Just can't cope with having time off work and not having any travel plans to fill the time. The post-Christmas lull induced the inevitable skyscanner search of the cheapest flight over the new year. And so the search results returned Lourdes, £63 return on Ryanair from Stansted leaving on New Years Eve and returning the next day. It's not just about the flights though, there are hotels to consider and of course, places to eat for the evening. And it came to pass that everything checked out, the hotel felt less of a concern, but finding a table for dinner was a little more challenging, but we found a restaurant with availability close to our hotel which was a real steal.
So we flew out on a crisp winter's day. The flight was really pleasant, as was the STN experience so no complaints there.
It was great seeing Letchworth and Baldock from the air.
On arrival, a bit of confusion at a very quiet airport, but we eventually jumped on a two euro bus that took us into the centre of town. It was then a 20-minute walk to the hotel through the attractive Lourdes streets.
Lourdes is located close to the Pyrenees that provide the city with an impressive backdrop, but is widely known as one of the major Catholic pilgrimage sites famous for an event that occurred in 1858 when an alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous occurred at this location. To be fair, Mary chose well as it's a charming city with many affirming characteristics that make the city worth a visit.
The Santuary and the Grotto of Massabielle: is the central focus for the pilgrims and it was interesting visiting the site of the Virgin Mary's appearance with plenty of events spread across the festive season.
Holy water is dispensed from taps along the edge of the Sanctuary. I tried some and swear I had a tummy ache afterwards.
Walking around during the chill of the evening with the Sanctuary elegantly lit up with the Christmas tree adding to the charm of the city.
The meal was great at the lively
Entre deux restaurant down the road despite having to park my vegetarianism for one evening :-/ It was generally a local affair with some dubious shapes being thrown afterwards which was interesting to observe. A great experience all round.
We stayed at the
Hotel Le Rive Droite overlooking the Gave du Pau river with the mountains stretched out in the background.
Wandering around in crisp but glorious weather was far better, confirming how lovely the city is. It wasn't busy but there was a modest number of tourists (pilgrims) exploring the area around the Sanctuary.
There wasn't much open for food, so we were grateful to find this local cafe owned by a lovely lady that made us feel so welcome. It was nice to chat while piling into a toastie.
Lourdes Airport is interesting as it also serves as an aircraft graveyard with many interesting aircraft positioned there.
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