Traveling Gaspese (part 3)-- the Basilica Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre is one of the most beautiful and beloved religious shrines in the world.  St. Anne is believed, by the pious, to obtain miracles through her intercession. People from all around the world come to the Basilica seeking miracles. Pillars in the front entrance are covered in crutches from people who are said by the parishioners to have been miraculously cured and saved~

 located about 20 miles 

east of Quebec City,

our visit to this religious shrine

was easily done as a day trip

while we were staying in Quebec City.

This amazing cathedral is an important catholic sanctuary 

which receives about a half-million pilgrims each year.

 The peak period of pilgrimage is around July 26,

 the feast of Sainte Anne, 

the patron saint of Quebec. 

The basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre 

was initially a shrine  to honor Sainte-Anne.

 On March 8, 1658, 

a man by the name of Etienne de Lessard 

donated two frontal acres from the West end of his property 

to the Catholic Church 

 so that a chapel could be built. 

This chapel eventually became the site

 of the modern-day basilica. 

It was built for two reasons:

 to provide a place of worship for the new settlers

and to house a miraculous statue 

of St. Anne.

 The first reported miracle at the site

 happened during the shrine’s construction. 

A man named Louis Guimond 

was hired to help build the shrine even

 though he suffered from 

rheumatism.

~

 After placing three stones upon the shrine’s foundation, 

Guimond was cured of all his ailments. 

This was followed by other testimonies

 of healed people 

and the shrine soon grew in 

popularity. 

~

For hundreds of years,

 pilgrims have visited this shrine

 hoping to be blessed with a

 miracle.

Because of the popularity of the shrine,

 the building was enlarged several times to accommodate

 all the pilgrims.

 In 1876, the first basilica opened for worship.

 The former basilica 

was destroyed in a fire on March 29, 1922. 

 The present-day basilica 

was built 

on this site of the prior church 

in 1926. 

Miracles are still believed to be performed at the basilica. 

When entering the church one can see two pillars 

filled with racks of crutches, canes, braces, 

and other signs of disabilities.

 Every item has been left by a pilgrim 

who reports being healed 

at the Basilica.

 The main doors of the Basilica

 are hand-made of copper

 and they present many scenes 

of the life of Jesus. 

~

This exceptional work of art

 created by the artist Albert Gilles

 was originally hanging on the doors of the

 St. Joseph Church in Quebec City in the 1950’s.

~

The three double doors alone represent

 12 months of laborious work.

 After the closing of this church in 2003,

 Albert Gille’s masterpiece was given a second chance at life

 when it was transferred to the Basilica 

the same year.

some scenes from inside 

the Cathedral~

this collection of candles was housed in one of the 

basement sanctuaries,

~

From my journal--

"as we walked down the stairs,

I could feel the heat from the candle lamps,

hundreds of prayers said from the hearts

of those in need"~

The pilgrimage to Beaupre

 has not always had the importance 

which it has gained

 in our time.

~

 Only in the last quarter of the nineteenth century

 did it attain to the growth, organization, and fame 

which now render it comparable 

with the great pilgrimages 

 to Lourdes.

across the street from the Basilica

stands the tiny little

Memorial Chapel

The Memorial Chapel 

is a souvenir of the third church 

which welcomed pilgrims from 1676 to 1876.

~

The chapel was built in 1878 

on the foundation of the transept of the third church

 (1676-1876). 

~

The material, the decor and the steeple 

were all retrieved from the old church 

and incorporated into the construction 

 of the Memorial Chapel.

~

 A rooster weather vane,

 a symbol of Peter’s denial as a follower of Christ,

 pivots on top of the steeple. 

The adjacent cemetery

 was where parishioners were buried 

until 1930.

scenes from inside the chapel

and the 

memorial plaque

in this photo--

I'm standing on the front balcony

of the beautiful, tiny

Memorial Chapel.

The Basilica is directly behind me.

looking out from the inside

of the chapel~

Forgive me for being so "historical" in this post.

~

I'm not usually so "factual" when I share photos -- 

but this is such a special place...

  It just didn't seem fitting to say,

"and here are some photos of this pretty church we visited..." 

 I really wanted to share with you

 some of the history relating to this

 amazing place.  

~

a visit to the

 Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre 

is truly a destination.

On this trip we were only there

about 2 hours,

but on one of our previous trips,

we were there the entire day.

~

Truly, it is a place

of great spiritual presence

and beauty.

(You can read more about the

Basilica here )

As we continued on journey northward

to the town of 

Baie-Saint-Paul,

we passed this beautiful place

and stopped for photos--

(of course)

traveling down the gravel road

brought us to a beautiful restaurant

housed in a home that dates back

to 1840.

You can read about the Auberge Baker

and see photos of the inn and restaurant

here...

 In my next post-- (in just a few days!)--I am taking you to the eclectic little artist town of Baie-Saint-Paul... a lovely little town on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. You will so enjoy a tour of this beautiful little town known for it's artist colony and quaint little shops and restaurants. On our visits to the Basilica and the town of Baie-Saint-Paul, we continued to stay in Quebec City -- as both these visits were actually little day trips for us.  

After the post of the little artist town... we will pack our bags and truly begin our northward trek to the Gaspe Peninsula.  As much as I am enjoying sharing  with you all that we did in and around Quebec City---- I cannot wait to share with you the amazing sights from our travels around the Peninsula.  I hope you will continue to follow us along on this incredible journey..


A note from me~
Spring is truly and finally here!  I am mowing grass, starting to prepare for planting flowers,... I am a happy girl.  My winter nesting is over and I am working on some new projects to share with you later this summer.  I've just finished watching the Ken Burns documentary of the Roosevelts. I loved every minute of this incredible historical documentary -- so much that I may watch it all again! (I watched it on Amazon Prime). Also, I just finished reading book 2 of the Glassblower series -- "The American Lady" (loved it).
  (Book 3 will be out in September.)  Honestly, I have so many books, and sample books in my Kindle Que, that I'm quite sure that I won't ever get them all read! 

Thank you for your wonderful responses to the travel series posts, I appreciate your comments and emails-- and I am so happy that you want to go along with me on this incredible journey. I am so very excited to be taking you there~

xoxo,
Vicki 

ps--soon, very soon, hopefully next week... our packages of love will be arriving in Mombasa and from there they will travel to Kampala, Uganda.  The minute I have pictures of the children opening their gifts, I will begin to share them with you.  Please pray for the arrival of your gifts for the children..

The Shabby Chic story-- (and a few to share with you!!)

This year's Shabby Chic nest is one of the most beautiful ever. Vintage laces, exquisite yarns, and an amazing vintage bridal headband are all combined to create this year's 
stunning nest~

the process for creating this year's nest

was one of the most time consuming

I've ever done...

 my goal was to have these

nests finished by Spring

and I just barely

made it!!

my Mother had an amazing lace collection...

I had no idea that she collected vintage laces.

finding them in her craft room

made my heart beat faster! 

those laces 

lived in my own

craft room for several years

with me thinking

"what will I do with these?"

sometimes...

I would just open up the tub

and finger them, 

just admiring their beauty

and different textures..

 

 the idea to create a nest

using my Mother's beautiful laces

was actually very frightening to me~

but after I began to work them into

the design...

it began to feel so right,

almost like they had been waiting all this time

be used in these nests~

I'm not sure what my Mother

had in mind for these laces...

but I think she would

love seeing them

used this way~

 she must have collected these

laces over years and years

of visiting flea markets

and antique shops~

 when I found this antique

bridal headpiece

at the flea market last year..

I knew that it was meant for the shabby chic nests!

although

the general design of the nests

remains the same,

year after year,

the embellishments change

based on my mood

and---- my latest

treasure finds~

working with the bridal headband

was not easy..

it was so very fragile..

but now that the nests are finished--

I think they are the most beautiful 

ever~

 As a special surprise

for all of you--

I managed to create 3 extra nests.

You can find them here

in my ETSY shop.

These nests are NOT reserved

and may be purchased by anyone

who wishes to give them
a loving

home...

If you wish to be placed on

next year's Shabby Chic waiting list

please email me

vboster1@windstream.net

~

Some notes~~

Gosh I wish I had all the time in the world to blog --- there is SO much I want to share with you.  I just returned from an amazing 3 days at the Abbey of Gethsemane in Trappist, Ky.  Spending 3 days of quiet time... just me, the beautiful gardens, silence, and of course, the monks--- this was maybe one of the best things that I have ever done for myself.  Beautiful does not begin to describe this amazing place--- and of course I so want to share those photos with you!

The next post will be a continuation in the Traveling Gaspese' series--- (the good thing about taking so many photos is that you have all those wonderful photos to remember your trip!  The bad thing about taking so many photos is that you have to sort through them all!!)  

Did you notice my beautiful new blog header??? My friend and blog miracle worker Karen Valentine created it for me:)

I send her the photos and she works her magic every time making the most awesome blog header!  You can contact her for your own blog magic by clicking on her name above.

What I'm reading and watching---
Right now-- I'm watching the PBS Ken Burns documentary,
"The Roosevelts" on Amazon Prime. I've been waiting forever for it to be available for me to watch.  I'm totally loving it--

Slowly-- (because I don't seem to have a lot of time to read)-- I'm almost finished reading "At the Water's Edge" --- it's totally captivating and I loved it from the very first sentence.  The book is so beautifully written...I thought the premise would be silly (looking for the Loch Ness monster)-- but it's really not --- truly, it's a great read -- and beautiful.

Spring is here - and although it is still more cool than warm, I'm counting the days until I can play in the dirt and plant my flowers... I'm so happy when I get to be a "dirty girl"!!

love,love..

Vicki 

ps -- if you left a comment on my last travel post or are leaving a comment on this post --- I promise I will be by to say Hello to you at your blog -- I am slowly making my rounds! xoxo

Traveling Gaspese--- a day trip to Isle d'Orleans

Ile d'Orleans may be only a 20 minute drive from Quebec City, but in character it is world's away from the hustle and bustle of the busy tourist city.  Everything moves at a slower pace here-- there is no industry~ only farms, and cows, and sheep... and the people who own them...

 Isle d'Orleans

(September 16, 2014)

~

if you don't live here,

then your only reason to be here

is to marvel at the tranquil

scenery,

and to say to yourself--

"yes, I could live in this beautiful

place"~

driving to the island,

takes you across the bridge that is pictured here...

although we have been here several times,

we never tire of making the journey

all around this island~

Ile d'Orleans is located in the middle 

of the Saint Lawrence River. 

Tiny in distance,

21 miles long

and 5 miles wide--

you can easily drive around the island

as a day trip from 

Quebec City~ 

~

the island is divided into 6 quaint little

parishes-

each unique in it's own way~

~

come along with us

as we drive all around this beautiful

place,

stopping for photos all along 

the way~

the island is famous for it's 

chocolate--

turning right after you cross the bridge

will bring you to the lovely

Chocolaterie.

~

inside you can purchase

ice creams,chocolate candies

and also eat in the little

 cafe.

(this is probably the only touristy spot on the island)

the island is a haven for artists~

almost every little shop and

roadside market

will have art for sale

all along our drive

are beautiful views of the river...

there is no where along the drive

where you cannot see the

 water~

the island is also famous

for apple ciders and

ice wines..

 quaint little farms

are seen all along the drive around the island..

I fell in love with the old, tumbledown

barns

many of the farms

provide guest houses,

similar to "bed and breakfast"

lodgings

we stopped for lunch at a lovely

restaurant,

and found this cozy

little place to sit and enjoy

the views

the island is home to many 

wonderful restaurants...

this is one of our 

favorites~

the view from the restaurant lobby

another beautiful little roadside

inn and restaurant --

we stopped to walk around for a bit

and take photos~

(of course!)

there are such beautiful views

all along this drive --

we found ourselves stopping 

over and over again

for photos!

one of my most favorite places

on the island~

a Catholic respite, (hidden from the road)

with the most stunning views

 of the river...

~

we found this place quite by accident

the first time we visited 

Ile d'Orleans--

now, we visit every time we

make the drive~

(you are SO going to love this place!)

we spent several hours here,

walking all over the grounds

and taking photos~

the flowers

are always so lovely...

 

 this is one of those places

that lingers in your soul long after you

have left...

beautiful views that leave you

breathless~

 

 we have been here in the spring

and now the early fall--

there is no season

that this place is not beautiful

beyond words~

 

 it is easy to see 

why people would want to come to this place

for silence 

and to find peace and comfort

in their lives~

 

 

 

wouldn't you love 

to just sit here all day,

 watching the river 

lazily float

 by?

 

in all the times that we have visited here,

we have never seen anyone 

walking around~

but this time,

I met someone who truly

touched my life...

 

 her name was Cecile...

she had been out for a hike

when we met walking the grounds--

although she spoke mostly French,

and only broken English,

we had a lovely conversation~

~

she was visiting here 

to rest and recover

from a recent serious illness,

her elderly parents were

also visiting here with her...

 

 she invited us inside to see her room

and to share with us this amazing respite home,

some of the rooms which date

back to the turn of the

 century~

inside the house

only "silence" is spoken--

so we tiptoed around all the rooms

and she whispered to us

the incredible history of the house..

~

the painting above the fireplace 

is one of the oldest artifacts

in this old house--

an ongoing restoration program

is in place to bring this

treasure back to life

once more... 

 

 to be able to walk the grounds

and enjoy the beauty that surrounds this place

is truly special--

but to actually be given the opportunity

to quietly breathe in the history of the house

and to see first hand the historic treasures inside,

 was truly an unbelievable

experience --

after filling our souls

with the beauty of the respite house--

we continued our drive around the island~

 

 this lovely little cottage

houses a working artist studio

and a chic little boutique

in addition to the gorgeous

black-eyed susan flowers,

the yard was filled with these

incredible

pink hydrangeas~

I thought they were absolutely stunning! 

 

 Isle d'Orleans is home

to many historic and beautiful churches

~

Church at Sainte Famille

est. 1749

Sainte-Famille is the oldest parish on Île d'Orléans.

 this church, built in 1743 and consecrated in 1749, 

is one of the last dating from the 

 French regime.

~

(note the shadow play on the roof line of the church)

 

 

 next door to the church 

is a little museum--

this old window 

is in the upstairs of the building

and looks out on the cemetery and the

beautiful gardens

below~

it seems like

everyplace you look on this island

is a picture postcard scene~

 

a most perfect place

to have a picnic~

the climate must be just perfect

for flowers here--

the blooms are so beautiful

everywhere~

with this island being only 21 miles long--

you could actually drive all around

in less than an hour~

but for us--

it took us the entire day...

 

our last look at this beautiful

church~

 

continuing our drive around the island--

our next stop was at this cute

little roadside market~

 

 quaint little roadside markets 

are found all along the road 

as your circle the

 island~

 

fresh raspberries in September!!

(and look at those beautiful apples!)

 

 autumn on the island

is glorious color~

I'd love to have this old

wooden cart in my yard

at home!

another one of my most

favorite places on the island~

Saint-Jean-de-Ile d'Orleans

est. 1662

 

I am in love with this

shady little cemetery on the banks

of the river~

 

 some of the tombstones

here date back to the 1700's~

I love how the cross in the middle of the gate

is bent and crooked~

just beyond the church

is this awesome rocky area

beside the river

(we sort of climbed over the fence to walk among these rocks!)

 

as the evening shadows 

started to fall...

it was time to make our way

back to Quebec City~

(note the shadow play on the door of the church)

 

Some notes from me~

I'm sorry for the excess of photos --I wanted to truly take you along as we drove all around the island.  This "Traveling Gaspese" series is meant to be a photo journey and I want you to feel as though you were really there...

Next up-- we will take one last day trip from Quebec City.  This time I will take you to the historic St. Anne de Beaupre church--one of the world's most beautiful churches, and to the quaint little artist colony town of Baie- Saint- Paul. We spent 4 wonderful days in Quebec City, making day trips from there during our stay. At the end of this series -- (and heaven knows, it may well be sometime this summer!!)-- I will post our entire itinerary.

 

In case you missed the first post of this series (a tour of historic Quebec City) -- you can find it here--

 

Spring is starting to really happen in my little corner of the world.  I can hear the birds singing and we have daffodils in bloom --- just knowing that warm days are ahead has put a spring in my step~

 

xoxo,

Vicki