English Party's Enterprise

By EXPLORATOR I want to congratulate a small party of enterprising English Catholics who are striking out on a new trail. They want to see France's glorious Cathedrals and places of Catholic interest, but they do not want to be tied by railways and time-tables. So these nine or ten friends are taking a small motor-coach and are starting from Boulogne.
They could hardly have chosen a more interesting route. Indeed, they can flatter themselves on their return that they will have seen the best of France—and that is no small order!
Through Leafy Normandy From Boulogne they are making down the coast via Etaples and Abbeville to Dieppe, whence they cross the best of leafy Normandy and arrive at Lisieux. A brief Visit to St. Teresa's town and they are off once more through the less well-known part of Normandy and Le Mans to Tours. (With a probable detour to Solesmes Abbey.)
Tours means a visit to the winding Loire and the world-famed châteaux. From the " heart of France " as it is called. to oldworld Poitiers, with its Romanesque Cathedral, and on to Perigueux. with yet another wonderful Romanesque Cathedral. (Don't forget that truffles come from Perigord!)
A bend inland brings our friends to the Gouffre de Padirac, among the most sensational of France's many rock caves. And from Padirac it is but a short step to Rocamadour, which is perhaps the most mediaeval and wonderful of the shrines of Catholic France.
Agen and Auch
South through Cahors (don't forget the twelfth century Valentre bridge), Agen and Auch. Already the ,misty shapes of the Pyrenees are visible on the horizon and soon we are in Lourdes, Our Lady's own shrine in the Pyrenees. Our friends are spending several days at Our Lady's feet and then (with what feelings of regret!) they leave for Bagrieres de I.uchon and one of the finest mountain runs in France, right through the heart of the Pyrenees. St. Girons, Foix, Pamiers—one sleepy little Languedoc town after another and the mediaeval fortress of Carcassonne is reached, where a pause will be made to take in some of the marvels of this bit' of living French history. The next part of the journey leads through wild and lonely country, the Cevennes hills. Then the palms and cypresses indicate that gem among French provinces, Provence, and soon Avignon with the massive palace of the Popes and the swiftly flowing Rhone is reached.
Roman Provence Here a halt is vitally necessary to see something of the Roman wonders of Provence and then the journey starts northwards through the Ardeche towards Le Puy and the curious Auvergne hills. (From Le Puy a visit to Lyons may be made), and thence on through the centre to Paray-le Menial, Nevers and Bourges. Still further north through Orleans, Chartres and Evreux and soon our friends are once again in the leafy, lovely Seine valley country and once more approaching Boulogne.
This tour includes visits to some of the greatest shrines of Catholic France— Lourdes, Lisieux, Solesmes, Rocamadour, Nevers, Orleans, Paray-le-Menial. . . These names speak for themselves. It in eludes such historical Cathedral cities as Tours, Avignon, Le Mans, Poitiers, Cahors, Nimes and Perigueux, districts as distinct as leafy, wooded Normandy, the smiling rivers and vineyards of Touraine, the grim hills of the Languedoc, the towering might of the Pyrenees and the southern beauty of Provence. No better tour could be planned and the pilgrims will return infinitely the richer spiritually and mentally.