I am start to write my blog by Vietnamese, if you can read Vietnamese and interested with the way I wrote, please have a look at songhlam.blogspot.com
See you there.
Tuesday 15 January 2013
Tuesday 8 January 2013
Such a very long time, and many thing has changed.....forever
Wow, I abandoned my blog for such a long time, and as the title said: Many thing has changed forever.
First, the most poignant change was our David, he was departed to his father home forever, leave us with sorrow, sadness... especial his Mum. None of any comfort word could soothes her lost, the lost of her beloved son David.
Second, as I am getting older; my ability to writing in English is blunder. So from now on, if I want to add any of my thoughts, or whatever I need to share on this blog (or just because I need to express something for my own, I'll write in Vietnamese. Here now, this post will be the final post for English. Bye for now
Saturday 7 August 2010
Lourdes, the town
Lourdes is a small town. According to wiki, Lourdes's population is about 15.000 inhabitants who have to welcome 5 million visitors each year! but because we visited Lourdes on the low season, we still found a relaxing atmosphere around the town.
Like the river Pau with ducks swimming peacefully:
And from the upper Church, the chateaux fort stand high uphill looking down the town since 19th century and a place of interest itself
And some tiny alley way lead to some tiny coffee shop and of course, lead to some souvenir shop! Here the city council has a fair rule about traffic: because the streets of Lourdes so narrow, not enough for two way traffic so the town has many one way street. To be fair to every shop owner, the traffic will turn to other way twice a month! How clever they are!
Like the river Pau with ducks swimming peacefully:
And from the upper Church, the chateaux fort stand high uphill looking down the town since 19th century and a place of interest itself
And some tiny alley way lead to some tiny coffee shop and of course, lead to some souvenir shop! Here the city council has a fair rule about traffic: because the streets of Lourdes so narrow, not enough for two way traffic so the town has many one way street. To be fair to every shop owner, the traffic will turn to other way twice a month! How clever they are!
Sunday 25 April 2010
Lourdes - The cross stations
On my visite to Lourdes, I and my husband loved to go to the hill beside the Basilica.
The way lead to the station is so serene with the statues as big as the real persons.
Along the road, we said the prayers and kneel at each one of the stations, from the first to the XIV that Jesus crucified on the cross:
Then around the turn, there's the glory of God: Gloria Te Deum, The Resurrection of Jesus
The way lead to the station is so serene with the statues as big as the real persons.
Along the road, we said the prayers and kneel at each one of the stations, from the first to the XIV that Jesus crucified on the cross:
Then around the turn, there's the glory of God: Gloria Te Deum, The Resurrection of Jesus
Lourdes - The Apparation - Massabielle
According to wikipedia:
" Beginning on 11 February 1858, a 14-year old peasant girl called Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have experienced a series of apparitions of a girl dressed in white and with a blue belt around her waist, who eventually introduced herself as the Immaculate Conception, a name by which the Virgin Mary was known.
On land bordered by a loop of the Gave de Pau river is an outcrop of rock called Massabielle, (from masse vieille: "old mass"). On the northern aspect of this rock, near the river bank, is a naturally occurring, irregularly shaped shallow cave or grotto, in which the apparitions took place"
Today, the water still leaking from the rock wall as we get closer to the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes locate right on the spot that said where The Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous.
We still see the source of the spring, which The Virgin told Bernadette Soubirous: "Come, wash and drink". Today, the source still seen in the grotto and protected by a glass screen.
Most of the pilgrims come here seeking for a miracle
But the thing that touched me deeply that I saw a lady behind me kiss a photo of a beautiful baby who is about 1 year old; look back, I saw that baby, grow older, still beautiful but laying paralysed on a stroller. Holding the tears, I said a prayer for her and those who are sick, if they couldn't get cured physically, at least they get cured spiritually.
Amen
" Beginning on 11 February 1858, a 14-year old peasant girl called Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have experienced a series of apparitions of a girl dressed in white and with a blue belt around her waist, who eventually introduced herself as the Immaculate Conception, a name by which the Virgin Mary was known.
On land bordered by a loop of the Gave de Pau river is an outcrop of rock called Massabielle, (from masse vieille: "old mass"). On the northern aspect of this rock, near the river bank, is a naturally occurring, irregularly shaped shallow cave or grotto, in which the apparitions took place"
Today, the water still leaking from the rock wall as we get closer to the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes locate right on the spot that said where The Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous.
We still see the source of the spring, which The Virgin told Bernadette Soubirous: "Come, wash and drink". Today, the source still seen in the grotto and protected by a glass screen.
Most of the pilgrims come here seeking for a miracle
But the thing that touched me deeply that I saw a lady behind me kiss a photo of a beautiful baby who is about 1 year old; look back, I saw that baby, grow older, still beautiful but laying paralysed on a stroller. Holding the tears, I said a prayer for her and those who are sick, if they couldn't get cured physically, at least they get cured spiritually.
Amen
Saturday 24 April 2010
The Basilica Our Lady of Lourdes
The main attraction in Lourdes is the mighty Basilica Our Lady of Lourdes.
The Basilica is sitting on top of the rocky grotto where The Virgin Mary appeared to Sr. Bernadette Soubirou in 1858. It has a lower Church and an upper Church looking out the sanctuary large place. The walkway lead from the lower to the upper church has statues of the twelve Apostles along the way and in the middle of two walkway - look like two huge arms embrace the whole complex - is the Golden Crown
And in the middle of the Sanctuary is the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes
At night, the statue light up and thousands of worshippers pay their homage in the torch procession from the lower Church , go around the sanctuary and then come back to the lower Church. The view from the upper Church made me feel the procession looks like a giant fire snake or a lava stream and it looks spectacular!
The Basilica is sitting on top of the rocky grotto where The Virgin Mary appeared to Sr. Bernadette Soubirou in 1858. It has a lower Church and an upper Church looking out the sanctuary large place. The walkway lead from the lower to the upper church has statues of the twelve Apostles along the way and in the middle of two walkway - look like two huge arms embrace the whole complex - is the Golden Crown
And in the middle of the Sanctuary is the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes
At night, the statue light up and thousands of worshippers pay their homage in the torch procession from the lower Church , go around the sanctuary and then come back to the lower Church. The view from the upper Church made me feel the procession looks like a giant fire snake or a lava stream and it looks spectacular!
Tuesday 13 April 2010
Lourdes - Hotel Citea St Jean
In Lourdes, we stay at hotel Citea St Jean; this is actually a No Frill hotel-serviced apartment and the kitchenette is a bonus for us.
The French still have the tradional midday break (faire la pause de midi) therefore their lunch break will be 2 hours long from 12h to 2h PM. We arrive a bit before 2PM so the door of course still closed, lucky that some guests went out and we slip throught the door :). Once get inside, we can rest in the louge, a cozy, homey room:
Our room has a queen size, comfortable bed:
The kitchenette:
The location could not be better: just a short walk to Lourdes basilique and many of eateries, shops... near by
Shop:
Restaurants:
The French still have the tradional midday break (faire la pause de midi) therefore their lunch break will be 2 hours long from 12h to 2h PM. We arrive a bit before 2PM so the door of course still closed, lucky that some guests went out and we slip throught the door :). Once get inside, we can rest in the louge, a cozy, homey room:
Our room has a queen size, comfortable bed:
The kitchenette:
The location could not be better: just a short walk to Lourdes basilique and many of eateries, shops... near by
Shop:
Restaurants:
Sunday 1 November 2009
From Café to Lourdes
Hello again!
First morning in Paris and first café au lait is memorable! Sitting on the terrace, enjoy first caffeine‘s dose of the day and look at the Parisians hurry to their work is another experience too!
Then morning after we go to Gare Montparnasse to catch TGV to Lourdes:
First morning in Paris and first café au lait is memorable! Sitting on the terrace, enjoy first caffeine‘s dose of the day and look at the Parisians hurry to their work is another experience too!
Then morning after we go to Gare Montparnasse to catch TGV to Lourdes:
Three months before departure date, I bought train ticket online of SNCF and could grab some heavy discounted tickets -called PREM- One thing you have to bear in mind: train in France is very punctual; they will leave almost on time, so be early or you might find you have to buy new sets of tickets with double the price your prepaid-discount-non-refundable PREM :
Paris - Lourdes journey will take nearly 6 hours with TGV train (high speed train) and will stop at those stations: Poitier, Angouleme, Bordeaux St Jean and few more stations then Pau and finally Lourdes
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Wednesday 28 October 2009
Paris: The Iron Lady still as charming as ever!
Yay! We're here, stand in front of the "Old" famous Iron Lady of France , Lady Eiffel! Seeing her the first time under day light was a bit disappointed! But as we turned around, she was lit up as a Lady with fresh make up and oh she so beautiful
Paris WAS our city in dream, being studied French since I was a teenage girl (oh my beautiful youth days now so farrr away...) we also learnt about its history, a bit of its art, a bit of its literature and of course, our dream by that time was one in the lifetime stand on Paris ground admire Eiffel tower, a dream seemed lot of difficult to be true at that time.
Before we head to our hotel, we had a goodbye from Paris sky, beautifully under the sunset !
Paris WAS our city in dream, being studied French since I was a teenage girl (oh my beautiful youth days now so farrr away...) we also learnt about its history, a bit of its art, a bit of its literature and of course, our dream by that time was one in the lifetime stand on Paris ground admire Eiffel tower, a dream seemed lot of difficult to be true at that time.
Paris now IS my reality, standing at the bases of Eiffel tower, crêpe in hand, blend in the surrounding noise, the people, the view and like exacly in my dream: Paris IS perfect!
In my opinion, the proper way to approach Eiffel is from Trocadero, where I were greeted by Palais de Chaillot, the statues, the fountain and the Iranian protectors:
Before we head to our hotel, we had a goodbye from Paris sky, beautifully under the sunset !
Our first day in Paris was another nearly perfect image: the Montparnasse tower and the metro Edgar Quinet light up just the moment we head off from the metro. Good night!
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Incheon Airport
Before I continue with my 2009 trip, let me say few things about Incheon Airport.
This airport is the best IMO: modern, airy and thoughful for travellers whose in transit.
I loved that some part of this airport has woody floor and it warm and cozy feeling .
We flew with Korea Air, and they provided us accomodation on outbound flight as we have to wait for more than 5 hours in transit. The accomodation was top notch: it was 5* Incheon Hyatt Regency. It was a shame that we had only few hours to laid our back on their comfortable beds, however, we enjoyed their breakfast the morning after - thought we had to hurried to catch our connecting flight!
Internet lounge:
Clean and airy:
There's even a phone card vending machine:
For someone who freak out of public toilet seat, here's a prove that you won't have to worry same matter at Incheon :
This airport is the best IMO: modern, airy and thoughful for travellers whose in transit.
I loved that some part of this airport has woody floor and it warm and cozy feeling .
We flew with Korea Air, and they provided us accomodation on outbound flight as we have to wait for more than 5 hours in transit. The accomodation was top notch: it was 5* Incheon Hyatt Regency. It was a shame that we had only few hours to laid our back on their comfortable beds, however, we enjoyed their breakfast the morning after - thought we had to hurried to catch our connecting flight!
Here is Air France check in counters, and some of the airport pictures here
Internet lounge:
Clean and airy:
There's even a phone card vending machine:
For someone who freak out of public toilet seat, here's a prove that you won't have to worry same matter at Incheon :
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