PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES & FATIMA FRANCE, SPAIN & PORTUGAL

We depart US on a board a schedule airline for Toulouse, France, via Lisbon. Full service on board.

DAY 02 – TOULOUSE/LOURDES

Arrival into Toulouse, where we are met by our tour manager and private luxury motor coach. We drive into the beautiful region of the Pyrenees and to the world-famous holy Shrine of Lourdes in its magnificent setting at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains. Dinner and overnight. (D)

DAY 03 – LOURDES

Visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or ‘The Domain’. This area includes the Shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes, the nearby taps which dispense the Lourdes water, and several churches and basilicas, in fact there are 22 separate places of worship. We follow in the footsteps of Bernadette and discover her message of faith as we visit the birthplace, the Cachot (former jail cell that once served as the Soubirous family’s home), the parish church, Fr. Peyramale’s Presbytery, the Hospice and the Holy Mill. In the afternoon we can participate in the “Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessing of the Sick” which takes places daily in Lourdes and we celebrate Mass. Dinner on our own. (B)

DAY 04 – LOURDES/BURGOS

This morning we leave Lourdes. We journey over the border into Northern Spain and travel through the beautiful green mountain landscapes of the province of Guipuzcoa in the Basque country. Our first stop will be to visit San Sebastian, the capital of the province, which is spread along two perfect shell-shaped bays on its Atlantic coast.. Take some time to sample the simply wonderful ‘tapas’ (small dishes) or ‘pinchos’ (canapés) at one of the many bars and cafes. We continue our pilgrimage to Burgos. Burgos was once the old capital of Spain, situated on the edge of the central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. This is a beautiful historic city of huge significance to pilgrims as it lies on the northern route of the Camino to Santiago. It is dominated by important landmarks – its gothic Cathedral ‘Our Lady of Burgos’, a UNESCO designated world historic site, Las Huelgas Reales Monastery and the Cartuja of Miraflores. Our tour of the cathedral highlights the 15 chapels, the 14th century cloister, the Puerta de la Coroneria with the Twelve Apostles and the magnificent Chapel of the Condestable. We celebrate Mass at the cathedral. Dinner and overnight. (B,D)

DAY 05 – BURGOS/SALAMANCA

This morning we continue our pilgrimage to Salamanca. The lovely University city of Salamanca is renowned for its charming Old Town which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1918. It has numerous important buildings including the ancient university and various religious orders notably the Dominican order with their convent of St. Steven and the monumental college run by the Jesuits. We will have a walking tour of the old city. We visit St. Martin, the oldest church in Salamanca and one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Spain. We will also see Salamanca Square the “Plaza Mayor”, one of the most beautiful squares in the city and visit the old and the new cathedrals. Celebrate Mass this evening. Dinner and overnight. (B,D)

DAY 06 – SALAMANCA/COIMBRA

Today we continue to Coimbra in Portugal. Although is served as the nation’s capital during the High Middles Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra. The university was established in 1920 and is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world. We will visit the University Complex in the historic center. The university, apart from attracting many European and international students, it visited by tourist for its monuments and history. We continue visiting the Monastery of Santa-a-Velha. The monastery was built in the 14th century on the left bank of the Mondego River, but had to be abandoned in the 17th century due to frequent floods. The well-preserved Gothic ruins of the monastery were excavated in the 20th century, more than 300 years after being abandoned by the nuns. The ruined church recently reopened to the public after 12 years of restorations with a new visitor center. We celebrate Mass in Coimbra. Dinner on our own. (B)

DAY 07 – COIMBRA/TOMAR/FATIMA

Today we continue our pilgrimage to Tomas, site of the Convento de Christo which has been designated a
UNESCO Heritage Site. This fortified monastery offers some fascinating Templar history and the astounding stone carvings characteristic of Manueline architecture producing what is in effect one of Portugal’s most unique and impressive monuments. The castle of the Knights Templar of Tomar was built as a defense system to secure the border of the Christian kingdom against the Moor of Iberia in the 12th century. The round church of the castle was built in the early period in the Romanesque style. Of particular note is the portal of the church richly sculpted in the Manueline style. Its shape was modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. We also see charola, opulently decorated with paintings and sculptures and Manueline nave covered in fine rib vault and abundant Manueline motifs including gargoyles, pinnacles, statues and ropes of the types used in the ships during the Age of Discovery. Also note the Window of Chapterhouse, and the monastery’s eight cloisters. After our visit we have some free time for lunch and exploration on our own. We then continue our pilgrimage to Fatima, one of the most important holy Marian shrines for Catholics from around the world. Celebrate Mass. Dinner is included at the hotel tonight. (B,D)

DAY 08 – FATIMA

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children in Fátima. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13. The three children were Lúcia Santos, her sister and her cousin Jacinta and Francisco Marto. First we will visit the Little Chapel of the Apparitions that was built two years after the apparitions. The Blessed Virgin Mother during the 1917 apparitions requested a Chapel to be built on the site of the apparitions in Fatima. Then we will see the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, a gleaming neoclassical church and celebrate Mass. We also will visit the original burial site of Francisco and Jacinta at a cemetery on the outskirts of Fatima. They both fell victim to the Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1919. Our next stop will be the Hamlet of Aljustrel, where the children lived. The homes of the children have been left mostly unchanged, giving an idea of what the little village was like before the grand shrine was built. Valinhos is the site of Our Lady´s 4th appearance on 19 August 1917 after the children returned from prison, marked by a monument today. Return to Fatima. Dinner on own. (B)

DAY 09 – FATIMA/LISBON

This morning we drive to Lisbon, Europe’s westernmost capital and City of the Explorers. Lisbon’s golden age was the Age of the Great Discoveries – when Portuguese explorers went to the Indies and discovered Brazil. With its superb harbour commanding the Tagus estuary and lying on seven low hills, Lisbon was then known as “the princess of the world”. Upon arrival enjoy a guided tour of the highlights of Lisbon with your local guide – enjoy the magnificent vistas along its wide avenues, its tree lined roads and squares. We will visit the Jeronimos Monastery, the most impressive symbol of Portugal’s power and wealth during the Age of the Discoveries. It was built in the 1500s on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India and to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for its success. The monastery including the beautiful Manueline cloister with its elaborate sculptural details is one of the great triumphs of European Gothic style and is justly recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage monument exemplifying Portuguese art at its best. Afterwards we visit the Belen Tower, Lisbon’s icon and a symbol of the Age of Discovery. It was built in 1515 as a fortress to guard the entrance to Lisbon’s harbour and was the starting point for many of the voyages of discovery. Facing the river is a statue of Our Lady of Safe Homecoming, a symbol of protection for sailors on their voyages. We also see the Discoveries Monument built in 1960 to commemorate 500 years since the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. It represents a three sailed ship peopled by wonderful sculptures of famous characters of the time – King Manuel I, Vasco de Gama, Magellan, Cabral, other explorers, crusaders, monks, sailors and cartographers. Our last visit of the day will be St George’s Castle with its stunning views of the city and river. Celebrate Mass before our farewell dinner in beautiful Lisbon. (B,D)

DAY 10 – LISBON/USA

After breakfast transfer to Lisbon Airport for our return flight to US, arriving the same afternoon.