After a breakfast I left the hotel. Found the the path towards Ibos trough my GPS. It worked well and took me passed the Cathedral. I did briefly visit the morning mass. Then passing through the more administrative part of Tarbes, under the motorway, passing heaps of trash and finally out across the fields. I was on my way.
A flat walk. Ibos grew as I approached and I came to the square at the front of the church. Not many shops, but I got a piece of bread and a part of a pizza for the rest of the day.
I also found the GR101 the long distance trail that was looking for. Winding paths trough the forest and up to fields that proved to be a military training area. But no activity today. Then following the fields along small roads, forever. Until I got into the village of Bartrès where Bernadette the famous saint from the late 19th century grew up. From Bartrès she often walked downhill to Lourdes and then uphill home.
From Bartrès I continued along a small path or sometimes road that was said to be Bernadettes way to Lourdes. The one she used to walk frequently. Met and passed groups of young people with banner and dressed in colored “ties”. “Ties” in colors are used to identify to which group one belongs.
Followed streets and then staircases down to the river. Saw the sanctuaries at the other side of the river but determined first till look for my place to sleep, my pilgrims “accueil pèlerin” or “gite d’étappe”. Found it easily by means of the marking in the GPS. Was welcomed as “the first Swede” she, the hostess, had met!
Then I went down to the area with the “Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes”, or the “Domain” as it is called. It became an impressive experience. Thousands of people. Saw many disabled, 3 basilicas and a couple of churches in the area. One of basilicas is underground in a low hill with place for 25.000 people. Masses were celebrated at many places both indoors and outdoors and in many languages. One of the outdoor Masses ended with all participants marching towards the underground basilica. I myself went into all three basilicas, even that big underground one where several thousand just participated in a mass. Meetings were going on also in in the other two. Unexpected by me and impressive.
I also visited the famous Bernadette’s cave, where she for the first time saw Our Lady of the “Immaculada Conceptiou” on 11 of February 1858.
I reflected on the importance of these sacred sites and their meaning for all the people visiting them. What is their significance to me, to us?
I returned to the pilgrim “gite” where I should spend the night. We were four persons sharing the evening meal. One of them a waiter from Madrid. He only spoke Spanish. The pair that hosted the gite spoke French, and only a few words of Spanish and English.
Un camino largo entre Tarbes y Lourdes via Ibos and Bartrès. Bartrès el pueblo donde nació Bernadette Soubirous, la santa de Lourdes. En Lourdes vi todos los sitios famosos, las tres basílicas, la cueva donde Bernadette vio la mujer blanca la “Immaculada Conceptiou”, interpretado como una aparición de Nuestra Señora. Y miles, miles gente. ¡Impresionante, más imprecionante que yo había creído!
Peregrino 