Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Chicago's 2016 Olympic Bid



DISAPPOINTED!

I know, I know...it's old news. I was in Portugal when it was announced Rio de Janeiro got the 2016 Olympic Games. President Lula of Brazil was crying tears of joy. And I was a sore loser.

It was a feeling. I knew from the very beginning Obama was going to jinx Chicago's bid in going to Copenhagen. I was saying to myself, self, I hope Obama would not go. The gods of Olympus have always been jealous of other gods -- like Obama the ONE. The No-Olympic Game headed by the annoying Tom Tresser further busted Chicago's dream of holding the Olympics.

It's hard to believe that Atlanta (there's nothing there) could hold an Olympic and Chicago (there's everything there) could not. As a proud Chicagoan, I'm kind of insulted.

From now on, I don't want to receive anything from the Olympic Games. You can keep your calendar.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Maze: Seine River

Seine River

Seine River Cruise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnpJ9TAWp88 6:39







Published  6/16/10  lib's labyrinth blogspot
Blog Page:  Maze: Seine River

Cruising the Seine

No ' La tour de Paree' is complete without a river cruise to see the sights and historical attractions:

Oh-la-la! What was that?  What a warm welcome to our cruise.  There was shouting and yelling from the river bank and when we looked - a guy was mooning us!  I circled the dude's butt for you to see.  LOL!










 Notre Dame Cathedral


The Eiffel Tower is the emblem of Paris.  It was built in 1889 - 120 years old as of October.  Gustave opted for a structure that is 300 meters high, with 1,652 steps and built to a design using 12,000 steel parts.  The iron lady is pampered every 7 years - with 25 specialized painters in harnesses, 50 km of cables, 1,500 paint scrapers, 1,000 brushes and 60 tons of paint.  The current color is "Eiffel Tower brown" in harmony with the city's landscape.  There were 2.9 million visitors in 2008 and a total of 245 million visitors that went up the tower since the time it was built.



I love Paris in the fall.



Published  11/1/09  altgroup multiply
Web Page:  Cruising the Seine

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

ALT Travel: Paris St. Vincent de Paul St. Catherine Laboure

THE GRAND EUROPEAN PILGRIMAGE TOUR:
Tour 4 The End:  Paris, France
Transferring to Paris after our 6:30 a.m. breakfast via the exciting high-speed TVG train with travelling speeds of 320 km/h. Not exactly, I felt it's more like 70 with stops in between, towns of Bordeaux and Poitier.  The high-speed train system links more than 200 destinations in France, making travel across the country a much more comfortable and convenient ride.  Tour guide Isabella said it took 2 days from Lourdes to Paris before TVG.



This reminds me of scenes from George Simenon's Maigret, French detective








Video: Lourdes to Paris via TVG Train http://youtu.be/465zs6R-ld8


Arriving in Paris around 2:00 p.m. or so, six hours later.  Then we hopped aboard our bus and drove to the Basilica of Sacred Heart, or Sacre Coeur.  The impressive structure is located at the highest point in Montmartre, offering a spectacular view of Paris, and is home to a religious relic that is believe by some to be Christ's Sacred Heart. 

On the way to Sacre Coeur







We went down the Basilica to a dark and musty underground chapel and celebrated Mass with Fr. Paul and Fr. Mel, two Franciscan priests from Lafayette, Indiana,  However, Lucy, one of the pilgrims found where the light switch and turned it on.

The steps of Sacre Coeur were very dirty -- empty water bottle, wrapping papers. leftover food and cigarette butts.  Ugly! Somebody please clean the place!




                                    Fun ride at Montmartre Funiculaire (cable car) 


The next day, after exploring the Louvre the whole morning, we had a private afternoon Mass at the Shrine of Miraculous Medal where, in 1830, three apparitions of the Virgin Mary appeared to a young nun (who, in 1947, was canonized and became St. Catherine de Laboure).  In those visions, the Virgin Mary gave specific instructions for designing what would become the Medal of Immaculate Conception, or "Miraculous Medal."
Video
                              The incorruptible body of St. Catherine de Laboure



                             We made a short visit at St. Vincent de Paul Church.  St. Vincent de Paul was born in France in 1580.  While sailing from Marseilles, he was captured by Turkish pirates and taken to Tunisia where he was sold as a slave.  He escaped after two years, and returned to France where he worked as a teacher to a wealthy family.  He was ordained in 1600 and the young priest began administering to convicts in French jails, bringing them food and health care.  He eventually built a hospital and hospice for the elderly.  The French king appointed him royal almoner.  Vincent was encouraged by others to start a religious institute of priests, the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), to work with the poor in rural areas.   With St. Louise de Marillac, he established the Daughters of Charity and Ladies of Charity to go and serve the poor.  He and his missionaries worked among the slaves along western Africa's Barbary Coast (modern-day Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) ransoming up to 1,200 galley slaves.

Vincent died in 1660.  He was named patron of all charitable institutions by Pope Leo XIII.  His feast is celebrated  on September 27.


                                 The preserved body of St. Vincent de Paul



Published  10/26/09  lib's labyrinth blogspot
Blog Page:  ALT Travel: Paris

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Maze: Sacre Coeur

Sacre Coeur Church

Trip to the Shrine of Miraculous Medal and St. Vincent de Paul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1wuy7HWwo 2:30


Miraculous Medal Shrine



 

In 1830, Mary Immaculate appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure and gave her a medal to be struck in our Lady's honor.  When the first medals were distributed in 1832, so many miracles of healing were worked through Mary's intercession that people began calling her medal the "Miraculous Medal."


 



Published 6/16/10  lib's labyrinth blogspot
Blog Page:  Maze: Sacre Coeur