What we did the next two days in France will interest only two sets of people-the ones crazy about airplanes and the catholics.So I am making it short!!
We went to the Museum of Air and Space in Paris-Le Bourget as my son keeps saying it.He was so happy,I was sooooooo bored.W gave him the camera and he went berserk,Using the flash in dark places produces really horrible pictures-case in point below:

bad picture!

He did get on a Concorde and walk through the whole plane and enjoyed that immensely but,the gift store being closed was not taken very well.A mini tantrum on the fickleness of life ensued and a promise made to mollify the woebegone kid!As promised,a Concorde was purchased through that famed online rainforest river retailer -only to be discovered to be a flimsy thing that needs to be left alone,not toyed with at all,a show piece-anyway-he took it with equanimity!

We came home and left for Lourdes that evening on the TGV.Which was amazing but funnily there seems to be a blasé attitude to seat reservations on the TGV-people seem to sit wherever they want and are apologetic,not apoplectic when that is pointed out,but still-it is pretty expensive to take the TGV and one would think seat allocations mean something?

Anyway,we reached Lourdes at 11.30 in the night and walked to the Hotel dragging our luggage with us and checked in and went to bed right away.
Lourdes was crowded-maybe because it was Sunday-I don't know.But we attended mass in English-not at the main cathedral,but one of the smaller chapels.
Lourdes is full of souvenir stores that it looked more commercial than religious.

Souvenir store

Apt reminder!!

What moved me was the mural in the main cathedral-a very young looking Mother Mary with the words-PAR MARIE A JESUS-through Mary to Jesus.As much as Catholicism is strictly monotheistic religion,we do have our saints and angels and all who can intercede on our behalf and that was a gentle reminder that going through the mother always works better!

View of the Basilica

A visit to the Grotto and the bathing pond was duly done.

The Grotto

One of the very few photos of all of us together

We ate all our meals at a small cafe which was on the main street leading to the church-very friendly hostess,good coffee and sandwiches-the ham and butter on a baguette seems pretty ubiquitous in France.

We ate all our meals here.



We left at around 5.00 in the evening and got back to the apartment around 12.30 a.m -Paris was still buzzing-most cafes were just starting to wind down and we were able to buy some dinner on the way home.

The next day was special-we made it to the Eiffel Tower!