Day 3

Day 3

Today we arrive in Lourdes!!! But I get ahead of myself. Linda and Denis oversleep, and just as Angela, George and I head into breakfast, the fire alarm sounds! We are tempted to ignore it until a cook hurries from the kitchen telling us to hurry out by the wave of her hands and the concerned look on her face. Once in the street, we decide to find a shop and have a cold breakfast. While Angela and I share a Jesuite and a twisted pastry filled with chocolate, George enjoys a ham, egg, and cheese baguette. There's a market in the square, so I buy some delicious strawberries to enjoy on the train. Later the taxi man managed to shoehorn the 5 of us, 4 large bags, a medium bag, and 6 small bags into one taxi for the trip to the train station. Luckily, it was a short journey.  Once at the station, during the unloading of taxi, I tripped on a baggage strap and ended up on the pavement. More embarrassed than injured, we carried on, and soon were loading all our bags on the fast train to Bayonne.  One hour and forty a minutes later, after a journey through the lovely French countryside, we arrived at Lourdes,station. It was a scramble to get all the bags off the train before it pulled away and left us on the platform. Soon another taxi man was duped into helping us load the bags into his taxi.  Soon we were once again packed tightly in the cars,and heading to our accommodations. After dropping our bags we went to register and get our job assignments at the bureau. but on our way, a surprise!!  We meet our Italian friend Luciano as we walk toward the offices-a little reunion and introductions and we go our separate ways to meet up again later. The check-in process goes amazingly smoothly thanks to Angela's impressive French skills (It is always helpful if you know someone who speaks a little French when you come to Lourdes.)  Assignment time!!! George receives a longed for assignment at the Grotto with Luciano. Angela and I are working in the Accueil, doing dishes and sweeping up. Linda is again a sacristan and Denis is in the baths for the 2nd time. There are so many different places to work! We are staying at the Villa Marie Bernadette, a beautiful old villa just outside the sanctuary on a hill overlooking the River Gave. Our window opens to the river, so we can hear the water, and see the life of the sanctuary without leaving about room. Angela and I find out we need to report to work tomorrow morning at 8:00 am to the St Clare floor of the Accueil Notre Dame- the 4th floor. We all meet up for dinner in the cafeteria and make a our way back to the rooms.  It has been an eventful day, and even though it's only 9:30, I drop exhausted into my bed and fall asleep to the sound of the candlelight procession outside my window. Later I hear the military bands playing into the night. It is the week of the Worldwide Military Pilgrimage  for Peace, which began after WWII.  It is something to witness, with regiments from around the world in uniform, and bands playing in the streets.