ISSOUDUN, BOURGES & NEVER

Dear all,
This blog involves the challenge of using a French keyboard and clicking on French directions on the screen! It may be mercifully short!
It was pouring rain when I left London - having risen at 4.30 am to greet an ordered taxi. It only took half an hour to the airport because it was a 'Bank' Holiday for something no one could tell me. So I had stacks of time. The plane delayed half an hour while the luggage of 5 missing passengers was removed, but we arrived in Paris only 5 minutes behind schedule. The travel agent had arranged a 'transfer' for me and sent me a ticket but I had no idea of what I was looking for and spent an hour practising French on many people and trawling my preposterously heavy luggage up and down the footpath until, after an inquiry inside, the girl at the desk referred me to a gentleman who was looking for 'someone'. That was me - identified by the notice he was carrying: "Mr or Mrs Clancy". I was at the Station half an hour later in plenty of time for the 12.50 pm train. I bought food on the train and arrived at Issoudun about 2.40 pm to be met by Sr Gerardine. Here are a couple of pics of the place:1)You can see the Basilica of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at the end of this street.
2) Gerardine is beside a small museum I saw the next day - you can see it is not exactly warm 3) The Basilica is one one side of a beautiful enclosed courtyard (the photo shows a corner of it). The building I am in (the 'Cor Novum' building) is where I am standing to take this picture. There is a building for pilgrims (135 Confirmation children with teachers there just now) and the building which fronts the street is lower (1 or 2 stories, rather than having four as the other accomodation areas do) and contains a book & souvenir shop plus offices: 1) There are some beautiful stained glass windows in the Cathedrals here: the first is one of many like it in the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Basilica - they have been put in quite recently by some local artist and his companion craftsman.
2) The second photo is one of the very large and beautiful famous windows in Bourges Cathedral - where Fr Chevalier spent his Seminary days. You can see the wonderful colours and the detailed Gospel stories. This Cathedral dates from 1295 when few people could read:
3) Myself; Gerardine and Linda (Irish American) - it still hasn't warmed up!

There are very old buildings in France. A lot of places are Heritage and the streets could only be changed with great difficultiy. This morning, Fr Hans msc walked me around the town and pointed out places of significance to the history of Fr Chevalier, who started both the MSCs and the OLSHs here. The French Revolution occurred while he was Parish Priest here and all religious houses were seized and communities disbanded. He was only able to stay as Parish Priest, andn at 81 years of age was eventually evicted by force from his Presbytery. He died within a year in the nearby house of a friend.

1) This note written by Fr Chevalier, came from the butcher to whom it had been given by its poverty-stricken holder in order to obtain 500 Grammes of meat on Fr.Chevalier's account. 2) This is the house where, on 21st October 1907, Fr Chevalier died (behind the upstairs left two closed shutters) in the house of the friend who had taken him in. 3) Looks like a Shakespearian house, doesn't it? This style is fairly common in the old areas - also in Bourges.

I'm off to Nevers by train early in the morning to see St Bernadette's incorrupt body etc. Have to change trains twice. Wish me luck. So I'll just add a few more pictures with commentary before I close.

1) Issoudun has a castle - the White castle - so named because the Queen (Blanche) used to come and live there. It became a jail for prisoners of war during the First World War. The town used to be walled and this tunnel was the entrance to the town. 2) The next picture shows the continuation of the wall which occupied a high point over the local stream and was a very good defence during the frequent sorties with the deadly invaders of the time - the English! 3) On the right of this old street is the Parish Church of St Cyr - where Fr Chevalier was PP. We couldn't get in because it is being extensively restored. Since the Churches were seized during the Revolution, the local Government owns them and is responsible for their upkeep - the outside anyway. That must the preserve the sanity of many French priests! 1) A very nice view of the rear section of Bourges Cathedral - I could not get far enough away to take a whole view and the front had scaffolding up for much-needed repairs.
2) Bourges has the remains of a Roman wall which used to surround the city centre - see the diagram.

3) Here I am in an area where we followed the Roman wall for quite a distance behind houses.

1) Can you see the cobblestones? Very hard on the feet! This street has the notice in photo two just on the left of that lady.

2) This photo is clear. George Sands (women had to use male names to have their books accepted!) was a famous man's mistress, I am told.

(3) A little shopping area in the Old Town section of Bourges. We had a 'tres delicieux' meal there on Wednesday evening before returning to Lourdes: Bye for this week. I could tell you thousands more things but I would not get to bed. God bless! Rita

NEVER

I am adding this section much later because I found I had not written up this day trip to see the incorrupt body of St Bernadette. I took three trains to get from Issoudun to Never, but it only took about an hour and a half. The seats were comfortable, there were quaint little stations along the way and the scenery was lovely French rural scenery. I sat back and enjoyed the trip. At Never Station, following instructions from someone, I bought a map of the town, but did not use it much. I walked through the main street and turned up a road with a likely-looking sign on it. Soon I came to a house where Joan of Arc had spent some of her life.

(1) These were seats on the train to never and a rather uninspiring view outside the window at the Station.

(2) A quaint little station along the final leg of the journey.

(3) St Joan of Arc once lived here - enlarge the picture and you can read the sign.

After losing courage and repeating some sections, I came finally to the Convent where St Bernadette had lived. I headed inside to an information section outside a small museum and in my best Anglo-French lingo managed to get some information. Then I headed for the Chapel where the body of St Bernadette was, exactly like it is in pictures I have seen. She looked as though she was sleeping. No photos were allowed so you will just have to imagine it.

(1) The Convent where St Bernadette lived her adult life.(2) The Chapel where her incorrupt body is on display in a glass case. (3) An image of St Bernadette as a young shepherdess, in the grounds of the Convent. I walked through the large garden in the Convent grounds to the small Chapel where Bernadette was originally buried, prior to being exhumed many years later and found to be incorrupt. Also in the grounds is a statue which Bernadette said she like the best because it was most like the Lady that she saw: Our Lady of the Smile.

(1) Here is the little Chapel where Bernadette was originally laid to rest. (2) Inside the Chapel you can see the original tomb. (3) Our Lady of the Smile in the grotto in the garden.

I spent some time looking around Never and met a man who was on a Pilgrimage to the Shrine of St James in Spain. He was happy for me to photograph him with his pack showing the shell which signifies this pilgrimage. There were lovely rose gardens nearby. Eventually I inspected the Cathedral, which was on a fairly confined site and undergoing renovations (all the Cathedrals I saw seemed to be undergoing renovations!) but was still quite remarkable. It had the most wonderful gargoyles all over it!

(1) My St James Pilgrimage friend having a rest (2) A Rose garden nearby. (3) This gives you a little idea of Never Cathedral. I'll show a couple more pictures of the Cathedral with detail.

(1) A view of the interior of the cathedral (2) A view up the tower giving some idea of the great number of gargoyles poking out from every ledge. Of course the idea was to ward off unfriendly spirits with the uglies faces possible. (3) A typical view of French countryside from the train window on the way home. Very tranquil.