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There’s not much to do in Lourdes when the weather’s bad, which it was again for most the day. I visited the Maison Paternelle St. de Bernadette, which doubles as a small musem run by the surviving relatives of the Soubirous family. I was mistaken in previously thinking, because of the machinery on the ground floor and the bed next to the window, that the Soubirous family lived here prior to moving into the disused jail. The Maison Paternelle de St. Bernadette was actually loaned to Francois Soubirous by Bishop Peyramelle sometime afterwards, and I learned that the family occupied several mill houses before and after.
At the end of Avenue Paradis, there is the Musee Petit du Lourdes, which exhibits miniature dioramas and reconstructions of 19th century Lourdes. Apparently the creator spent the better part of a decade producing them. Two particularly impressive models are those of the Chateau Fort and the Notre Dame. The latter, I understand, is 1:20 scale, and was moulded from ~2 tons of material. I definitely recommend visiting this place.
After a few pints with some others from Wales, I stayed at Massabielle again until 02:00. It seemed I was the only person in the Domain.
