A Pink Duck and A Visit to Fatima

I am up for another double post. I will start with Pink Saturday, which is hosted by Beverly of http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/. Don't forget to visit Beverly and then visit each and everyone of her participants and see all their lovely pinks!

I went around the house looking for anything pink. I really do not have a lot cause I am more of an orange, green, brown and turquoise kind of gal, but I spotted this pink duck in the laundry room.
She is kinda cute, isn't she?

She keeps me company when I am folding the laundry.

She is standing there watching over my little knick knacks.

Thanks Beverly, for hosting another great Pink Saturday!

Now, don't go yet cause you will like where I am taking you next.

It's Saturday! Let's go on a tour! Would you like to go on a pilgrimage? Fatima comes to my mind. But before we go on, let me remind you not to forget to visit Chandy of http://whatnowtablescapes.blogspot.com/ for she has somewhere to take us also. Let's not miss another exciting trip. If anyone wants to join us for Sightseeing Saturday for this week and next, please let me know by Friday so I can add your blog address. I will be away until the 28th so I will have to post in advance.

So, are you ready? Let's go to Portugal.


Below is where the Virgin Mary appeared to the children in a small village near Fatima called Valinos, when they were not allowed to go to the Cova, where the Lady usually appeared to them. Because the authorities did not believe them about the apparitions, they were forbidden to go to the Cova. You can read more about the Cova below. Somehow this picture uploaded in the wrong order. Let us drive through Lisbon first, on our way to Fatima. I really like this bridge, kinda reminds me of the Golden Gate.

I think this is a school.

They have a lot of monuments there.

Pretty Spanish style buildings huh?

Beautiful mountains and valleys.

Now, we are finally in Fatima. Vendors are bountiful near the Cova and they are all selling religious items and other Portuguese made items. We did not have much time to go shopping or I would have bought one of those tablecloths. You might still remember my framed hand painted tiles of Fatima. I bought it unframed in one of those stores and had it framed here in US.

Now, we are approaching the Cova and Basilica.

This is the Cova da Iria, where visions of our Lady of Fatima to 3 peasant children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta took place in 1917. A shrine was erected where our Lady appeared and a small chapel built around it. It used to be a pasture land. The town has a population of less than 8,000.

Large torch-light processions are organized in the evening

and the experience gave me goose bumps. As many as a million believers attract the shrine and visit the basilica, especially on May 13 and Oct. 13th, 2 very significant dates of Fatima apparitions. There were 6 apparitions, always on the 13th of each month from May to Oct. Here is AJ with the Basilica in the background.

Do you see the lady in a green top on her knees, on the lower right side of the picture below? She walked on her knees all the way to the basilica. You will witness a lot of people there having this kind of devotion.

This is where Jacinta is buried now. She died in 1920 at the age of 9, during the Spanish flu pandemic and was beatified in 2000. She was not originally buried here. In 1935, her body was exhumed and was found to be incorrupt. Her body was again exhumed in 1951 and again was found to be incorrupt. Francisco's has decomposed. Sister Lucia, who became a Carmelite nun and who passed away in 2005 at the age of 97, is also buried here.

In the other side of the church lies Francisco's tomb. Francisco died in 1919, also due to Spanish flu, at the age of 10 and was also beatified in 2000.

Because of many visitors, they had to build another gigantic basilica called Igreja da Santissima Trindade (Holy Trinity Church), done in a neoclassical style, on the far side of the esplanade. It is one of the largest churches of the world built in the 2000's. We were fortunate to be able to attend mass there during our visit. Below, you will see some of the doors. There are 12 side doors, one for each of Christ's Apostles and one central door, Christ's door.

This is one side of the church.

And this is inside. It has a sitting capacity for 9000 people.This is the house of Lucia. In 1993, the first time we visited Fatima, I met her brother in this same house.

This is the bedroom that Lucia shared with her sister. The house is very modest, very small with very low ceilings.

Shown in the picture is Pope John Paul II with Sister Lucia.

This is the olive grove where an angel who presented himself as the Guardian Angel of Portugal, appeared to the children 3 times before our Lady appeared to the children. The angel prepared them for the appearance of Our Lady of Fatima. She urged them to pray and offer prayers and sacrifices to the Most High. On his third visit, he gave them Communion and presented the proper way to receive it.

I hope you enjoyed our tour for today. I really enjoyed going there and I was so happy that AJ experienced it. It is such a good feeling to be in the same place where the apparitions happened. Thank you all for your visit!