Anything of interest near Lourdes ?

Next week I have to take MIL and Sister Blanca (SIL) to see Lourdes. We will also be staying in San Sebastian and passing through Andorra (what ever that is).

Is there anything that I might find of interest ? Preferably mechanical as opposed to spiritual, or should I take some books?

Shame you're off the fags, Andorra is tax free, but don't forget to fill up with fuel!

There's a preserved railway featured in CM couple of months back on the border, I'll try and dig it out!

I remember long ago there's some cave to visit next to lourdes.

You take a telecabine to go to it there's some walking, a part with a small boat and then you go out on a little train.

Big cave so easy to find I think

Laurent

I found the references ...

Page 264 Continental Modeller May 2009

Also in The Essential Guide to French Heritage and Tourist Railways Mervyn Jones

Le Petit Traine Jaune de Cerdagne

53 Km west of Perpignan just over the Andorran border

Route 66Km of track Villefranche-Vernet-les- Bains to Latour-de-Carol-Envietg

Website
Traine Jaune

Has a couple of spectacular viaducts and open tourist wagons.

Not been myself but would love to hear from someone who does!

Thanks Brian - that did look worth a visit - however I have been advised that Andorra is not on the cards now.

Laurent that sounds interesting I will look for the cave - what is telecabine ?

Travelled on the Le Petit Traine Jaune de Cerdagne last November. Absolutely stunning and pretty scary in places.

Quite a lot of railway interest despite being 3rd rail electric with plenty of infrastructure and vintage stock.

Travel out of season in November was wonderful as we had a whole carriage to ourselves and the return fare was very reasonable. I think it was 20 Euros but not sure.

Connects SNCF Vernet les Bains with La Tour de Carol which is very interesting in itself having three gauges in the same station.

I have a full length video of the line if anyone wants a loan but I guess there is just as much on youtube.

Well worth a detour.

Telecabine is a cable with a small cabin (some call that eggs in french) on it, same thing in ski resort, I don't know the name of it in english.

Bearcastle wrote:

Telecabine is a cable with a small cabin (some call that eggs in french) on it, same thing in ski resort, I don't know the name of it in english.

Cable Car

Right well in a couple f hours I will be on my way so will look out for the Caves, thankyou.

Isn't the cave the whole point of a pilgramage to Lourdes in the first place. A 14 year old peasant girl in 1858 witnessed an apparation of the Virgin Mary in the caves and put what was already a pilgramage destination en route to Betharram really on the religious map?

I glean my info from Graham Robb's "The Discovery of France" IMHO essential reading for anyone who lives here!

Out of interest the Petit Train Jaune derailed this week ...

Train Jaune Accident

How were the caves ?

Bearcastle - I did not get a chance to visit the caves or the little trains. It is difficult when you have three women who have no interest what so ever in these things..

The weather was not good on some days, that part of France was really beautiful tho and we would love to go again - will we ?

Lourdes was a mixed experience, the MIL and Sister Blanca (my sister in law) spent hours at the cathedral and masses and stuff. As for me I had spent most of the time telling them it was all a big con and having quite a rant about religion and the Church and how people will believe anything . Sister Blanca took it all in and just smiled like she does and everything was calm.

Anyway I joined the queue to touch the cave where it is supposed to have happened, and as my turn was coming I just freaked and ran away -don't know what it was but it just freaked me. I felt something but can't explain it.

The same thing happened in Glastonbury village many years ago - I guess I am sensitive to these things.

Maybe there is something too it after all.

Ok then form a circle and hold hands.

I know the felling, had to follow my grand mother when I was young, no interest at all for me.

So the last time I was there I managed to live them queue......ing and I went to visit the cave.

I spend all the afternoon there, just came back on time for dinner at the hotel.

I went on pilgrimage to Lourdes twice in the 60s when I was at school (St Mary's Crosby - Irish Christian Brothers - but I emerged unscathed). I remember a cable car up one mountain, but an ancient funicular up another one - which I rode on one of our days off from processing and praying. The other lads thought the cable car was much trendier. Is the funicular still there? I've got an ancient postcard of it in my collection which I will post when I get home. My nephew just married a girl he met on a pilgrimage. When he told one of my boys that they had met in Lourdes, No 1 son replied "is that a night club?" We are not the RC branch of the family!

I think this is the one to go to the cave. I remenber using it.

Yes Phil the funicular is still there - it looked quite scary - alas the cloud was too low to make a trip worthwhile.

Heres the website Lourdes Funicular

Was not the same for the grottes here the link :

http://www.grottes-de-betharram.com/default0.htm





EDIT: I have edited the link as it was not working - hope you don't mind
Patrick

pjti wrote:

Yes Phil the funicular is still there - it looked quite scary - alas the cloud was too low to make a trip worthwhile.

Heres the website Lourdes Funicular

Well well - part from being painted white, that looks like one of the original cars! As promised, some old postcards. This one is dated 21 August 1921 and was sent to an address in Haute Vienne, but I can't decipher the rest of the old French writing - Ambaz... something?



This one may be later:



Phil

I wish I had taken a pic Phil, from the road that viaduct looks perpendicular.