Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Paris, France)

Posted on 23 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

A number of places we visited in our itinerary, as prepared by my brother-in-law Manny, included religious pilgrimage sites and, here in Paris, he made it a point to visit one. On our very first day in the city, right after our visit to the iconic Pantheon, we dropped by the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Jandy (back turned) with pilgrims waiting outside for the chapel’s opening

A Marian shrine, it is the site of 3 Marian apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary said to have been experienced by then 24 year old Marian visionary St. Catherine Labouré in 1830. On the first visit, the night of July 18, she received a request that a Confraternity of the Children of Mary be established.

Compound of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Later, on a second apparition on November 27, she was to request the creation of a medal with the following invocation: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” The reverse side bore the letter “M” surmounted by a cross and over 2 hearts, one encircled by a crown of thorns and the other pierced with a sword. From May 1832 onwards, the medal, which is extraordinarily disseminated and said to convert, protect and perform miracles, is called as the Miraculous Medal by the faithful.

Invocations on the Miraculous Medal

It was also here that, for three successive days, while at prayer, St Vincent de Paul, showed her his heart, each time in different colors – white (the color of peace), red (the color of fire) and then black (an indication of the misfortunes that would come upon France and Paris, in particular). Shortly after, Catherine saw Jesus Christ present in the Sacred Host and, on June 6, 1830, the Feast of the Holy Trinity, Christ appeared as a crucified King, stripped of all his adornments.

Statue of St. Louise de Marillac

The construction of a chapel began in the medieval Hôtel de Châtillon in 1813 and, on August 6, 1815, the solemn benediction of the chapel was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. By imperial decree, it was attributed to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul where Catherine entered on April 21, 1830, a few months before the apparitions. In 1849, the chapel was expanded after the apparitions to accommodate all those who wish to pray at the altar and, in the following years, underwent many other transformations. The present chapel is a complete renovation done in 1930, the year of its centenary.

Statue of St. Vincent de Paul

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is more commonly referred to by its address, “140 rue du Bac,” or, simply, the street on which it is situated, rue du Bac. We arrived there 30 mins. before its 2:30 PM opening and crowds of Roman Catholic pilgrims were slowly gathering outside the gate.

The interior of the chapel

Upon entering, we first visited the chapel. Its walls are beautifully decorated with mosaics and murals and over the altar (where the Virgin Mary Mary promised prayers will be answered) is a white marble statue of the Blessed Virgin sculpted in 1850 and crowned with 12 stars. From her outstretched palms, rays of graces lead down to the floor.

The white marble statue of the Blessed Virgin

Its tabernacle, which dates back to the 17^th or 18^th century, is unchanged since 1815. The tabernacle came from the chapel of the Sisters of Mercy, installed there before the French Revolution, and allocated to the Daughters of Charity in 1800. St. Catherine said that it was in front of the tabernacle that the Blessed Virgin Mary prostrated herself on the night of July 18, 1830. She also appeared above it during the third apparition on December 30, 1830. In 1850, an ivory crucifix was placed on top of it.

Murals around the altar

The body of St. Louise de Marillac and the heart of St. Vincent de Paul, founders of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, are kept there. Lying inside a glass coffin, at the side altar of the chapel, is the uncorrupted body of St Catherine, found miraculously preserved after it was exhumed in 1933, over 56 years after her death on December 31, 1876. Pope Pius XII declared her a saint on July 27, 1947.

Tomb of St. Louise de Marillac

Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal: 140 Rue du Bac, 75340 Paris, France. Tél : +33 (0)1 49 54 78 88. Fax : +33 (0)1 49 54 78 89. Open daily, 7:30 AM – 1 PM and 2:30 – 7 PM, Tuesdays, 7:45 AM – 7 PM.

How to Get There: Take the Sèvres – Babylone Paris Métro (Lines10 – 12) or Bus 39, 63, 70, 84, 87 and 94.

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church (Paris, France)

Posted on 23 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

While making our way, on foot, towards the massive Panthéon, we passed the relatively small but attractive, Gothic-style Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church, built between 1492 and 1655. It was described by French novelist Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans (in the Connecting, 1895) as one of the most beautiful churches in Paris. It contains Paris’ unique and only surviving rood screen (built in 1535), dramatically crossing the nave like a bridge, separating it from the chancel, with spiral staircases on either side. During the Late Renaissance Period, the others were removed because they prevented the faithful in the nave from seeing the priest celebrate Mass.

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church

It also houses the shrine containing the relics of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, until 1793 when revolutionaries burned the body, melted the relics at the Place de Grève (in front of the city hall) and threw them in the sewer. Only the tomb, lying in a chapel in the nave’s southeastern corner, survived. Near her tomb is a highly decorated reliquary containing a finger bone, all that is left of her earthly remains.

The church also housed the remains of important French figures such as Pierre Perrault (Receiver General of Finances for Paris and scientist), Eustache Le Sueur (painter), Blaise de Vigenere (diplomat, cryptographer, translator and alchemist), Blaise Pascal, (mathematician and physicist), Jean Racine (dramatist) and Isaac de Sacy Lemaistre (theologian and humanist). The last two were transferred in 1711 from Port-Royal in Saint-Etienne. The political theorist and scientist Jean-Paul Marat is buried in the church’s cemetery.

The three pediments

The church had its beginnings in the 6th century in the abbey of Sainte-Genevieve, where the eponymous saint had been buried. Devoted to the Virgin Mary and, later, to St. John the Apostle, the place was too small to accommodate all the faithful. In 1222, Pope Honorius III authorized the establishment of an autonomous church, this time devoted to St Etienne, then the patron saint of the old cathedral of Paris.

“The Stoning of St. Stephen” of sculptor Gabriel Jules-Thomas

Soon, the new building, overwhelmed by an increasingly dense population, was enlarged in 1328. However, from the 15th century, a complete reconstruction soon became necessary and, in 1492, the monks Génovéfains donated a portion of their land for the construction of a new church. In 1494, under the direction of architect Stephen Viguier, the apse and the bell tower were sketched and, in 1491, the bell tower was built (the first two bells were cast in 1500). The flamboyant Gothic choir was completed in 1537 and, the following year, the frame was raised. The loft was built around 1530-1535, the chancel in 1537 and, in 1541, Guy, Bishop of Megara blessed the altars of the chapels of the apse. In 1545, the gallery was built and in 1580, the vaults of the nave and transept were built.

That same year, the parish awarded contracts for the windows and statues from Parisian artisans. The nave, from the Renaissance period, was not hunched before 1584. In 1610, the first stone of the facade was laid by Marguerite de Valois (who personally donated 3000 pounds) and, on February 25, 1626, the church was dedicated by Jean- François de Gondi, the first archbishop of Paris and Cardinal de Retz‘s uncle. In 1636, the organ (the work of Pierre Pescheur) was installed and, in 1651, a new pulpit was installed.

Bell tower

During the 17th and 18th century, the church enjoyed great prestige as the scene of great processions wherein the shrine of Sainte-Genevieve went to Notre Dame Cathedral and, subsequently, was returned to this church. During the French Revolution, the church was closed and then turned into a “Temple of Filial Piety.” in 1801, benefiting from the Concordat, Catholic worship was restored. During the Second Empire, the church was restored by Victor Baltard (who also built the chapel of catechisms), the front was raised and the statues, destroyed by the revolutionaries, were returned.

On January 3, 1857, Bishop Marie-Dominique-Auguste Sibour (who was to inaugurate the novena of St. Genevieve) was assassinated here, with cries of “Down with the goddesses!,” by the priest Jean-Louis Verger who opposed to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. A plaque, at the entrance to the nave, marks the grave of the prelate. The occultist Eliphas Levi was indirectly involved in this tragic event.

The sculpted The Stoning of Saint Stephen, at the exterior’s tympanum, is the work of French sculptor Gabriel-Jules Thomas. The front facade, which consists of no less than three pediments, features a classical porch. The fourth chapel, on the right from the entrance, contains impressive 16^th century stained glass windows.

The church’s impressive interior, which we didn’t see, is characterized by the curved axis of the nave to the transept, the finely carved stone choir screen of Father Biard (1545), his chair (designed by Laurent de La Hyre and sculpted by Claude Lestocart) and its organ case (1631), the oldest in the capital. There’s also a notable wooden pulpit supported by Samson, with a jawbone in hand and a slain lion at his feet.

From 1929 until his death in 1986, renowned organist, composer and improviser Maurice Duruflé held the post of Titular Organist at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. The interiors and exteriors of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont were featured, in both the beginning and finale, of Max Ophüls celebrated film The Earrings of Madame de… (1953). Popes have also celebrated mass here – Pope Pius VI on January 10, 1805 and Pope John Paul II on August 23, 1997 (during his visit to Paris on the occasion of World Youth Day).

Cheska, Kyle and Grace at Place Sainte Genevieve

Église Saint Étienne du Mont Church: Place Sainte-Geneviève, Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, 5th arrondissement,75005 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 43 54 11 79.

Pantheon (Paris, France)

Posted on 23 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

The Pantheon

After mass and tour of Notre Dame Cathedral and our first lunch in Paris at La Bucherie, we proceeded, on foot for 1 km. via Rue St. Jacques, to the nearby Pantheon in the 5th arrondissement on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. The Panthéon (from the Greek word meaning “Every god”), a building in the Latin Quarter was originally built as a abbey church, dedicated to St. Genevieve (the patron saint of Paris), that would house the reliquary châsse containing her relics.

Check out “Restaurant Review: La Bucherie Restaurant“

The interior of the Pantheon

However, after many changes, it now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens. By burying its great people in the Panthéon, France acknowledges the honor it received from them. As such, interment here is severely restricted and is allowed only by a parliamentary act for “National Heroes.”

The underground crypt

An early example of Neo-Classicism, it was designed by Jacques-Germain Soufflot and combines the lightness and brightness of the Gothic cathedral with Classical principles. With an imposing peristyle modeled on the Pantheon in Rome, it is surmounted by a dome that owes some of its character to Bramante‘s “Tempietto”. However, its later role as a mausoleum required that its 40 great Gothic windows be blocked. The Panthéon looks out over all of Paris.

Stairs leading to the entrance to the underground crypt

Started in 1758, its construction proceeded slowly. Soufflot died in 1780 and he was replaced by Jean-Baptiste Rondelet, his student. The church was finally completed in 1790. Upon the death Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau on April 2, 1791, the National Constituent Assembly (whose president had been Mirabeau) ordered that the building be changed from a church to a mausoleum for the interment of great Frenchmen.

Portico of Corinthian columns

Architect Quatremère de Quincy oversaw the project, reducing the height of the towers, took off the cross which capped the dome, closed most openings of the dome and changed the pediment. Mirabeau was interred there on April 4, 1791, the first person to be so honored (his remains, however, were disinterred on November 25, 1794, buried in an anonymous grave and are yet to be recovered).

Cheska and Kyle

In 1806 Napoleon I re-converted the Pantheon into a church, changed the pediment and replaced the cross. In 1830, Louis-Philippe decided that should be a Pantheon again, having a new pediment built and stripping the building of any religious feature. However, in 1850, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte re-converted it into a church, again installing a new pediment and replacing the cross on the dome where it has since remained. During the current major restoration project, the cross of the dome, retained in compromise, is again visible. In 1885, the building was finally returned to secular use and converted into a Pantheon. Victor Hugo‘s ashes were the first to be transferred to the Pantheon.

One of 3 bronze doors

This vast 110 m. (352 ft.) long, 84 m. wide and 83 m. (272 ft.) high building has a Greek cross plan, 4 naves and is raised 11m above pavement level. It has a massive portico of twenty-two 20 m. high Corinthian columns. The three bronze doors are topped with marble sculptures representing respectively the Baptism of Clovis, Sainte-Geneviève and the Hun Attila.

Tomb of Voltaire (November 21, 1694 – May 30, 1778), a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his criticism of Christianity (especially the Roman Catholic Church) as well as his advocacy of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Tomb of Jean-Jacques Rosseau (June 28, 1712 – July 2, 1778), a Genevan philosopher, writer and composer whose political philosophy influenced the progress of the Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic and educational thought. His Discourse on Inequality and The Social Contract are cornerstones in modern political and social thought.

Its crypt , no less vast, follows the cross shape of the building and is composed of a large vestibule where we saw the graves of the philosophers Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.. At the entrance to the vestibule is the heart of Léon Gambetta (1838-1882) the founder of the Third Republic, placed in an urn on November 11, 1920.

Urn with heart of Leon Gambetta (April 2, 1838 – December 31, 1882), a French statesman, prominent during and after the Franco-Prussian War.

The 4 side vaults follow the layout of the arms of the cross. The western vault, the longest and largest, is divided in two corridors. The right hand side contains the remains of 41 important figures of the Empire. The southern vault has no grave.

The frescoed ceiling

Soufflot’s masterstroke, concealed from casual view, is the impressive triple dome, each shell fitted within the others. Permitting a view through the oculus of the coffered inner dome of the second dome, it is frescoed by Antoine Gros with The Apotheosis of Saint Genevieve. The outermost dome, built with stone bound together with iron cramps, is covered with lead sheathing rather than the common French period practice of carpentry construction. The massive weight of the triple construction is passed the outwards by concealed flying buttresses to the portico columns.

The triangular pediment with sculptural group of David d’Angers

The triangular pediment once had a sculptural group called “The Fatherland Crowning the Heroic and Civic Virtues,” created by Jean Guillaume Moitte but, upon the Bourbon Restoration, was replaced with one sculpted by David d’Angers in 1837. The philosophers Voltaire and Rosseau are represented, seated on the left hand side of the sculpture. The inscription above the entrance reads Aux Grands Hommes La Patrie Reconnaissante (“To great men, the grateful homeland”). Inside, there are no benches, chairs or altar, just gigantic murals; Corinthian columns and sculptures bathed by light pouring in from the dome’s opening.

“La Convention National” of Sicard

The interior of the building has sculptural groups, representing scenes from the French Revolution, all placed in front of the gigantic columns supporting the dome. The sculptural group La Convention Nationales, sculpted by Sicard in the early 1920’s, dominates.

Monument to Diderot

Monument to Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Valmy 1782

Mural scenes, done by Puvis de Chavannes and Jean-Paul Laurens, were commissioned In the 1870’s by the Marquis of Chennevières (the Director of Fine Arts). They revolve around the beginnings of Christianity in France and the French monarchy through the life of St.Denis (the first bishop and patron saint of Paris) as well as the life (her childhood, miracles) of St. Geneviève (the other patron saint of the city), the siege of Paris by Attila and his Hun warriors, the Emperor Charlemagne, the baptism of King Clovis, and the life Joan of Arc and King St. Louis.

Mural of The Baptism of Clovis

Among the famous and great intellectuals (writers, poets, scientists, politicians, inventors, explorers, etc.) of France buried in its necropolis include Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Alexandre Dumas, Louis Braille, Jean Jaurès and Soufflot, its architect.

Tomb of Jean Lannes (April 10, 1769 – May 31, 1809), a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of Napoleon’s most daring and talented generals. A personal friend of the emperor, he was allowed to address him with the familiar tu, as opposed to the formal vous.

Tomb of Emile Zola (April 2, 1840 – September 29, 1902), a French novelist, playwright, journalist, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus. Zola was nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902.

In 1907 Marcellin Berthelot was buried with his wife Mme Sophie Berthelot, the first woman to be interred but Marie Curie was the first woman interred based on her own merits. Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz (symbolic internment) and Germaine Tillion, heroines of the French resistance, were interred here in 2015.

L-R: Jandy, Grace, the author, Cheska and Kyle

Pantheon: Place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 44 32 18 00. Website: www.pantheonparis.com.

Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris, France)

Posted on 23 August, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Notre Dame Cathedral

We arrived at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International Airport on a Sunday morning and, after checking in at the Ibis Paris Gare de l’Est 10^th, we decided to hit two birds with one stone by taking the Paris Metro to get to the historic Notre Dame Cathedral, among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world, where we plan to hear Mass and do sightseeing later. It was already raining when we left the hotel and, when we arrived,we still had to queue to get into the cathedral through the right door. The Gregorian Mass we attended was said in French.

The Gothic-style facade

The magnificent, awe-inspiring Notre-Dame Cathedral, also called Notre Dame de Paris, (French for “Our Lady of Paris”) or simply Notre-Dame, is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, its pointed arches, thinner walls and the naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass in stark contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture. The cathedral treasury is famous for its reliquary which houses some of Catholicism‘s most important first-class relics including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails. The cathedral, with a cruciform plan, was made famous by Victor Hugo’s famous, larger-than-life novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” (about the hunchback bell ringer, Quasimodo, who falls madly in love with the beautiful gypsy dancer, Esmerelda). Notre-Dame is composed of a choir and apse, a nave with double aisles and square chapels. It is 226 ft. high, 420 ft. long and has a total surface area of 5,500 sq. m. (interior surface 4,800 sq. m.).

The pointed Gothic arch of the main entrance

Construction of the cathedral began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII. Bishop Maurice de Sully devoted most of his life and wealth to the cathedral’s construction. Throughout the construction period, numerous architects worked on the site resulting in differing styles at different heights of the west front and towers. The choir was built from 1163 until around 1177 and the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182. After Bishop Maurice de Sully’s death in 1196, Eudes de Sully (no relation), his successor, oversaw the completion of the transepts.

Gallery of the Kings of Judah

He also pressed ahead with the construction of the nave which was, at the time of his own death in 1208, nearing completion. The western facade had also been laid out by this stage but it was not completed until around the mid-1240s. Between 1210 and 1220, the fourth architect oversaw the construction of the level with the rose window and the great halls beneath the towers. The cathedral was essentially complete by 1345.

The magnificent rose window

In the mid 13th century, the transepts were remodeled in the latest Rayonnant style and, in the late 1240s, Jean de Chelles added a gabled portal to the north transept, topped off by a spectacular rose window. Shortly afterwards, from 1258, Pierre de Montreuil did the same on the southern transept. Both transept portals were richly embellished with sculpture. The south portal features scenes from the lives of St Stephen and of various local saints, while the north portal featured the infancy of Christ and the story of Theophilus in the tympanum, with a highly influential statue of the Virgin and Child in the trumeau.

Gargoyle waterspouts

In 1548, features of Notre-Dame were damaged by rioting Huguenots who considered them idolatrous. During the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV, as part of an ongoing attempt to modernize cathedrals throughout Europe, the cathedral underwent major alterations. In 1786, a colossal statue of St Christopher, standing against a pillar, near the western entrance, and dating from 1413, was destroyed, as well as tombs and stained glass windows. However, the north and south rose windows were spared.

The cathedral interior showing the sexpartite vaulting on the ceiling

In the 1790s, during the radical phase of the the French Revolution , many of Notre-Dame’s religious imagery and treasures were either damaged, destroyed or plundered. For a time, Lady Liberty replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars. The 13th century spire was torn down and the statues of the biblical kings of Judah , located on a ledge on the facade of the cathedral, were beheaded as they were erroneously thought to be kings of France. Many of the heads were found during a nearby 1977 excavation and are now on display at the Musée de Cluny. However, the cathedral’s great bells managed to avoid being melted down. In 1793, the cathedral was rededicated to the Cult of Reason, and, later, to the Cult of the Supreme Being. The cathedral came to be used as a warehouse for the storage of food.

The altar area

In 1845, a controversial and extensive 25-year restoration program was initiated and overseen by architects Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (responsible for the restorations of several dozen castles, palaces and cathedrals across France, he always signed his work with a bat). The restoration included a taller and more ornate reconstruction of the flèche (a type of spire) as well as the addition of the chimeras on the Galerie des Chimères.

The very beautiful stained glass windows

During the Second World War, several of the stained glass windows on the lower tier were hit by stray bullets but were remade after the war. They now sport a modern geometrical patterns not the old scenes of the Bible. In 1991, a major program of maintenance and further restoration intended to last ten years was initiated. It included the cleaning and restoration of old sculptures which is an exceedingly delicate matter. By 2014, much of the lighting was upgraded to LED lighting.

Ornate wooden pulpit

Among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports), Notre-Dame was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. However, after the construction began, the thinner walls grew ever higher and stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. To remedy this, the cathedral’s architects built supports around the outside walls. Later additions continued the pattern.

The cathedral’s pipe organ

Around the exterior, many small, individually-crafted statues, including the famous gargoyles and chimeras, were placed to serve as column supports and water spouts. Most of the exterior as well as the statues were originally vividly colored but the paint has since worn off, exposing the gray stone.

The huge bronze equestrian statue of Charlemagne et ses Leudes (Charlemagne and his Guards)

As we were on a tight schedule, we didn’t have time to join the extremely long queue climbing several narrow (387 step total, no elevator) spiral staircases, in 3 stages, to the top of the 90 m. high South Tower. Upon reaching the top, it is possible to view, in close quarters, the cathedral’s Emmanuel Bell, the largest and most famous bell, the flying buttresses and its gargoyles as well as have a spectacular view of the Ile de la Cite. At Notre-Dame, there are 14 millions visitors per year or an average of 40,000 tourists per day.The area around the cathedral has lots of book stalls and cafes.

The author at the Zero Point Marker

One of several interesting things I did see around Notre Dame was the huge bronze equestrian statue of Charlemagne et ses Leudes (Charlemagne and his Guards), created by brothers Louis and Charles Rochet in 1878. Charlemagne, the King of the Franks and the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 800 A.D. until his death in 814 A.D., is holding a lance or staff while being guided by two leudes, which are believed to be the figures of Oliver and Roland. Also within the square in front of the cathedral is the Zero Point Marker where all mile markers start from.

L-R: Manny, Kyle, Cheska, Jandy and Grace

NOTE:

On April 15, 2019, the cathedral caught fire (speculated to be linked to ongoing restoration work), destroying the spire, the oak frame and the lead roof but leaving the structure intact. The cathedral is closed while restoration work is ongoing.

Notre Dame Cathedral: 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 42 34 56 10. Website: www.notredamedeparis.fr. Open daily, 7:45 AM – 6.45 PM (7:15 PM on Saturdays and Sundays). Photos without flash are allowed. For those who want to visit the South Tower (admission: 8,50 €, open 10 AM), the entrance is located outside the cathedral, on the left side of the front at Rue du Cloître Notre-Dame. Even with a Museum Pass, you still have to wait in line just like anyone else. There are also free organ recitals at 8 PM on most Saturday evenings.

How to Get There: the closest Paris Metro stations to the Notre Dame Cathedral are St-Michel Notre Dame (RER B Train Line, blue), the St-Michel Notre Dame (RER C Train Line, yellow) and the Cité – Line 4 (fuschia). By bus, Lines n°21, 38, 47, 85, 96 (Stop Cité – Palais de Justice); Line n°47, Balabus (Stop Cité – Parvis de Notre-Dame); Lines n°24, 47 (Stop Notre-Dame – Quai de Montebello); Lines n°24, 47 (Stop Petit Pont); Lines n°24, 27, Balabus (Stop Pont Saint-Michel – Quai des Orfèvres); Lines n°24, 27, 96, Balabus (Stop Saint-Michel); and Lines n°21, 27, 38, 85, 96 (Stop Saint-michel – Saint-Germain).

Mt. Tapyas (Coron, Palawan)

Posted on 17 June, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Mt. Tapyas

On our third and last day in Coron, Aylin, Issa and I were awake by 5 AM, just in time for us to make it to the town proper, via van, were we hoped to catch the sunrise atop the 210 m. (689 ft.) high Mt. Tapyas, the second highest in Coron.

Mt. Tapyas and its lighted steel cross

From Ligaya Pier, we could already view the mountain, prominent for its giant steel cross (lighted at night) on its peak. Tapyas, in English, literally means “shaved off” or “chipped” because, during the Liberation, one side of the mountain was literally chipped when American forces bombed the Japanese camp on top.

Aylin making her way up the concrete stairway

Mt. Tapyas is not what you might expect as a mountaineering destination. It’s already been developed by the local government to give easy and more convenient access to tourists. Instead of hiking through typical mountain trails, trekkers only need to go up flights of some 724 concrete steps, with metal handrails, to the spacious view deck with concrete benches, just the right amount for a little cardio workout.

Typhoon Yolanda damage

A typhoon damaged refreshment stall

Our van dropped us off at the base of the stairs, just beside a community basketball court. Going up the mountain on our last morning in Coron, we encountered some groups striding up and down the mountain with minimal effort. Surely, they must be locals.

A recently repaired shaded rest stop

For city slickers like us not used to much walking, we had a hard time “conquering” the mountain. However, there were plenty of landings with shaded benches and picnic tables where we took a breather. However, many of these still showed damage from super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) which also devastated Coron on November 8, 2013.

The huge CORON signage

Since it was still very early in the morning, it just took me around 15 to 20 mins. to reach the top. Once there, the view was amazing. We were treated with a breathtaking panoramic 360-degree view of some of the offshore islands and the surrounding mountains, especially the mountain that they call the “Sleeping Giant.”

The Sleeping Giant

We also saw the whole of Coron town and appreciated its simplicity. There are two octagonal gazebos at the back but we didn’t go there anymore. Instead, we made our way back down the mountain. Our van just arrived, minutes after making it to the base of the mountain, and brought us back to Asia Grand View Hotel.

The steel cross

For first-time visitors to Coron town, it’s highly recommended that they go up Mt. Tapyas. It’s best to climb it early in the morning, to see the sunrise, or before night falls to see the sun setting on Coron Bay.

The gorgeous view

The spacious view deck

The climb may be grueling, but the gorgeous views atop the mountain make it a great experience truly worth the effort. There are refreshment stalls and vendors that sell bottled water, energy drinks and juice drinks. For those who get regular weekly exercise, this trek should be a breeze.

Watching the sun rise

How To Get There: From the town, entry to the steps to Mt. Tapyas is very accessible. From the main road, just look for the landmark Iglesia ni Cristo Church and San Agustin Street (which turns into the slightly sloping Malvar Street) which leads the way to an elevated basketball court at the base. Road signs point directions to Mount Tapyas view deck.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport). Travel time is 30 mins.

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan. Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380. Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078. E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com.

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Sangat Island Dive Resort (Coron, Palawan)

Posted on 16 June, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Sangat Island Dive Resort

The last leg of our Asia Grand View Hotel-sponsored activity was a visit to Sangat Island Dive Resort where Ms. Rhoanne Rose Bolohabo, AGVH Resident Manager, used to work. From our outrigger boat, Rhoanne, Aylin, Gem, Adora, Joy, Issa, Angelo, Donald and I were picked by the resort’s motor boat while Mike opted to swim the short distance to the shore. The others decided to stay behind on the boat.

The 300 m. long white sand beach

Sangat Island Dive Resort, occupying a major portion of the southwestern cusp of postcard-perfect Sangat Island, was opened in 1994. It has a 300 m. long white sand beach surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and majestic coconut palms.

Bungalow suite

The resort has 14 enchanting and quaint, native-styled ecologically “low-impact” guest accommodations with Western-styled bathrooms and ceiling fans, built with locally-available materials such as hand-woven bamboo wall panels, split-bamboo flooring and cogon grass or nipa palm roofing.

Beachfront cottage

They include beachfront and hillside cottages on stilts, a family-friendly bungalow suite complex, the exclusive Hilltop Chalet and the exquisite tri-level, two bedroom Lambingan Villa which has it’s very own private beach. A special one, dubbed the Robinson Crusoe Cottage, is located on an isolated beach off the southwestern coast of the island.

Sangat Island Bar

Billiard table at Sangat Island Bar

The resort also has an open-air, beachfront restaurant facility, two full-service bars (the Sangat Island Bar and the open-air, above water Rock Bar), fitness center and souvenir shop. The Sangat Island Bar has a comfortable conversation lounge and a billiard table.

The open-air, above water Rock Bar

The author and friends at the boardwalk leading to the Rock Bar

The island’s tropical waters, teeming with colorful aquatic life, is also home to 11 historically important World War II ship wrecks. Ten of them are Japanese warships and supply ships sunk by 24 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bombers and 96 Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter escorts (some carrying bombs) of the U.S. Navy on September 24, 1944. Eight of these are a scant 5 to 30 min. boat ride from the resort’s beachfront.

The fully-equipped dive shop

Sangat Island Dive Resort has a internationally-renowned, comprehensive on-site water sports (sea kayaking, jetskiing, windsurfing, Hobie Cats, etc.) and scuba diving center dive facility with knowledgeable dive center attendants and licensed on-site PADI and SDI instructors. They offer a wide range of first-class tanks, wet suits, masks, fins, dive computers, and more, plus an air and Nitrox filling station (powered by dual BAUER K14 compressors) and a brand new LW 280 unit which is combined with a 280 Coltrisub nitrox membrane.

Sea kayaks

Jetskis

Sangat Island Dive Resort: Sangat Island, Brgy. Bintuan, 5316 Coron, Palawan. Mobile numbers: (0908) 896-1716 and (0916) 400-8801. Website: www.sangat.com.ph,

How to Get There: Sangat Island is a 45-min. motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Pass Island (Coron, Palawan)

Posted on 16 June, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

From Culion Island, we again boarded our motorized outrigger boat for the small Pass Island where we were to have lunch. While we were away touring Culion town, the fresh fish, squid and chicken that we brought along was grilled on board the boat.

The small, postcard-pretty Pass Island

The clean, quiet and very picturesque Pass Island has probably the best beach you can find in all of Coron, with powdery white sand; warm, crystal clear blue waters, palm trees, mangroves on the other side of the island, and a protected coral reef, with different sea life, you can enjoy snorkeling. The beach has a pretty shallow part, perfect for non-swimmers and children.

We weren’t alone …..

For visitors who pay a reasonable entrance fee (PhP200/boat), they have beachside tents and gazebos (PhP100/table) with plastic tables and chairs to dine in, hammocks where you can relax and chill in for free; and more than decent, immaculate bathrooms, definitely a bargain to have.

Making landfall……

Upon landing, our group stayed at one gazebo where we partook of the grilled fare with steamed rice and soft drinks. After lunch, Mike, Lindy and I donned our masks and snorkels to explore the island’s nice coral garden stretched along a line of black buoys. The fantastic variety of coral, with lots of small fishes, kept my attention for a good hour or more. The fish swarm around you, hoping for food, truly a surreal experience. To find the colony of giant clams, I had to inquire its location from a fellow snorkeler.

The powdery white sand beach dotted with colorful flags

I would definitely recommend this beautiful, pleasant, postcard-pretty and well-maintained island, a great photo location, to anyone who wants to see a slice of paradise! Though its sand is not as white and powdery as that in Boracay, don’t let that stop you as it is still a beautiful and definite quieter place. I can say that it was totally worth it. I wish i had an island like this as I could have stayed there all day. However, we had to leave the island before 3 PM to avoid the big waves.

There’s plenty of shade ……

A popular day trip island, the owner of Pass Island also offers overnight packages in bamboo and thatch huts. However, you will have to bring your own food and potable water as the only things they sell are snacks like chips and soda. Bring portable lamps and flashlights as the island has no electricity.

Quiet contemplation on Pass Island (photo Ms. Lindy E. Pellicer)

How to Get There: Pass Island is a 1.5-hour boat ride from Coron.

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Culion Museum and Archives (Culion, Palawan)

Posted on 16 June, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Culion Museum & Archives

From the Church of the Immaculate Conception and Culion Fort, we moved on to the Culion Sanatorium where we were to visit the Culion Museum and Archives. Here, we met up with Pastor Hermie Villanueva of the Coron Tourism Office, a resident and the grandson of a former leper patient, who gave us a guided tour of its exhibits. Though this was my first time to visit this museum (as well as Culion town), I featured it in my book “A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums” (New Day Publishers, 2010).

Main entrance

Pastor Hermie Villanueva

This unique two-storey museum, established in 1997, is housed in what was the first laboratory for leprosy research in the Far East. It was damaged during the November 8, 2013 super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) but was rebuilt through contributions and support of Tokyo BMC and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (SMHF), in partnership with the Culion Sanitarium and Gen. Hospital (CSGH).

Timeline of Culion’s History

Leprosy Treatment/Quest for Cure

The museum documents the discriminatory legislation enforcing compulsory segregation in Culion and the research and clinical trials carried out using chaulmoogra oil and its esters within the colony. It has 6 galleries – “The First Contingent of Patients Arriving in the Colony,” “Leprosy Treatment / Quest for Cure,” “Community Life,” “Timeline of Culion’s History,” “Segregation and Service” and “Old Equipment.”

Chaulmoogra oil

A Culion-style ambulance

The resultant effects on colony life are recorded in relation to the community interaction of patients, the segregation of children of leprous parents, the use of special currency to prevent (it was believed) the disease being transmitted elsewhere, the results of different research on childhood leprosy and other pioneering research on bacteriology, pathology and epidemiology of leprosy.

Coins used in the colony

Old Equipment

The museum houses and protects numerous reference works related to leprosy. On display are complete set of old, specially made Culion coins, examples of the different laboratory apparatus and instruments used in early leprosy research (including syringes with which patients were injected with chaulmoogra oil), a wealth of old and detailed Culion pictures and Dr. Windsor Wade’s (the founding editor of the. International Journal of Leprosy) memorabilia, and other items that reflect the community life of leprosy patients.

Musical intruments used by the leper colony band

Religious paraphernalia

The museum is also a repository for old clinical records and a registry of patients admitted to the “Culion Leper Colony” from different parts of the Philippines since 1906. Also on exhibit are musical instruments used by the Culion Leper Colony Band, religious paraphernalia, stamps, sea shells and insignias and badges of the Culion Police Force.

Insignas and badges of Culion police force

Sea shells of Culion

Culion Museum & Archives: Open Mondays to Fridays, 9 AM to 4 PM. Curator: Mr. Ricardo Punzalan. Admission: PhP150. Mobile numbers: (0912) 797-1077, (0947) 603-0983, (0921) 760-7239 and (0909) 560-7350. E-mail: artculsan@yahoo.com, lotgante@yahoo.com and doh_culsan@yahoo.com.ph. Website: www.culionsanitariumandgeneralhospital.com.

Culion Tourism Office: mobile number: (0921) 394-7106 (Pastor Hermie Villanueva). E-mail: herme_1670@yahoo.com.ph.

How to Get There: Culion is a 1.5 to 2-hour motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Church of the Immaculate Conception and Fort Culion (Culion, Palawan)

Posted on 16 June, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 6 Comments ↓

The Church of the Immaculate Conception

From the town proper, we all boarded tricycles to take us, up a high promontory, to the town’s magnificent Church of the Immaculate Conception, originally built in 1746 by the Recollects. It is located within the quadrilateral Fort Culion which was built in 1683 by Fr. Juan de Severo and renovated in 1740.

The church promontory

The fort was partially demolished in the 1930s by American Jesuit Fr. Hugh McNutty to build a larger church, with some of the fort’s original coral rock used for the nave. The church was completed in 1933. Both the fort and church share the same main entrance.

Royal seal of King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain

Royal seal of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain

AUTHOR’s NOTES:

The church’s 2-level Baroque facade has semicircular arched main entrance flanked by pilasters and seemingly topped by the royal seal of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. The entrance, in turn, is flanked by niches with statues of angels.

The church’s interior

The second level has a centrally located niche with the statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception flanked by semicircular arch windows. Above is a segmental (half-moon) pediment with a centrally located oculus. On the church’s right is a bell tower.

Part of the remaining fort walls

The painted ceiling inside the church is obviously new, but before it was repainted, the original ceiling was painted in 1978 by leper patient Ben Amores, based on the design of Jesuit Fr. Javier Olazabal. To do the paintings, the handicapped Amores, who had no hands, had brushes tied to his arms and was lifted up. In 2003, Jesuit Fr. Gabriel Gonzalez initiated the restoration and renovation of the church.

One of the fort’s two remaining cannons

Today, only a round bastion (turned into a lighthouse), with two carriage-less Spanish-era cannons (one I noticed had 1762A stamped on it, probably indicating the year it was cast), located behind the church sanctuary, and part of the wall are all that remains of Fort Culion. Here, the view of the ocean and Culion town is spectacular.

Our media group at the fort’s remaining round bastion

View of the town and sea from the bastion

Culion Tourism Office: mobile number: (0921) 394-7106 (Pastor Hermie Villanueva). E-mail: herme_1670@yahoo.com.ph.

How to Get There: Culion is a 1.5 to 2-hour motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Culion (Palawan)

Posted on 16 June, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 11 Comments ↓

Come early morning of our second day in Coron, we all woke up for an early breakfast at Asia Grand View Hotel. We had a full day of resort sponsored activities and the whole morning was to be devoted to a visit to the 390-sq. km. Culion Island and its only town of the same name. Once ready, we were all transported, by batches, to Ligaya Pier where our big motorized outrigger boat awaited us. We all left the port by 9 AM and the trip took us 1.5 hours.

Culion Island

Formerly a part of Coron, until recently, most people have either never heard of Culion or only knew it was once the world’s largest leper colony which was established in 1906. Patients, from different parts of the Philippines, and doctors, hospital staff and church missionaries were brought to Culion which was isolated for over a century.

The iconic Eagle logo on Agila Hill with the statue of Christ the Redeemer above it

By its 25th year, there were already 16,138 patients on Culion’s roster making it the largest leper colony in the world. It became a separate municipality on February 1992 by virtue of Republic Act No. 7193 and ratified by a plebiscite held on September 12. The cure for leprosy, a multi-drug therapy, was developed in the 1980s and, in 2006, the island was declared leprosy-free by the World Health Organization.

Culion Port

As our boat neared the island, we could already see the Aguila (“eagle’), a gigantic replica of the Philippine Health Service’s iconic eagle crest, the town’s famous marker. Located 330 steps from downtown Culion, the Eagle, seated above the Philippine medical emblem, was constructed in 1926 by ingenious lepers who, in appreciation for the dedication of the health workers who worked in Culion, meticulously arranged the boulders on the slope of Agila Hill which overlooks Culion Bay and the quaint town of Culion. Just above it is a statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Culion town proper

We landed right at the doorstep of Tabing Dagat Lodging House & Restaurant, one of the town’s three inns. At its restaurant, we were welcomed by Ms. Marche Mercado-Sanchez, the lodge’s Operations Manager. Here, we were served snacks and juice drinks.

Tabing Dagat Lodging House & Restaurant

The lodge has basic but clean and comfortable accommodations, with twin sharing, fan-cooled rooms with common toilet & bath and airconditioned family rooms with private toilet & bath (PhP650-1,500). A television is found in the common dining area while a convenience store is located at the ground floor of the lodge.. They have a back-up generator which they use when there are lots of guests as electricity in the town only runs from 12 noon till 12 midnight only.

The Lower Gate

Just outside the lodge is the “Gate” which formerly divided Culion into two worlds. The upper gate is where the sano (non-lepers) resided and the lower gate is where the leproso (“lepers”) were secluded. The gates were heavily guarded. Strict rules were imposed (the lepers even had their own police force), especially on the lepers who were not allowed to go through the upper gate.

Plaque beside the gate

The sano also had to wash their hands and feet as well as wipe their shoes and slippers with antiseptic and leave their clothes before they could enter. After work, they had to wash again and change their clothes before going home.

The giant clam shell used for wahing hands

The giant clam shell used for washing hands displayed at Culion Museum & Archives

Tabing Dagat Lodging House & Restaurant: Sandoval St., Brgy. Balala, Culion 5315, Palawan. Mobile numbers: (0999) 656-7769, (0917) 528-2433 and (0918) 214-2222. Email: tabingdagatlodge@yahoo.com, cecille1025sanchez@google.com and mcm.sanchez@yahoo.com.

Culion Tourism Information: mobile number: (0921) 394-7106 (Pastor Hermie Villanueva). E-mail: herme_1670@yahoo.com.ph.

How to Get There: Culion is a 1.5 to 2-hour motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.

April 2025
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« Feb
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

April 2025
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« Feb
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30