France pilgrimage travel log Sept. 26, 2009

Jet lag is hard to overcome. I fall asleep when I don't want to and can't sleep when I want to. This morning I was suppose to wake up to concelebrate the English mass held at the Grotto at 6:45AM, and I woke up at 6:30! I hurriedly put my clothes on and started to run, literally. When pilgrims saw a priest running they gave me a strange look-'What's the matter with him?' So I took off the collar to appear like a regular Korean jogger on the streets of French Lourdes with a white collar looking thing in one hand and a backpack on the other. It takes about 10 minutes to get to the grotto from the hotel, but I got there 6:40. (less than 5 min) Whew! An Irish priest leading a group from Dublin presided. We even had Irish flute for offertory. It was peaceful to hear the bells from the basilica signal the hour.
After mass already a large number of pilgrims were pouring Lourdes water from the special taps into their containers. They must be leaving this morning.

I took a regular train from Lourdes to Toulouse then took a high speed bullet train (TGV) to Lyon. French countryside is quite beautiful, dotted by rolling hills of grass, cows, and sheep.

I arrived in Lyon train station, and a lady approched me excitedly about something. She was saying something about Ars in French. I was guessing that because I was wearing my collar she took a guess. She was going there as well she gestured, hoping this poor Korean would understand her French. Perhaps she was a religious sister. She asked me numerous times about my country, and I kept saying USA, and she frowned that that was not what she was asking. I finally understood and said, Korea, and she was satisfied. This happens to me back in the States as well. What if I was born in the USA?

I went outside the train station to catch a tram or subway, and noticed a large number of young people congregating in the square. I bought my 1.60 Euro ticket and waited fo the tram. It did not come for 20 minutes. Meanwhile only 5 feet left of me a group of plain clothed police were busting a young man for selling hand rolled cigarette like substance...

After waiting another 10 minutes, I began to look for the subway. I got to the entrance and the entrance was shut tight. Perhaps, subway closes before 6 on Saturday, I thought. So I took a taxi to my hotel. And guess what the taxi driver said: the tram and subway workers are on strike until the end of the year! This puts some kinks in my transportation to Ars...St. Jean Vianney pray for me!

I showed the driver the hotel I was staying and he said in mixture of French and English about four stars and luxury. I didn't understand what he was talking about until I got to the hotel. 'Oh, that four star hotel! That's not how it looked on-line!' I'm sure I was scandalizing that taxi driver pulling into a hotel with Mercedes and other fancy cars parked in front of it. If I could only explain in French that it cost me as much as one night stay at Days Inn ($100). Oh well. I'll let the Lord deal with him.

Now if I can only sleep (2AM now)...after gulping down three espressos today...for tomorrow's 7:45AM mass at Notre Dame de Fourviere which is nearly an hour walk away since no subway or tram is available...uhhhhgh!

I hope I don't have this much fun tomorrow... On the Lord's Day (Sunday).

Fr Paul