May 9 - Paray-le Monial

Joan at the helm - Canal du Centre

 May 9 - Paray-le-Monial - Another early start (this is getting habit forming) so we could arrive
in Paray-le-Monial in time to find a boulangerie open for our lunch fresh bread. Made it with minutes to spare.

We spent the afternoon visiting the sites that were important to where Sister Margaret Mary Alaque saw the apparition of the Heart of Jesus (the sacred heart) between 1673 & 1675. We toured the basilica of the Sacred Heart as well as the Visitation Chapel where these visions happened. We walked around town till tired then had a short walk from the park back to the boat. We could almost see the boat at that point, but with all the narrow curved streets we found ourselves completely turned around and at the wrong end of town. Eventually we found the canal and followed it home. The best was yet to come. After dark the town is lit to show off its incredible architecture. 

Basilica of The Sacred Heart - Paray-le-Monial

Basilica of The Sacred Heart - Paray-le-Monial
at night, no place to put the tripod.

The Visitation Chapel
Where sister Mary Margaret saw the Sacred Heart