Lourdes

I'm technically on my spring break at the moment; I say technically, because I still have classes, but only one class three times a week, so I have a lot of down time. One Wednesday, when we didn't have classes, I went to Lourdes with two friends. For those of you who do not know, Lourdes is a pilgrimage destination for Catholics, and it is where St. Bernadette say the Virgin Mary in a cave. Catholics come from all over the world to ask for healing. 

The train ride was a short 20 minutes and we headed straight for the castle from the train station. Since it was March, there weren't many people there at all; in the summer months there are as many as 5,000,000 pilgrims, so we were lucky to be able to see it in tranquility. The chateau was beautiful (as are all of the castles I see here):

Le jardin

La Tour

The chateau was much more intricate than I had expected -- it had scenes set up of what the rooms would have looked like, there several art pieces as well as a wide array of costumes and utensils. 

After the chateau we stopped for lunch and then headed for the cathedral. This cathedral was absolutely breathtaking. I suppose pictures can explain it best:

The entrance with crosses from every country.

Voila

There's me with the cathedral.

Kind of resembles a submarine wearing a crown.

Entrance to the church and the crypt. 

I actually did not take a picture of the cave where St. Bernadette saw the virgin; it felt weird taking pictures while people were praying. The cave was cool though; the walls are slicked smooth from so many people touching them. 

It was a great trip. Here's a picture of holy water for sale: