Through Normandy to Lyon.

         The day after Lisieux, I had a full itinerary planned.  In the morning, we drove to the small town of Pontmain. It drizzled on and off, but the roads were lined with such lush vegetation and fall colors! The little farm towns we drove through were immaculately maintained and charming.

The Blessed Mother appeared in the sky over Pontmain on January 17th, 1871 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. It was at the height of the Franco-Prussian War, and the small town of Pontmain lay directly between the oncoming Prussian army and the city of Laval.

Two boys, Eugene and Joseph Barbadette were helping their father in this barn when Eugene walked to the door to look out towards the village church and saw 3 very bright stars forming a triangle in the sky, and then he saw our Lady. He called his father to come look, but his father could only see the stars. Joseph could see the lady. Their father called the local parish priest to come out and slowly villagers began to gather. Two other girls from the village, Francoise and Jeanne Marie, could also see the Lady.

The priest led the people in prayer. The Lady folded her hands and prayed with the people. A message in red lettering appeared as they prayed; "But please pray my children. God will soon hear your prayers. My son lets himself be touched." Then the people began to call her the Mother of Hope and the children jumped up and down exclaiming, "How beautiful she is! How beautiful she is!"

Some crosses appeared on the Lady's shoulders and a blood red crucifix, in her hands, which Mary looked at with great sadness. At the end of the three hours, the villagers sang "Ave Maria Stella", and a white veil appeared that slowly covered the Blessed Mother until she was seen no more. That same evening, the Prussian forces halted their advance under orders not to take the city of Laval. It is said that the next morning, the general seemingly had a divine revelation and said, "We cannot go farther. Yonder, in the direction of Brittany, there is an invisible Madonna barring the way." At the end of the month, the long-hoped for armistice was signed.

A statue of the apparition stands at the spot where Mary appeared in the sky.

We made it in time for Mass and enjoyed our first Mass in French.

This stained glass depicts the apparition as it unfolded.

Our Lady of Pontmain, Mother of Hope, pray for us!

While driving around Normandy, we saw signs for the American Cemetery, and so of course, had to stop to pay our respects.

In the remembrance chapel, there were wonderfully detailed maps charting the progression of the war and especially the landing at the Normandy beaches.

Rest in peace, all you brave souls; may you be glorified in the presence of God. Thank you.

Michael said he was being Mary Poppins.

We continued through farmlands out to the coast to our next destination - Mont Saint-Michel.

Mont Saint-Michel is an island commune located off the northwestern coast which has been the site of a monastery since the 8th century. According to the story, in 708 St. Michael the Archangel appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, and asked that a church be built on the rocky island. There has been a monastery located here ever since, and gradually, the island was built up into a town.

We parked in the parking lot and took the shuttle bus across the causeway to the town.

Wow, a real drawbridge! Papa and Michael immediately went up on the ramparts to check out the view.

Then we proceeded up through the tiny medieval-style town, which goes up, up, up.

 

Pausing to light a candle at the chapel of St. Michael.

 We walked up to the entrance of the abbey, even though it had closed 30 min. prior, took in some views, debated on whether to wait another hour for vespers, as the monks allow guests in, but the boys were tired so we headed back down.

 

 The sun went down quickly as we walked around the outside and waited for the shuttle.

The next day was a full driving day, but I had planned a stop in the Loire Valley to stroll around the Chateau de Chenonceau.

Um, guys, the 16th century chateau is to the right....

Such boys.

This chateau spans the River Cher and has seen some pretty historical figures including Catherine de'Medici, Louis XIV, Voltiare and Rousseau. It was once property of the crown, and then residence for royals. It was used as a bridge of commerce during the French Revolution, a hospital during WW I, and was a means of escape from the Nazi-occupied bank to the free-zone of the other bank during WW II. The views were great and the interior quite rich and colorful.

We're slowly getting better at family pictures.

Papa read us the historical background and significance of each room. The boys were quite in awe of seeing a fireplace inside a building. Michael was "protecting Dominic from the fire."

Inside the bridge section.

 Someone found the playground!

This face.

 The bird pond. What a great farmyard.

 The vines growing all over the old homes were superb.

 Taking pictures of the herb garden. Some day...

 Taking stock of the fall harvest.

 What cute miniature horses.

We really enjoyed our afternoon at this chateau. The above picture is a favorite I took just as the sun peeped out for a few moments.

The next day, our significant stop was in Lyon, at the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere. (We did stop in Tours that morning, but the boys were sleeping, and the cathedral was undergoing some construction, so we drove some of the boulevards and continued on our way.)

 Our dear St. Pope John Paul II.

 

This basilica was built out of thanks to our Lady for her intercession in saving the city of Lyon multiple times; from the bubonic plague in 1643, from the cholera epidemic in 1832 and the Franco-Prussian invasion in 1870. The church was begun in 1872 and finished in 1884. It is built in both Romanesque and Byzantine styles, and is simply breathtaking.

 

 The crypt is dedicated to St. Joseph. The statues below the altar depict his happy death.

 The boys LOVE having picnics - good thing, because we don't eat in restaurants much while traveling. We ate a little lunch in the shadow of the basilica then took in the great views of Lyon.

 

 After driving around Lyon a bit, we exited the city for our few hours' drive that evening up into the Southern Alps to the pilgrimage site of La Salette.