It was a cold January day. No, not just cold, but that bone coooldd, yeah, the single digital cold bordering on the sub minus. Then add a few bonus points, the wind chill factor.
Here I was, standing in front of a basilica that millions from all around the world have come to view and experience! Heck, lower the temps, I'm all in- ready to be one of the chosen who have come seeking blessings and have left healed and forever grateful.
In truth, it was challenging to get some broader scope outdoor shots- the steps had been roped off because of the ice, the roofs full of snow drop their loads periodically, and I was more than anxious to get inside, favoring enough time to save all ten of my fingers.
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, 35 kilometers (22 mi) north-east of the Quebec City. The foothills of the Laurentian Mountains in the background qualify this agricultural area to be a producer of top shop quality wines.
I'd been in Old Quebec City savoring the food, enjoying the warmth from sipping cappuccino in the morning and Prosecco come night; deeds that were necessary to bribe myself enough to get the courage to walk from place to place in the sub zero temperatures. Late nights, watching snow fall then gather from the window of my elegantly appointed room in the Château Frontenac made . It had snowed every day during the month of December and January seemed to be well on its way.
Whats another thirty minute drive, come the morning after the 14 hours it took to get to Old Quebec City? So back into the car and off onto the slippery ice laden roads to catch some beauty, history, and consult with self for a bit of soul searching.
This renowned pilgrimage site, dedicated to Sainte Anne, the grandmother of Jesus has been welcoming people for 350 years and is visited by over a million people every year.
Enter through the massive copper relief doors...
Inspired by great Romanesque cathedrals, and rebuilt in 1923, the present Basilica was consecrated on July 4, 1976.
Joseph-Émile Brunet designed twenty-four capitals (1948) for the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, which depict 52 religious subjects reflecting the life of Jesus. He sculpted 14 “Stations of the Cross” lining the walls of the Cathedral, with stone statues of Saint Anne and Saints at the entrance of the Cathedral.
Barrel vaulting, mosaics, paintings, stained glass windows, wooden and stone sculptures envelope the visitor.
Among the many sculptures inside is an exact replica of one of Michelangelo's works- The Pieta.
Outside the basilica is the wooded hillside which has a memorial chapel and a Way of the Cross, with life-sized Stations of the Cross.
Can't get to The Vatican? Gather your long johns and get to Quebec.
Signing off,
Mr. Squirrel in the pew
see you here?
