Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-02-16
BY MRS. s1GMUND F. TEIsER

is what I read in the papers and see
upon the screen. It's destruction ana
dissertation, as 1 think of the Spain
that we knew in the spring and sum-
mer of 1928, seem criminal. In retro
spection, 1 briefly recall our leaving
New York at noon on March II, land
ing passengers in Plymouth March 70,
and debarking next day for Havre,
France, where we took speclal Gun
ard train for Paris
We passed through Rouen, when
has the most beautiful cathedral IN
France. It was here that Joan OF
Arc was burned at the stake in l4zS.
We spent two days in Paris, feellng
quite at home because of a longer
stay on our first visit in 1884. we lett
Paris March 20, a. M, for Bordeaux,
passing through the beautiful chateau
country where one could spend mucn
time visiting the beautiful chateauxs
and where many Parisians go for the
summer months.
Tours, the Beautiful
We passed through Tours great
university city where Anatole france
spent the last years of his life lectur-
ing. We arrived in Bordeaux at . p.
m. It is the fourth largest city IN
France. Like most European cities,
it has it's very old and very new parts.
The hotel was a former convent OF
the 18th century. Beneath the hotel
are the caves and sub-cellars, three
of which are reached by the original
iron winding stairs, where In each
one of these sub-cellars are stored the
famous Bordeaux wines OF various
dates made in the surrounding noun
tains and brought here for sale ana
storage. There still remain in the
caves Cara marble busts of the apost-
les st. Luke, st. Mark, and st. Mat
thews, and marble fonts and tiny
iron candelabrum, relics of former
DAYS, when much of the religious Wor-
ship must be carried on in secret.
Monsieur Montre is the owner both
of the wine shop and the hotel, which
contains art collections from all over
the world. One has the feeling of llv-
ing in a palace or museum, and yet
if is one of comfort and coziness.
Week i'm Bordeaux.
We have a pleasant but rainy week
in Bordeaux, and leave on April 4,
a. m. The scenery changes-we seem
transported back to our own Nortn
Carolina, passing from the vineyard
with it's vine and wine to the forest
with it's pine and shrine.
For miles and miles there are street
ches of pines, each with it's cup TO
catch the resinol. There are no Guilt
waited fields to be seen, the pine with
it's products is king. The family gard
en- takes precedence in the matter OF
cultivation and once tasted of can
never be forgot, for nowhere does as
paragus have the same sweetness OF
flavor found in France. A close sec
ond is the French artichoke.
Here are health resorts similar TO
Southern Pines and Pinehurst, ana
at one of these resorts passengers
change cars for Lourdes, the great
Catholic shrine where many journey
for penance and worship. We had
the pleasure of travelling from New
York to Paris and thence to Lourdes
with two sisters of mercy on their
wav to Rome, after a week of retreat
in Lourdes, for the Sabbatical year.
Miracle of Lourdes
incidentally, the Miracle OF
Lourdes" is eighty years old this year,
for it was on February II, 1858, that
Bernadotte Souberous, according to
Catholic tradition, first received the
vision of the Virgin Mary. st. Borna-
dotte's fame has spread to every cor
ner of the globe by way OF the news
paper, film, radio, books, and paint
ings, and has made Lourdes one OF
the most colorful cities of France, and
nerhaps the most international city OF
the world.
One of the undoufbted miracles OF
I,ourdes, which even the most skepti-
cal must recognize, is the historical
fact that a simple peasant girl has
transformed sleepy Pyrenean town
into a modern metropolis with MIL
lion visitors a year, while she her
self has become sainted. It has
permanent population of S,736, but
during August when the national pill
grimage" is staged, there are 100000
and even more. st. Bernadotte never
saw Lourdes in the days of its glory;
she died at the age of 35.
GIimpsing the Pyrenmes
Shortly thereafter we GLIMPSE the
great SnOW-CdppCu y O1AAAOo 1850 -
vide France and Spain. We finally
arrive at Hendaye, the French Gus
toms. and also to change cars, pass
ing through Biarritz, the most beau
tiful and fashionable summer resort
in France. Many Americans, English,
and French go here for the Easter
HOLIDAYS. We came back here for
day, from Spain, and found it both
beautiful and unique. Four minutes
later we come to Irun, the Spanish
customs, where all our baggage IS ex-
amined. You may recall reading OF
the fierce fighting in the present CIVIL
war, conferred around Irun ana Hen
daye.
In Spain at Last
This completes the crossing OF the
Pyrennes, and we are at last in Spain,
taking our train for San Sebastian at
$40 p. M, arriving at 1886 p. m. AS
we approach the city the scenery is OF
unending beauty, with it's background
of mountains and the Bay of Biscay as
it gently flows into the Atlantic.
San Sebastian has 1000 inhabitants.
It is the summer residence of the
Spanish royal family and is called the
"Pearl of the Cantabrian coast" be-
cause of its magnificent sands. The
sands of the Concha SHELLY and Anti
quo are noted for their beautiful views