Great Escape Day 5

We left Santander on a beautiful morning headed for France and the shrine at Lourdes. It was another day of spectacular scenery along our drive. We stopped for lunch in the Basque region just short of the French border. I’d heard a lot over time about the Basque’s sometimes very violent attempts to establish their own country but I found the people we interacted with as gracious and likable. We had some extra time after lunch so I took another one of my exploratory walks (unaccompanied again when she saw the hills). It was a nice interlude and escape.

Made it to Lourdes, Cathedral in the Background

Scenes from our Travel

The Restaurant in Basque and Spanish

From my Walk About

Highway Just Before French Border

Again, During my Walk

I wanted to mention at this point one of the signature events of our trips – our rest stops. The highways we traveled were world class and features well made rest areas along the way. Since almost all of our traveling group were senior citizens, the rest stops were important (and we all know why). There were numerous other buses traveling along our routes and it was always a victory when we arrived to find ourselves as the only bus because of the lines for the ladies rest rooms. We all know guys have it much easier when it comes to this situation. Invariably we would walk in and there would be a long line for the ladies room which meant the guys had to make our guilty way to the line-less men’s room. The ladies, as always, got their revenge. Once all the men had finished up, they seized control of the men’s room also and the line flew. It bordered on hilarious at times, as husbands were dragooned into door security during the seizures.

One of Those Ladies Room Lines

The Castle!!!!

First Sight of the Sanctuary

Just Outside our Hotel in Lourdes

We crossed into France and took a right to travel along the base of the Pyrenees Mountains which serve as the border between France and Spain. The scenery in France was every bit as beautiful as we experienced in northern Spain. We were excited to reach Lourdes as one of the focal points of our trips. I was even more excited when, upon arriving in Lourdes, I spied an ancient castle perched atop a mountain guarding a pass into the Pyrenees. While I knew the object of our visit was the Marian shrine, I immediately set about trying to figure out a way to squeeze in a visit to the castle (I’m an acknowledged nut about castles - just ask my family).

The Sanctuary

The Castle Again, Seen From the Level of the Cathedral

View of the Sanctuary Grounds

Small Chapel Where we Held Mass

Some of Those Plaques

Lourdes is one of the pre-eminent pilgrimage sites in the world because of a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous (later canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church). In 1858, Lourdes rose to prominence in France and abroad due to the Marian apparitions to her. If you’ve seen the movie Song of Bernadette you know the basics. She was a poor peasant girl who was walking to a remote site to gather wood for her family when she stopped at a grotto to rest and a lady in shining white appeared above her. She went on to experience the Marian apparition 18 times over the ensuing months. During one of those visits the apparition instructed her to wash in a non-existent spring, which she dutifully did, smearing herself with mud. A spring emerged at that location, and its waters have ever since been used for miraculous healing.

Wife Atop the Byzantine Chapel

The Main Cathedral

Inside Cathedral

Selfie From Cathedral Steps

Grotto Area Seen From Above

The River Running Through the Grounds

Finally, Someone Offered to Take a Photo of us :)

A large cathedral was built over the grotto which is positioned next to a stately river flowing through the town. Our hotel was a very short walk through the throngs of pilgrims at the site. Shortly after arrival, we walked to the sanctuary and conducted mass in a small chapel underneath the main cathedral. The wall was festooned with hundreds of stone plaques attesting to miracle cures over the years, dating back to the 1800s. It was impressive in a very spiritual way. After mass we toured the main cathedral which offers stunning views of the sanctuary grounds far below. After dinner at the hotel, my Favorite Panamanian and I returned to the sanctuary to take part in the nightly procession. We arrived early enough to visit the grotto which is still gushing water in amounts scientists cannot explain. The candle lit grotto has almost continuous services being rendered and there was a statue of Mary at the spot she appeared to Bernadette. It was very moving.

Street to Our Hotel, Souvenir Shops Aplenty

Our Visit to the Grotto

Site of the Original Spring in the Grotto

Wife in Front of Grotto

Marian Statue

Getting Ready to Walk in Procession

We filled a bunch of small bottles with water from the shrine which we will deliver to friends with ailments. We joined the gathering nearby for the procession under the walls of the towering cathedral. This was similar to the procession at Fatima but was better organized and I experienced the same feeling of peace that I had there. We followed the procession of thousands around the sanctuary grounds while the rosary was repeated in multiple languages throughout. It was a very moving experience. I’m not the most spiritual of dudes (vast understatement there) but there is definitely something there and I feel honored to have done this both in Fatima and especially in Lourdes. I’ve included a couple of videos of the experience, one while we were gathering and the second during the actual procession.    I can only imagine how powerful this experience is for ardent Catholics. I’m married to one and she had tears running down her face. Again, I felt honored to be there which I never would have imagined ahead of time, something bordering on magical takes place there.

Scenes from Our Walk in the Procession

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Great Escape Day 4

This was our longest day on the road as we drove from Santiago to Santander (the city not the bank, although that was there as well). The drive was gorgeous as we drove between a fairly robust mountain chain and the northern Spanish coast. We had one of our comfort breaks at a rest stop next to a ranch that had several huge bulls wandering around. If I had to guess they were bred for the ring. We stopped for lunch in the port of Gijon. Our restaurant was right on the beach and my Favorite Panamanian and I were drafted to serve as the unofficial spokesmen for our fellow travelers as we were the only Spanish speakers. This became a challenge throughout our trip because most of the menus we looked at had slang or local names for the menu items. I thought it was my issue, but my wife assured me she didn’t understand a lot of the names as well. Every waiter we talked with though was gracious (we weren’t in France yet) and appreciated our use of Spanish instead of being the stereotypical gringos. We walked along the beach after lunch which was a nice break from the bus.

Post Lunch in Gijon

Scenes from Our Drive

Those Bulls

Beach of Gijon

Mountains on One Side

Ocean on the Other

We arrived in Santander late in the afternoon and after conducting mass in the local cathedral, reported into our hotel. The hotel was cool as it was short walk to the central beach area. Santander is a resort town with a dedicated ferry to England. My Favorite Panamanian decided to stay in the hotel when I set out to explore the town shortly before dark. She’s cautious because I have an acknowledged history of getting carried away when I explore. There was a lively beach area. One of the members of our group decided to jump into the ocean, fully dressed, which I guess made sense (to her at least). I enjoyed the walk as there was an active surfer group riding the waves and lots of tourists enjoying the weather.

Beach at Santander

The Casino

There was a large casino across the street from the beach which was also the focal point for many. Santander is the capital of Cantabria, one of the autonomous regions of Spain. When I returned to the hotel room after my walk and showed my wife the pictures of what she missed, she insisted on an early morning walk to the beach before we left the next day. It’s obvious that Santander is a lively resort town but, except for this trip, I never realized it existed, except for the omnipresent bank of the same name. It was a nice stop after a long day staring out the bus window at the passing, albeit fabulous, scenery.

The Next Morning

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Great Escape Day 3

We set out from Fatima to conclude our visit to Portugal. We drove through the town of Porto which is where our good friends, the Upstairs Neighbors, had started their pilgrimage walk just a few weeks ago, prior to their visit with us. Our destination was the same as theirs, Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain. Since they walked the distance, we got there much faster. As we left Portugal, I reflected on what a surprise the country had been for me. I didn’t know what to expect but I came away thoroughly impressed with the country and its people. It was my favorite part of the trip. In the ranks of incredible coincidence, one of my cousins and her husband are now trekking along this same stretch towards Santiago.

Taking a Break in Santiago de Compostela

We crossed the border into Spain near the town of Vigo (not the ghostbuster villain) where we stopped for lunch. It was a rainy day, the only one we had during our entire stay. We arrived in Santiago and had a five-minute walk into the central square. While we were driving into the city, we saw so many pilgrims walking the final stretch towards the central cathedral. The “Camino” is the aforementioned pilgrimage route that has been done for more than a thousand years, along what is known as the "Way of St. James". This reportedly has been the most popular pilgrimage for Western European Catholics from the Early Middle Ages onwards. At the end they receive their Compostela. The Compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. Santiago literally means St James, and it is where is he said to have preached and where his body is interred after his martyrdom (shouldn’t have gone back to Judea). Two of his followers brought his body back to the area he is said to have loved. He is considered the patron saint of Spain, so he has that going for him.

Crossing Over into Spain

Ancient Monastery Greeted us in Town

Statue in front of Monastery

I really enjoyed our much shorter walk into that central square in front of the massive cathedral where he is buried. We were plied by different vendors of sweets as we passed their shops. The biggest treat however awaited me in that square – bagpipe music!!! I know, weird. This area of Spain, Galicia, (Santiago is the capitol of Galicia) remains proud of their Celtic roots and bagpipes are popular there. The bagpiper was serenading the latest groups of pilgrims arriving in the square to end their walk We congratulated a few but I preferred the bus ride and we smelled a lot better than they did.

Our Walk into Town

The Central Square

In Front of the Cathedral

We were given a tour of the adjacent museum by a native tour guide who didn’t seem to care much about her profession. We hurried through the museum and were not allowed to take photos there. That museum also held what is supposed to be the remains of the other apostle named James as well. She dropped us off in the central cathedral which was amazing. The altar, under which Saint James is interred, was huge and very gold. There was a long line of people waiting to go into the crypt to honor him. We did not want to waste the limited time we had in town on that, so we went out into the old town which was fascinating. I didn’t complain when “we” decided some shopping was in order. It turned out I was a valuable asset since my Favorite Panamanian would never have found her way back to the square where the group was rallying for our ride to the hotel.

Inside the Cathedral

Central Altar was Massive

And Very Gold

St James Lies Beneath

Despite the rainy weather I really enjoyed our short stay in Santiago de Compostela. The town was beautiful and had the feeling of real “weight” for the lack of a better term. It was also inspiring to see the pilgrims completing their long walks. It also didn’t hurt that I had my first beer of the trip that night at the hotel.

Proof we Were There

Heading Out for Our Walk Around Town

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course