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It's almost midnight again.
Just got back from the walk.
Pinch me moment really.
Last full day on the tour tomorrow.
Will try to write it up then.
So sorry I can't write now.
Lots more photos to add and lots to write!!
Thoroughly enjoying everything!!
Xxx
Ok ...
Fatima.
Arrived about 5.30pm.
Hotel is the only one inside the Sanctuary.
Just walk across the road and we are there.
Straight there with everyone to have the Group photo taken with the Cathedral in the background.
It was quite chilly so back to the hotel to wait for the case to be delivered to the room so I could change and head back out.
Bit of a wait for the case and then I'm off.
There is a huge paved area looking down towards the church.
On the right had side is a glass sided building that has an altar.
This is where the 3 young shepherds sat when they saw the visions.
Next to that is a huge old oak tree.
It was in that tree that the vision appeared in 1917.
The vision was first seen on 13/5/1917.
The Lady told the children she would return every month on the 13th, with her last visit being in October.
On the 13th October, 1917 there were 70,000 people there to witness The Miracle of the Sun.
From the Internet:
The people had gathered because three young shepherd children (Lúcia dos Santos, Jacinta Marto and Francisco Marto) had predicted that at high noon the lady who had appeared to them several times would perform a great miracle. According to many witnesses, after a period of rain, the dark clouds broke and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky. It was said to be significantly duller than normal, and to cast multicolored lights across the landscape, the people, and the surrounding clouds. The sun was then reported to have careened towards the earth before zig-zagging back to its normal position. Witnesses reported that their previously wet clothes became "suddenly and completely dry, as well as the wet and muddy ground that had been previously soaked because of the rain that had been falling"
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Went to see the huge old oak, and then into the huge church, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Very simple, mainly white and just looks beautiful.
Outside there are sort of marble wings to the building with magnificent scenes paired on tiles.
Sort of a part semi circle like The Vatican.
Wandered.
Back to the hotel for dinner.
Then a group of us set off for the Candlelight Procession at 9.30pm.
Everyone was heading to the glass building and altar so we joined in walking that way.
There was an hour long service first.
In Latin and Portuguese.
I was there for most of it, standing on the fringes but also moving a lot further away to take photos.
Then this enormous white cross is carried out through the building and people filed in behind,
Creating the procession with the candles.
It looked amazing!
I was in the procession and am really glad I did it.
Wonderful night.
- comments
Mum Sharing a glass of wine with Greg while we discuss your travels. Friday night here. Have fun. Cheers !,
.Amanda Phillips Definitely a pinch me evening :)What an amazing experience at Fatima.