The time and place to be indicated, departure to Burgos. Brief stop en route. Arrival in Burgos and lunch. Afterwards, a brief visit to the exterior of the wonderful Cathedral, one of the most beautiful and representative in the neighboring country, in Gothic style, although other styles can be found inside, such as the main altarpiece in Renaissance carving. The time to be indicated locally continues to Irun and Lourdes. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Stay at the hotel on full board. In the morning visit the city, a large religious center. On February 11, 1858, Bernadette Soubirous, then 14 years old, daughter of the village miller, had a vision of the Virgin, which occurred to her in the cave of Massabielle; the vision was repeated 18 times. After the first appearance, the first miraculous feats began to occur. Every year Lourdes is visited by millions of pilgrims and patients. Then visit the Sanctuary, with its 3 overlapping Churches (the Crypt, the Basilica of the Rosary and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) and the underground Basilica (with capacity for 20,000 people). Some of the most important points are:
1 – The Parish Church, at the top of the village – The Church, today, still retains the baptismal fonts. It was on these that Bernadette was baptized on January 9, 1844. For Christians, a pilgrimage is one of the ways to reinvigorate their baptism.
2- In “Cachot”, Rue des Petits-Fossés – This is where the Soubirous family lived in 1858. They lived here because it was ruined. Here we will think of Mary who sang in her Magnificat “He removes the mighty from their thrones; He elevates the humble.” We will think of Jesus, the son of Man who “had nowhere to lay his head”. We will think of the beatitudes “Blessed are the pure in heart, for theirs will be the Kingdom of Heaven”.
3 – At the Grotto – We will enter through the Saint-Michel gate, at the end of Boulevard de la Grotte. The door was decorated especially for the Jubilee Year. There we will find the advice we need. Entering, we will have the Basilica in front of us. The 200 meters of terrace will give us time to prepare. To the right of the basilica, we will pass under the arcades. An image of Christ is found under each archway; if we wish, we can embrace it. The cave itself is a place par excellence of retreat and prayer.
4 – In the former hospice, current hospital – It was in the hospice chapel that Bernadette made her first communion, on June 3, 1858, before her final apparition. The Jubilee route cannot end at the Grotto; Mary leads us to Jesus. The destination of the Christian path is the Eucharist.
Return to the hotel. Time for rest. To have lunch. At night, you can watch the candlelight procession that takes place every day near the Grotto.
Breakfast at the hotel and journey through the Pyrenees to Zaragoza. Arrival and time to visit the Pilar Basilica, built at the end of the 19th century. XVII, one of the most visited in Spain, where the Chapel of the Virgin of Pilar stands out, one of the biggest centers of interest. Lunch. In the afternoon, continue the journey to Madrid. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel and journey past the Escorial, an exponent of Spanish grandeur in times past. Then, at the time to be indicated locally, we will continue to Ávila (walled city closely linked to the life of Santa Teresa de Jesus). Lunch. In the afternoon, start the journey back to the starting point, passing through Alba de Tormes, the place where Santa Teresa de Jesus is buried. Arrival at the end of the day.
