morning, all is ready, everyone is on time! Today we left Lourdes and the wonderful owners of the Gave Hotel. We all had rooms on the facade of the hotel. Therefore we all had balconies! Braedan and Cole will miss their relaxing moments in the fresh air... The group travelled from Lourdes to Carcassonne where they spent a few hours in the old Roman city that has skillfully been preserved. The Bascilica was visited and a few of the girls sang for the visitors. They made us proud as they shared their gifts. The afternoon was spent back on the bus as we went on to Vivier. The group experienced a Traffic jam, a bouchon, Thankfully it did not last too long. We are now experts regarding "turn abouts".

In Vivier we are staying in a former Monastary that also served as a prison during the French Revolution. We had delicious lasagna for supper and some free time exploring our new lodgings. Some of the students took advantage of the time to learn the game of "crib". Tomorrow we are off to Rivier country.

Pictures from Lourdes & Vivier

April 4

Today started off with us gathering at the shrine for 10:00 a.m. to begin our Way of the Cross in the mountain. The hardest part was getting to the first station. It is quite steep for westerners used to the plains of Saskatchewan. This was a prayerful time for all of us. You were remembered in our intentions. Guaranteed teenagers like adults around. The all followed us to an Italian outdoor restaurant were we had lunch! Free time and than we gathered
For the viewing of the movie Bernadette. This viewing helped to clarify details and make sense of all they had heard. One student put it this way. "She (Bernadette) had a harder life than I thought she did. Supper was followed by the Easter vigil in a large underground Church. Six of the student were in the offertory procession. The service was long as usual, but meaningful!! Then it was off to bed, but wouldn't you know it. The Easter bunny found us in Lourdes. Easter bunnies were resting on our pillows!


April 5

The day started quite normally although it was quite gloomy in the morning. This day was looked forward to by all of us. This was the day we would visit the Castle of Lourdes. Important things first!! First we went to visit the Cachot, Bernadette's house. There we saw how tiny the house was. It was quite shocking to see how 6 people were able to fit in to this one room in an old prison.

Following this we got to explore the castle for an hour and a half. We roamed about discovering fantastic sights. We saw some incredibly old graves, some dated back to 1753. Other highlights of the Castle were the tower and the gardens. Several of us went to the top of the tower to view the surrounding area. We then walked down to Bernadette's birthplace. Here we got first hand info on the size of the people by observing the length of the beds. They were short! We all saw the mill her father owned. A bit of free time and a lunch were enjoyed afterwards. The afternoon was spent visiting the Grottes de Betharam. It was here that we received an underground tour filled with magnificent stalactites and stalagmites. The history of these formations was really interesting.

After our return Braedan carried a 23 pound candle back to the hotel. On the candle we put the names of people we wanted to pray for.

Supper was delicious soup, Cornish pastry, roasted chicken, fries, an a delicious dessert. And of course French bread.

We then made our way to the Grotto with our candles and the big one. This one we lit and left burning. It was a beautiful Easter evening so we stayed for the Rosary. After the lighting of our candle we went to the front of the Basilica. Large number of people gathered to pray the Rosary in different languages. At the end the wheelchairs were moved to the front for the blessing of the sick. Quite impressive. This was our last night in Lourdes so bags needed to be packed and ready for an early departure Monday morning.

April 3, 2015

At 7:15 this morning we were awakened by a noisy buzzing sound. As it turned out, it was a false fire alarm set off by Gerald, the hotel owner, burning his toast. He was very apologetic and it wasn't even an April fool prank. 

After breakfast, at 9:00 a.m., Mr. Sander and Sr. Mary gave the group an orientation of the town of Lourdes. This included one hour at the Lourdes market. Radishes, smoked duck, pastries, strawberries, and the odd item of clothing were some of the early trip purchases. 

At 11:15 the group stopped outside the Grotto grounds for lunch at their favorite restaurants ad some shopping in some of the many "souvenir" type establishments. 

Shortly after 1:00 we boarded the Petit Train to ride to Pic du Jour, the mountain tourist attraction of Lourdes. We ascended the mountain on the Funiculaire, a Cale car that travels 593 meters up the west side. At the top we toured a cave that passes through the mountain. This was followed by a climb to the summit for a view of the Lourdes area. From the top we could see a large section of the snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains to the south. 

After taking the train back to town, many of us went to the local wax museum. A little more shopping finished off the afternoon. 

Supper included delicious baked ocean white fish and a dessert of mocca-flavored  ice cream.    

The day concluded with our first trip to the Grotto. Kamryn blessed the Grotto area and France in a traditional First Nations tobacco ceremony. Sister Mary prepared us for the Lourdes experience by sharing the story.We finished the evening with a deep sense of why we were at Lourdes.

April 2, 2015

We finally arrived in Lourdes late Thursday evening. This is promising to be an eventful trip. All went well in Toronto until the electrical power went down in the plane as we were settling in. Needless to say we wondered if they would make us get out and change planes. It didn't happen and we took off. All went smoothly until an hour or so from landing in Frankfort when a lady stood and passed out. Joanne tried to hold her but needed more assistance. They called for medical assistance and a physician came to her rescue. We were wondering if we would have to make an emergency landing. The doctor stayed with her until we landed. She actually walked from the back of the plane where we were to the front. Then we are ready to leave for Toulouse when we are informed that our plane is delayed for at lease an hour due to the airport shutting down one of its two runways. That was on top of a five hour layover. There was a good tailwind and the pilot made up for the delay a we were happy to see Andre's face (our chauffeur), by close to ten we were sitting down to a lovely supper and then straight to bed. That was Day 1 and 2 in a capsule!!  To be continued. Happy Easter to all!