Travels with Martina Day 4 - A weekend in Lourdes

With so many places to see and things to do in Paris and just two weeks to cram everything in, you may wonder --  why even go away for a week-end then?  But I had planned a very special getaway, out of the city, on our first week-end in Paris.  We would travel nearly 700 kilometres to the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, in the south of France. 

The fast and direct train to Lourdes still takes a good five hours and it leaves from 
Gare Montparnasse, located in the 14th arrondisement.  The station, set inside a block long
concrete building  is squat and ungainly and utterly charmless.   It is right across
Tour Montparnasse, the modern and also charmless skyscraper that every Parisian loves to hate. 

Trains depart from tracks located in Hall 1, one escalator ride up from street level.
We took the 6:25 a.m. train and arrived well ahead of time.  Gare Montparnasse serves the southwestern region of France so it was not a surprise to find a good number of early birds,
all rushing for their trains.  Aside from Lourdes, trains go to Bordeaux, Brittany, Biarritz  and 
one can even travel all the way to the French-Spanish border where there are connections to
San Sebastian and even Lisbon.

The Lourdes week-end was definitely not a spur of the moment plan -- I had booked our train tickets months in advance so we were able to secure first class tickets that were even cheaper than second class fares.  

All aboard the TGV INOUI 8571!  Wide and comfortable seats with charging docks, more than
ample legroom, even wifi -- it was a long ride but a most comfortable one! Thank you SNCF!

The SNCF high speed trains run just as fast as Japan's shinkansen -- at top speeds of more than 300 kilometres per hour.   Five hours passed in a literal blur of countryside vistas and glimpses of urban stations and soon,  we arrived at Gare de Lourdes.  To get into town, take a taxi or shuttle van, there are many just waiting outside the station.

For our one night in Lourdes, we stayed at the Hotel Angelic Myriam along Rue du Calvaire.  

Located on a higher portion of the town,  it is a ten minute walk down to the Grotto. 
An outdoor lift  makes going to and from the hotel a whole lot easier and quicker. 

We arrived in Lourdes  at lunchtime and there was no doubt where I wanted to have my first meal ... at Asian Delices along Rue Saint Marie.  This is a Filipino restaurant that has been in Lourdes for over a decade, bringing Pinoy cuisine to this quite distant part of France.

Madame Gina Lat Rousset is the chef and proprietress.    You will be happily surprised to see that her restaurant is full of non-Pinoys enjoying  chicken pork adobo, lumpia (vegetarian version available), pancit, sinigang, bistek,  lechon kawali atbp.  Gina's warm and welcoming personality makes everyone, regardless of nationality, feel right at home in her spacious and comfortable restaurant. 

After lunch, time to head to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, a sprawling 51-hectare complex that includes the Basilicas, the baths, the Grotto and several churches and buildings.  Here are Jay and Martina in Rosary Square in front of the Rosary Basilica.

The Grotto of Massabielle is where Our Lady appeared to St Bernadette.  Compared to the grandeur of the other buildings in the Sanctuary, the Grotto is very simple and has been left  untouched as much as possible.  The only additions are a plain stone altar and pews.   
There is always a long line of pilgrims at the Grotto but despite the crowds, it  retains its air of solemnity and spirituality. 

We wanted to take the baths at Lourdes -- something that I had not been able to do in my previous visits.  The people at the information office were not very encouraging, they said that if the lines were too long,  we may not be able to get in as the sick and disabled were given priority. 
But we discovered that there was a line,  much shorter,  specifically for children and their guardians so Martina and I were able to experience the baths after a not too long wait.

After our time at the baths --  thanks to the many volunteers from all nationalities who 

made us feel welcome and comfortable -- we visited the Rosary Basilica.  We also bought

votive candles to offer in thanksgiving and for intentions of  family and friends. 

It had been a long and tiring day and the excitement, the long train ride and the intense summer heat only worsened Martina's sore throat -- she was down for the count at the end of the day.  

But we both agreed that the highlight of the trip was our amazing bath at the holy waters of Lourdes.  

Being able to do so despite the extremely long queues and the peak season crowds was a gift -- bestowed on us by Our Lady of Lourdes. 

Traveling with Kids Tip #4

A religious pilgrimage may not be what an 8 year old would look forward to.  But we made sure that even before we left,  Martina knew about how Our Lady appeared to this young French girl -- only fourteen years old and not much older than her.   If put in terms that they can relate to and understand,  children will gladly embrace experiences they would normally not be interested in. 

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 15 - Getting to and around Shikoku

Typhoon Jebi almost ruined my carefully planned Shikoku trip.  It ripped into Kansai, forcing 

the closure of the airport and the cancellation of our PAL flight, just two days before we were
to leave. 

But thanks to my patient (and long suffering) travel agent, we were able to book seats on
Japan Airline on very short notice.  

Taking JAL proved to be a blessing as they have flights to Tokushima, our first stop in Shikoku.

However, because  JAL  lands in Narita you need to transfer by yourself to Haneda Domestic Terminal,  a 70 minute bus ride away. 

Here's my MVP - most valuable pointer for travelling within Japan.
Send your big suitcases ahead to wherever you are going via Takkyubin (TA-Q-BIN).
This very efficient service from the Yamato Transport Company will send packages, suitcases,
etc from point to point, anywhere in Japan.

JAL could not check our bags through to Tokushima from Manila  so after picking them up from
the arrival area, we headed to the Yamato Counter and sent them off straight to Tokushima.  

Throughout this trip, we used Takkyubin to send our bags from hotel to hotel and back to Narita airport at the end of our journey. Takkyubin made for easy and luggage-free train and bus travel around Shikoku.

Just a reminder -- if you send your bags via Takkyubin, delivery is the next day or at least
two days  if you're sending your bags to the airport.  Your hotel concierge or even the ubiquitous conbini store can arrange for Takkyubin service. 

We had a comfortable four hour transit time between our arrival in Narita and our flight for Tokushima in Haneda.  The lines at the luggage drop off at Haneda Domestic Terminal were so
long, we were really glad we did not have our suitcases with us.  Checking in was a breeze.

Tokushima Airport is about 30 minutes from the city.  A very convenient way to get to and
from the airport is the Airport Shuttle Bus which runs every hour from 6 a.m. till 9 p.m.

My pocket wi-fi was waiting at the hotel when we checked in.  While you can now rent a
device at the airport, I've noticed that the lines are always so long since every tourist who
gets off the plane seems to want one.
I have always pre-ordered from https://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/. 

The device is delivered to your hotel and you send it back in its own self-addressed envelope
when you leave Japan.  You can ask your hotel to mail it for you or you can drop it off at the
mailbox at the airport.
I cannot stress how useful the pocket wi-fi is, specially when you are trying to find your way
between temples and there are no directional signs in sight. 

Friends always ask me about the JR Pass and should they get one before they fly to Japan.  

The pass does not come cheap, a 7 day pass costs 29,000 yen.  But it allows for unlimited train
travel all around the country.  

However, if you're staying in one area like Shikoku, there are local JR Passes that would suit
you better.   We bought the All Shikoku 7 day pass for 12,500 yen and used it to travel to Kochi, Matsuyama, Takamatsu and all around Tokushima.  

The round trip from Takamatsu to Matsuyama  alone cost 11,980 yen so the 12,500 yen pass
was terrific value for money.  

In addition to  JR lines, the Shikoku pass can also be used in all local trams and private railways around Shikoku.  While there are no shinkansen,  there are several train lines that crisscross the island.  This made it easy for us to visit all four prefectures of Shikoku within the week that we
were there. 

Most of the temples we visited in Tokushima were not accessible by train so we took the city and municipal buses.  These run infrequently, just one or two every hour.  Buses were a slow but fun 

way to see more of the countryside.
Our hotel was right across the main bus terminal and the staff at the ticket office were always ready
to help henro by  giving directions and even providing bus timetables.

While Shikoku is a bit off the usual tourist track, it is easily accessible from major destinations
like Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo and you don't have to spend huge amounts on the shinkansen.
A cost effective and convenient option are the buses which go to these big cities.
For 1/3 of the cost of a ticket on the bullet train,  we took the JR Bus from Kyoto Station to Tokushima and the trip took less than three hours.  The ride was smooth, comfortable and
there are many schedules to choose from all throughout the day.

P.S

Our main reason for visiting Shikoku was to do a small portion of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
If you want to experience being a henro, if only for a day or two, I would suggest Tokushima City
in Tokushima Prefecture as a good base.  Out of the 88 temples, 23 can be found in the prefecture
and temple 1, where you start the pilgrimage, is just  a 30 minute train ride from Tokushima Station.  

Temples 1 to 7 are within 20 kilometres of each other and make for an easy, two day walk.

A Dip at Dogo Onsen

Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture is Shikoku's largest city.  It is home to a renowned castle (Matsuyama-jo), a renowned temple (Ishite-ji, temple 51 of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage) and one of
the oldest and  most renowned hot springs in Japan -- Dogo Onsen.  

The city has an excellent tram station that will get you from JR Matsuyama Station to Dogo 

Onsen's period piece looking terminal.  

The first thing I saw when I got off the tram was a shotengai, a covered shopping arcade.   

This is Dogo Haikara-dori, a short 400 meter stretch of shops, cafes and restaurants that

leads to the Honkan, the centuries old bath house of Dogo Onsen. 

I started  hyperventilating -- a shotengai is my favourite kind of place to (window) shop in
Japan.   The stores are mostly local, filled with goods that are made in the area and sold by the 

artisans themselves.  A shotengai is full of those  irresistible souvenirs that will make people ask "Where did you get this?"

Beside the entrance to the Haikara-dori is the Botchan Karakuri Clock.  

When the clock strikes  the  hour,  miniature figures from the Japanese classic novel "Botchan" emerge and enact scenes from  the novel.  The couple and photographers in the foreground are

not part of the scene but are taking wedding photos, timing the shots with the start of the show.

Check out my gleeful grin as I am about to hit the shops!

Jay did not want to have anything to do with my nefarious schemes so he quickly walked on ahead. 

One of the shops I really liked and where I had to literally put my hands in my pockets so I 

wouldn't buy anything was the Imabari Towel store.  Imabari City in Ehime prefecture is well 

known for the towels that they produce.  

Fluffy, absorbent and with beautiful contemporary  Japanese designs and colour combinations,  Imabari City has over a century of experience in towel manufacturing.  Their gorgeous products are sold in high end department stores in Japan and even abroad. 

This shop had signs that said no picture taking but I stayed well outside the door and could not resist taking a photo of the gorgeous indigo and white Tobe pottery, made here in Ehime prefecture. 

Shikoku is known for udon noodles so it was no surprise to see an udon shop in the arcade.  

 

This is  Dogo Onsen Honkan, it probably rivals Matsuyama Castle as the most recognised building in Matsuyama City.  The Honkan, built in the 1890s stands over what is said to be a 3,000 year old hot spring that has been visited even by the Japanese royal family.

The facade of the wooden Honkan may be familiar to fans of Miyazaki san who modelled the building in his movie "Spirited Away" after this structure. 

Can you see the white crane on the top left side of the photo?  The legend of these age old waters is
that a wounded crane dipped his injured leg in the hot springs and it was promptly cured.  From then on, people have come from all over Japan to enjoy its restorative, mineral rich waters.

Inside the Honkan are two baths --  the Kami-no-yu which is bigger and can accommodate 

more people and the other is the Tama-no-yu,  smaller and a bit more exclusive. 

For the price of 410 yen, you can get into the Kami-no-yu and enjoy the bath for as long as you like (or for as long as you can stand the hot water).   

Mid priced tickets of 840 yen allow  access to Kami-no-yu  and a public lounge where you can relax after the bath.   The most expensive package is 1,550 yen and gives you access to both baths plus a private room of your own. 

Silly me -- I thought that we could just walk up to the ticket booth to buy the high end tickets
but I was told that there was a long line and we would have to wait to get in.  

However, the ticket seller did tell me that there was no queue for the 410 yen ticket and we could go
right in and enjoy the bath. 

And so of course we did.

Photos are strictly prohibited inside the Honkan.  This beautiful photo is from Dogo Onsen's website

https://dogo.jp/en/honkan.php.  Some renovations have been made, the ticket booth is no longer at the side but stands in the middle of the room.  Before you give your ticket, place your shoes inside any of the available lockers and then proceed inside.   

Old photos line the walls and with the rich hues and patina of old, lovingly cared for wood,  you truly feel as if you have been "spirited away" to another time.  

The red noren over the doorway signifies that this is the entrance to the women's side of Kami-no-Yu.

This is the women's changing room, I had to take it on the sly since photos are strictly prohibited.

There was no one else in the room at the time so I did not really feel like a voyeur invading any 

one's privacy.  There are wall to wall lockers where you can put your clothes and bag.  Take the key with you  when you enter the bath.

The inside of Kami-No-Yu is definitely off limits for any photo taking.  I would  have been kicked out by all the women bathers if I had even dared to try. 
This photo of the bath itself is from the Dogo Onsen website https://dogo.jp/en/honkan.php. 
The hot spring water  flows freely from a spout in the large pillar at one end of the bath.    

The Tobe indigo and white ceramic tiles show the two cranes which are part of the origin story of Dogo Onsen.   The perspective of the photo makes the bath look much smaller than it is,
in truth it is the size of  a small swimming pool. 

The temperature is very hot -- about 42C.  I got in and out of the bath several times, to take a cold shower in between each soak. 
However, the heat is also tempered by how mild and soft the water felt on the skin.  The waters of
the onsen come from many different underground springs and the water quality is excellent. 

Here is Jay looking refreshed after his bath.  There is no season for onsen.  If you think that taking 

a hot soak in warm weather is crazy, the Japanese will assure you that it is very appropriate.  

The heat opens your pores, makes you sweat and releases toxins.  You feel light and refreshed afterwards. 

Tea is usually served after the bath but in my case, nothing would beat an ice cold mug of 

nama beer. We enjoyed a mid afternoon late lunch in one of the small cafes lining Haikara-dori.  

The curry omurice was gigantic but there's something about a good hot soak that makes you 

really hungry. 

I wanted one last dip at the free foot onsen right beside the Karikuri clock but there were too many people.  The water in this foot onsen comes from the same springs that feed the bath at the Honkan.

On our way back to Matsuyama Station, we decided to take the city's unique form of transport  known as the Botchan Train.  This is a replica of the old steam locomotives that ran in the city in
the 19th century.  Named after the novel written by famous author Soseki Natsume, it travels 
around the city and stops at key areas, including  Matsuyama Station.

The train conductor, dressed in a uniform that would not have looked out of place when the original steam locomotives were still running,  called out the stops as his predecessors probably did,  many many years ago.

The train is faithfully reproduced from the exterior to the wooden interiors which have been 

cleverly "distressed"  to recreate the feeling of an antique locomotive.

  

After chugging through the streets of Matsuyama, we found ourselves back at the station, ready to board a train back to Takamatsu.  The biggest city in Shikoku somewhat incongruously has a modest and quite old-fashioned looking station.  It definitely has a vintage vibe.

Even the benches in the waiting area by the tracks are made of wood and are a throwback to 

another age.

The Limited Express Ishizuchi however definitely belongs to Japan's ultra modern train system.  

It is not a bullet train but it is the fastest way to get from Matsuyama to Takamatsu, making just a

few stops along the way.

Time for an eki-snack!  This is oyaki, which I bought at Ishite-ji, temple 51.   There are quite a 

number of old time stores selling this delicacy around the temple.  You can see the drawing of a

henro (Emon Saburo I presume) on the paper wrapper of the oyaki.   

Oyaki is a glutinous rice dumpling, filled with a mildly sweet bean paste, flattened and then fried.

It's chewy, soft and delicious.  They have been making these sweets for generations.  

Rice farmers  would offer it at the temple, in thanksgiving for a good harvest.

 As the train sped towards Takamatsu,  the sunset over the Inland Sea was a gentle, picturesque 

good-bye gift from Matsuyama.  Domo arigato gozaimashita, we had a memorable visit.

P.S

The Honkan will close for renovation and repair in January 2019 for a period of two to three years.

I am so happy we were able to visit when we did.  However, there are two more modern baths 

behind the Honkan, the Asuka-no-Yu and the Tsubaki-no-Yu.  You can continue to enjoy the waters of Dogo Onsen even after the temporary closure of the Honkan,