Tuesday morning we made a quick visit to Versailles Palace just outside of Paris. Versailles was where the French monarchs lived before the revolution and all that and it's kind of insane. We didn't actually go inside cuz that costs money and we were kind of low on funds but even just from the outside it's ridiculous. Like, this place is huge and gold. That's actually pretty much the best way to describe it. However, it was also pretty cold out so we didn't stay very long.
So we went back to the train station and grabbed some french pastry for breakfast!
However, train stations are also cold. But, they have hot chocolate vending machines! I pretty much thought this was the coolest thing ever! You put your money in the slot and a plastic cup pops out the bottom and the machine dispenses hot chocolate into it! It was the greatest thing ever! And it was good hot chocolate!
My other solution to the weather situation was to go into the bookstore even though all the books were in French so I had no idea what they said.
But I eventually had to face the cold and so I joined Sarah in waiting for the train. We had a long wait though so I got out my cards and mini chess set which kept us occupied for quite some time. And then we discovered the joys of hangman which continued on the train. However, what really made the ride enjoyable was the break we took from our games to say the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. We then played some more cards and then I attempted to take a nap but it didn't work out so well so I turned to that wonderful book - Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton.
Now, Sarah and I had made a point of checking to see if we needed a reservation for this train and the ticket machine definitely said nothing about reservations. But then the conductor (Jacques) came through and was like "Do you have reservations?" And we were like the ticket machine said we didn't need them! And he was totally about to charge us fifteen euro and then he asked where we were going and we said Lourdes and then he was like "Just this once you don't have to pay." Oh my gosh! God is so good and Mama Mary takes such good care of us!
So then I was sitting by the window and all of a sudden there was the Basilica! It was incredible! I can't even explain it! We were just riding along and suddenly there it was! It was ginormous and gorgeous and incredible! I kind of freaked out!
Once we got off the train we had to find our hostel and once again had terrible directions. So naturally we got lost again. And the street signs were really confusing cuz they had signs for the grotto pointing in about 3 different directions! So we stopped at a gas station and got a map and directions and finally found our hostel! I was very excited cuz the reception area was pretty much covered in religious objects! Which is pretty much what you'd expect in Lourdes but still it was pretty exciting!
After checking in we headed down the street to a lovely little italian restaurant where I had a wonderful lasagna! And Sarah and I played this really fun twenty questions type game. It was great.
We then headed back to the hostel and I started humming Let It Be and we ended up having a whole conversation on that song, why it was our theme song, and on Protestantism. It was an interesting evening.
So we went back to the train station and grabbed some french pastry for breakfast!
However, train stations are also cold. But, they have hot chocolate vending machines! I pretty much thought this was the coolest thing ever! You put your money in the slot and a plastic cup pops out the bottom and the machine dispenses hot chocolate into it! It was the greatest thing ever! And it was good hot chocolate!
My other solution to the weather situation was to go into the bookstore even though all the books were in French so I had no idea what they said.
But I eventually had to face the cold and so I joined Sarah in waiting for the train. We had a long wait though so I got out my cards and mini chess set which kept us occupied for quite some time. And then we discovered the joys of hangman which continued on the train. However, what really made the ride enjoyable was the break we took from our games to say the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. We then played some more cards and then I attempted to take a nap but it didn't work out so well so I turned to that wonderful book - Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton.
Now, Sarah and I had made a point of checking to see if we needed a reservation for this train and the ticket machine definitely said nothing about reservations. But then the conductor (Jacques) came through and was like "Do you have reservations?" And we were like the ticket machine said we didn't need them! And he was totally about to charge us fifteen euro and then he asked where we were going and we said Lourdes and then he was like "Just this once you don't have to pay." Oh my gosh! God is so good and Mama Mary takes such good care of us!
So then I was sitting by the window and all of a sudden there was the Basilica! It was incredible! I can't even explain it! We were just riding along and suddenly there it was! It was ginormous and gorgeous and incredible! I kind of freaked out!
Once we got off the train we had to find our hostel and once again had terrible directions. So naturally we got lost again. And the street signs were really confusing cuz they had signs for the grotto pointing in about 3 different directions! So we stopped at a gas station and got a map and directions and finally found our hostel! I was very excited cuz the reception area was pretty much covered in religious objects! Which is pretty much what you'd expect in Lourdes but still it was pretty exciting!
After checking in we headed down the street to a lovely little italian restaurant where I had a wonderful lasagna! And Sarah and I played this really fun twenty questions type game. It was great.
We then headed back to the hostel and I started humming Let It Be and we ended up having a whole conversation on that song, why it was our theme song, and on Protestantism. It was an interesting evening.
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