CATHOLIC PILGRIMAGE TO FRANCE, SPAIN & PORTUGAL

(13-day Catholic Pilgrimage)

DAY 1 -- Los Angeles, California/Paris, France
We start our journey with a transatlantic flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris. Meals served on board.

DAY 2 -- Paris
Arrive at Paris. Once we finish processing through Immigration and collect our luggage, our local guide and motorcoach will take us for a half day city tour of Paris, We will see Notre Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, Arc d’Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, the Basilique Sacré-Cœur & the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal. Overnight in Paris (BB, D).

DAY 3 -- Paris/Lisieux
After breakfast, we will spend a full day in Lisieux, home of St. Therese, who at age 15, entered the convent and became Carmelite nun. She took the religious name of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. The spirituality of her little ways was not about extraordinary things, but rather about doing simple things of life well and with extraordinary love. She believed and taught that “Everything is Grace”, and that God’s face and presence could be experienced in every person and situation of our lives, if we just attend with love and expectancy. She died at the age of 24, believing that her life was really the beginning for God, promising to spend her heaven doing good on earth. We will witness her signature ”Shower of Roses”, which has become a torrent in the church ever since her death. After spending the day in Lisieux, we will return to Paris. Dinner in a restaurant near the hotel. Overnight in Paris (BB, D).

DAY 4 -- Paris/Nevers/Limoges
After breakfast, we will drive to the picturesque Loire Valley to Nevers to visit the Convent of St. Gaillard, where St. Bernadette’s incorrupt body has been miraculously preserved since her death, in 1879. At the conclusion of the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers. After she was blessed with the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, St. Bernadette retired in Nevers. She received her religious habit in 1866. The St. Gaillard convent is her final resting place. Continue to Limoges for dinner & overnight (BB, D).

DAY 5 -- Limoges/Lourdes
Lourdes is one of the great pilgrimage shrines of the world, visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. We'll arrive in Lourdes in the late afternoon, receive an orientation to the shrine, then spend some time in the sanctuary. Dinner & overnight. (BB, D).

DAY 6 -- Lourdes
After Holy Mass at the Grotto, we will bathe at the healing water. Then, we will have a walking tour of the shrines and sites associated with the life of St. Bernadette. Afterward, we will meditate on the passion of our Lord through the larger-than-life exotic way of the sacrament and prayers. We will then have free time in the afternoon for private devotion. Dinner & overnight (BB, D).

DAY 7 -- Lourdes, France/Zaragoza, Spain
From Lourdes, we will continue down to Zaragoza, Spain, to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, the second most popular pilgrimage site in Spain. We will witness the magnificent altar in the Basilica, built on the site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the apostle St. James, before her Assumption into heaven. Dinner & overnight in Zaragoza (BB, D).

DAY 8 -- Zaragoza/Madrid
After breakfast, we will head to Madrid for a half-day tour with a local guide. We will visit Plaza Mayor, which evokes the reign of the House of Austria. Built by Philip III in 1619, this is among the first sites in Spain to have achieved any architectural importance. There are nine arched gateways leading into this great square, which was the hub of life in Renaissance Madrid. We will also visit the nearby sites of Puerta Del Sol, Plaza de las Descalzas Reales, and Plaza de Oriente, which owes its name to the convent founded by Doña Juana de Austria, daughter of Emperor Charles V; today, the convent now serves as an interesting museum. We will also visit Puerta del Sol Alcala, which, from the 17th century until about 1735, the Spanish Imperial or Renaissance architectural style slipped into a period of decadence, marked by the appearance of such architects such as Churriguera, Ribera, Moradillo and others. We will then take in the enormous gate at the corner of Retiro Park, which was built in 1778, by Sabatini, one of the masters of Neo-Classicism, to the greater glory of Charles III. We then wrap up the day with a tour of the Royal Palace, which dates back to the Bourbon Dynasty; this palace is undoubtedly the finest example of Neo-Classical Architecture in Madrid. Dinner & overnight in Madrid (BB, D).

DAY 9 -- Madrid, Spain/Fatima, Portugal
We continue our journey to another famous shrine, Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal. There, we will have an orientation tour of the Sanctuary. Dinner & Overnight in Fatima (BB, D).

DAYS 10-11 -- Fatima
We will celebrate Mass at the Apparitions Chapel, then spend a full day with guided tours, including the Shrine grounds, a visit of the Tombs of Francisco, and Jacinta in the Basilica. From there, we journey to Aljustrel and Valinhos, to visit the two homes of the shepherds, site of Our Lady’s fourth apparitions. We will then stop at the parish church, where the seers were baptized, and visit the cemetery where Francisco and Jacinta were once buried. We will do the Stations of the Cross, and we encourage everyone to spend some time in the Blessed Sacrament, which is open every day. Dinner & overnight in Fatima (BB, D).

DAY 12 -- Fatima/Lisbon
Following breakfast, we will proceed to our final destination, Lisbon. Along the way, we will stop at Santarem to visit the Church of the Holy Miracle, site of the Glorious 13th Century Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem .Then we will do a panoramic city tour of Lisbon, with a visit to the Basilica of St. Anthony de Padua, St Jeronimo’s Monastery and the famous Belem Tower. Dinner & Overnight in Lisbon (BB, D).

DAY 13 -- Lisbon, Portugal/Los Angeles, California
After an early breakfast, we will report to Portela Airport in Lisbon, for our flight back home, bringing us to the conclusion of our memorable pilgrimage (BB & in-flight meals).

You can take this wondrous journey for only TBD/person*

THE RATE FOR THIS PILGRIMAGE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

• Round-trip airfare from Los Angeles
• First-class hotel accommodations (based on double occupancy)
• Buffet breakfast & dinner daily. (BB, D)
• Full sightseeing and entrance fees, and a licensed English-speaking guide
• All tours and transfers, via deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach
• Porterage (one baggage item each)

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT COVERED:

• Tips/Gratuities (Drivers, tour escorts, local guides, hotel staff, etc.)
• Personal items/shopping, drinks with meals and "extras" at hotels
• Lunches en route
• Travel Insurance
• Visa fees (if required)

* Price subject to change. See Travel Terms and Conditions for details.

Would you like to lead this pilgrimage? If so, please call or e-mail us today, and we will be happy to assist you!