A pit-stop in Lisieux to take in the splendor and wonder of the Saint-Therese Basilica.

To Lisieux

One of our must-sees on the trip itinerary came about because of a picture from a train. Ocel sent me a quick snap of a huge cathedral from a train ride he took for work last month. I quizzed him about his current location and then quickly googled big landmarks in the area. Turns out, he had just glimpsed the Basilique Saint-Therese in Lisieux.

Driving into Lisieux was reminiscent of driving into Fundy National Park in NB, with very steep and windy roads surrounded by lush greenery. First stop was the centre of town, where we luckily found a parking spot (the last of the on-a-whim parking places to be found the entire trip I think). As always, we just pointed ourself toward the tallest building and, as always, it was a church. The Lisieux Cathedral towers over the central pedestrian square, a beautiful building in its own right, but paled in comparison to the magnificent gothic churches we had just seen in Rouen.

It didn’t help that a little strip mall was attached on one side, and there was a kitschy pink carousel right in front of it.  It sounds like it could be charming, but it was in fact a classic carney scene. We only spent a few minutes in the church itself and I am certain that it houses some amazing relics and design details that we just didn’t have time to appreciate. It’s amazing how the air instantly cooled every time we stepped inside a big church; it must be a blessing in the heat of summer.

Ice Cream and Babies

I had read about the gardens in Lisieux that were designed by the same man who had landscaped the gardens at Versaille, and I love a good garden. My first true touristy garden experience was at the Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, and I spent hours falling in love with the setting and saturating my senses with new and beautiful plant species. I cannot say that the Jardin de l’Eveche evoked any of the same feelings.

The garden space was pretty, it was clean, and it had a lot of really nice flowers set out in rows and squares. But it didn’t take my breath away as I had hoped. However, there were quite a few people enjoying the sunshine while reading a book, tossing a ball around with their kids, or enjoying a few brewskies behind the statue of WHOEVER THAT WAS (difficult to find information online and I didn’t take a good enough photo to identify the inscription). I can envision myself taking a break there to enjoy a cold cider and good book (or trashy magazine, whatever). And to be fair, I think my expectations were unfairly high because I was picturing Versailles. But alas, Lisieux is no Versailles.  

Before heading up to la piece-de-resistance (the Basilica), we made an excellent choice to have some ice cream. Ice cream is always the right choice, especially when it’s an outdoor patio with a large selection of fresh, home-made ice cream! The service was excellent, and my coconut ice cream was probably the freshest ice cream I’ve tasted, aside from Dad’s famous home-made. Ocel opted for strawberry, which had large chunks of real, fresh strawberries, a classic winner. And the best part? It was in that moment that I got the news that my bestie just had her beautiful baby girl! I was grateful for the sunglasses hiding my misty eyes – nobody wants to see a grown woman crying over a bowl of ice cream.

How did they make this?

This basilica is magnificent. It’s awe-inspiring in size alone, and the intricate details of the sprawling exterior design combined with the setting atop a giant hill made it truly cause for pause. There was a huge free parking lot with plenty of open spaces; maybe a boring detail, but when you’re driving everywhere and constantly playing the super fun game of ‘do you think we can park here,’ a free parking space feels as satisfying as a good sneeze.

There is a visitor’s centre built into the slope, where you can shop at a little gift shop, look at a few exhibits, use the washroom, and buy a bottle of water. It also has an elevator up to the basilica level. Accessibility is something that we take for granted at home, and a lot of these historic sites have no room (or no mandate) to provide accessibility options. Regardless of the elevator, though, one should be prepared to do a hefty amount of walking, including many stairs and varying degrees of incline.

A Colorful Crypt

We began by taking some classic touristy photos in front of the humongous structure, and then headed to the crypt and adoration chapel on the lower level. This is where the body of Saint Therese is enshrined, and what a shrine it was. I was shocked by how colorful it was! After viewing so many ancient gothic churches, with their interior sombre decor and colorings muted by time, the vibrant mosaic tiles almost felt cartoonishly fun. There was a large mural behind the pulpit of Jesus with outstretched arms, surrounded by a rainbow! 

There’s no description I can give that will do any justice to the beauty and intricate design. As the second-most pilgrimaged religious site in France, I was happy to find the crowds far fewer than I feared. Although with so much square footage, even 50 people in the sanctuary at once feels barren. It was interesting to observe the visitors, each one with a different approach or level of outward reverence while paying their respects to crypt. I can tell that it is a very important destination for many people, and certainly from reading the information panels and doing a fair bit of googling, I see how loved and revered Saint-Therese became in her short 24-year life.

Canadian Connection

On the main level, the classic sanctuary space came to life with marble tiled walls, intricate mosaic flooring, and the most amazing colorfully tiled ceiling I am sure I will ever see.  With the maze of arches dancing through various heights and supporting luminous stained-glass windows, it felt like I was in a technicolor trance, and took a seat in a middle pew directly under the highest point of the vaulted ceiling. Small chapels line the perimeter of the sanctuary, each one furnished by a specific country or region. We found the Canadian chapel of St. Joseph, feeling a neat little connection to home.

Behind the Basilica

Back outside, I was intrigued by the no-access road leading behind the basilica to what looked like additional monuments atop an even steeper hill. So we took a walk up to find some reconstruction projects underway, but it didn’t take away from the gorgeous view down to the cathedral. We also noticed that the tombs of the parents of Saint-Therese were interred back there. I think the no-access signs apply to cars only, but there was certainly no indication that we were supposed to continue the tour in that direction . . . so I guess venture at your own risk if you visit, but I recommend it!