A Trip that was Long Longing for….the whole live!
Mom, finally, after all her life, of age 70, finally got to see Europe for 16 days.
I took long time to convinct her since last year and finally she decided to take the trip of faith, pilgrimage to Rome and Lourdes.
The trip departed on 20 Oct and ended on 4 Nov.
The whole iternary are as follows:
Day 1 - Singapore / Rome (via Istanbul)
Day 2 - Rome:
- View of Colosseum (Out side view, and Arc of Constantihople)
- Trevi Fountain
- Visit to the Patheon Church
- St Mary Major’s Basillica
- Visit to St Alfonso Church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help)
Day 3 - Rome:
- Visit to St Peter B asillica Included Private Mass in church
- Entrance to the Dome of St Peter’s Basillica, the Dome
- Entrance to Vatican museums including Sistine Chapel
- Inside Antiquitites, Raphel Room, collection of Modern Religious Art, A picture Gallery and the Sistine Chapel with its splendid vault painted by Michelangelo
- Private Shopping time
Day 4 - Rome
- Entrance to San Callisto Catacombs
- San Paul’s Outside the church world
- St John’s Lateran Church
- Church of Santa Crocse in Gerusalemme
- Visit the Scala Santa Monument
Day 5 - Rome - San Giovanni Rotondo
- After breakfast, leisure drive to San Giovanni, upon arrival, visit:
- Lady of Grace Church (Santa Marie Delle Grazie)
- Including shrine of Padre Pio.
Day 6 - San Giovanni Rotondo - Montesant’ Angelo
- Excursion to Mone Sant’ Angelo
- Basillica San Michele and the Grotto
Day 7 - San Giovanni Rotondo - Tru Loreto - to Assisi
- Loreto visitation
- Santuario Di San Legonziano, Miracle Eucharistic
- Visit the Holy House of Nazareth, inside the basillica
Day 8 - Assisi
- Visit to San Francesco Basillica
- St Francis Church
- Visit to Santa Chiara Church
- Santa Maria Degli Angeli Church, including the Thornless Rose Bush, and Porziuncola Chapel in the church.
Day 9 - Assisi - Genoa - Turin
- Long distance coach to Turin, with a visit to Duomo San Giovanni.
Day 10 - Turin - Nice - Avignon
- Long distance coach to Avignon, with stop at Nice for brief city signts
Day 11 - Avignon- Narbonne - Lourdes
- Long distance coach to Lourdes, with stop at Narbonne for brief sights
Day 12 - Lourdes
- Free day for activity such as station of cross, confession, getting holy water, and socking of holy water.
Day 13 - Lourdes
- Free day for activity such as station of cross, confession, getting holy water, and socking of holy water.
Day 14 - Lourdes - Paris
- TGV to Paris
Day 15 - Paris - Singapore
- Visiting Church of Miracles Medal church
- Eiffel Towel.
After a long preparation prior to the trip to teach her how to use my camera, exchange of notes, attentive to some special place of interest, what are the insurance covered in her travel…She flew off on 20 Oct 2008.
Trevi Fountain - Rome
Colosseum - Rome
St Peter Sq - Vatincan
Group Photos - Rome
Now, she is back and safe and her hope to get her legs and sickness cured did not really work out… I felt she does have some disappointment after submerging herself totally in the holy water in Lourdes and praying for her recovery.
Honestly, I do have slight disappointment as well, but I trusted GOD. I know there is a plan and it’s only that we do not understand; but we will…one day…In HIS Time.
Meanwhlie, she is still excited to talk about the churches, the miracles and others she had seen. WIthin 1 short 1 month, especially this 2008 years, she had many of her dreams come true. I hope she is really happy and God bless my mom.