Day 5 Opporto to Fatima and visiting The Sanctuary on my friend's suggestion; 29 July 2001

0630 and off before breakfast. Caught a bus with a totally - mad - fast driver to Porto Campanha station who seemed to be testing out his brand new speed machine over quite a few cobbled roads! Good fun.
Wrote and posted postcards whilst waiting for the train to Fatima. It was a great smooth, comfortable ride. It turns out Fatima train station is 25 kms. from Fatima itself. So taxi ride it was, with, as it turned out, the father of the woman on Reception at the Hotel San Amaro. My business was of mutual benefit to them and no rip-off arrangement was in place. The ride was high up into the mountains with some marvellous dry stone walling holding back narrow terraces on some fields. A very beautiful farmed landscape all round. The air was very clear and there were a few sheep but nothing much else.
Simplicity is always best.
After booking in I took a walk to see The Sanctuary at long last. Walking down the very busy main road of Fatima, about 400 metres in length with many people walking, eating, drinking or buying souvenirs from the large number of souvenir shops. All the shops were sad places I thought as they go about making money from the site of The Apparitions. But it’s only to be expected I suppose. Just not my cup of tea that’s all.
The Sanctuary itself is not the small humble sort of place I imagined but more like part of an airport runway with a huge, highly impressive architectural building named The Basillica- at one end.
I just sat on one of the very long stone benches around the runway and soaked it all up. Too noisy. Yet signs say that Fatima is Quiet Place, a place of Silence! It was Sunday after all.
It was amazing to see people young, old and disabled walking on their knees or being helped the length of what I call the runway, along a marbled path, to and round the Chapel of Apparitions which marks the spot where Francisco, Lucinda and Jacinta apparently experienced the Virgin Mary speaking to them from a tree. Although it was only Lucinda who could hear what she was saying.
The tree has been long gone apparently due to souvenir hunters.
Within the Chapel is a marble plinth with a statute of the Virgin Mary on top - at the exact spot where she appeared to the children. Another large tree is now growing nearby. I stayed in The Chapel about 30 minutes about two metres from the statue of the Virgin Mary and said my prayers. I don't know how the priests and the nuns, (there were nuns all over the place,) can keep up saying their prayers like they do!
The whole atmosphere is very moving of that there is no doubt and I felt very pleased that I had come.
I started my walk - upright variety - from the far end of the wide open space and was made to think long and hard about a couple of phrases on the large walls at the far end –
“God is Love" and "I am the door, whoever comes in by me will be saved"
Then I was sitting inside The Chapel - a great time of reflection.
Next I went inside The Basilica itself, through the 18 foot high massive old wooden door, after admiring all the fourteen statutes of Saints high on top of the open colonnades and the beautiful semi - circular Romano - classical symmetry of the whole building. Within was more symmetrical beauty with ten small chapels off-set from the main floor, at floor level, each small chapel's altar was gold decorated with significant stories about Jesus’ life for humanity. For example, of The Crucifixion and The Resurrection. The main floor was filled with four rows, 28 seats in each row of pews at which various people were kneeling and sitting. High above the small side chapels were brightly coloured, stained windows telling all about The Apparitions, with blinding flashes of light, The Children and The Virgin Mary with a white rosary of beads in her hands.
The tombs of Jacinta and Francisco were set in the floor on either side of the Main Altar. Each of their resting places was adorned mainly with flowers and other gifts. In front and to the right of the Main Altar is a large cross with an effigy of Jesus crucified.
After been inside The Basillica I went looking for a chunk of The Berlin Wall. I couldn't find it so went to the Information Desk and before I knew where I was the girl there was taking me across the square (runway) to show me. It turns out she wanted to practise her English with me and she left me her name and address telling me she will write to me, after I had given her my address. But I don't expect to hear from her again.
After the absorption I made my way back to the Hotel.

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