Today is my last day as a registered doctor in Australia. Tomorrow I retire officially. Mixed feelings, obviously but the right decision, definitely.

Drove on to Lourdes . This was where the Virgin Mary appeared to St Bernadette 16 or 18 times in 1858. We were pleasantly surprised to find the religious site not crowded and no trouble to look at everything, as all the basilicas and the Grotto etc were in a Sanctuary that was free to enter. The only expense was to pay for candles you could light at various stages. Not a souvenir shop in sight.

So..... We went to each place in turn. First, the dark and somber upper Basilica(of the Immaculate Conception). The clock in the the tower plays "Ave Maria" on the hour. Then the crypt, with walls lined with marble plaques enumerating thanks for favours received, we assumed. Then the beautiful Rosary Basilica. Lovely frescoes of Mysteries of the Rosary. Then we went down to the grotto, actual site of the apparitions. Folk lined up to touch the walls, worn smooth by millions of fingers; water trickling out of the rock; a statue of Mary and a huge candle holder. Then we looked at the candles, held in huge barrow-like structures . They burn hundreds of tonnes of wax every year. Next we saw folk lining up for their turn in the baths. You can be immersed in cold water, wrapped in a sheet! Then we collected our small bottles of Lourdes water.

The atmosphere is quiet. Lots of folk like us, just walking around and looking.
Walked across the bridge into the town- souvenir shops everywhere, and tourists too. Had a not very French lunch. Then walked back to look at the St. Pius Xth Underground basilica. Some say that it is like an underground car park, but how wrong. Magnificent underground church that seats 25,000 people. Mass was in progress so we stopped to watch and hear the beautiful singing.

There is so much more to Lourdes, I would like to come again and spend a week seeing all the other sights and looking at museums and the huge castle that dominates the other end of the town.

Back to camp. We returned for, again, a not very French meal before joining the candle light procession of the rosary. All around the holy sites, in the dark, thousands of people carrying candles and singing. Very "atmospheric" and so glad we made the effort, even if it was an hour long.

Back to camp. We are so glad we decided to "do" Lourdes, as initially we had thought not to go there at all, but feel we were lucky to hit a quiet time. Apparently it varies from day to day- there were 11,000 Italian pilgrims there that day but we would not have known had we not been told.