A Visit to Notre Dame University, an Unexpected Adventure and Dinner

I had signed up for the ladies' tour on Saturday and eagerly anticipated touring part of the Notre Dame University campus before having lunch and then touring the Oliver Mansion. Well, that is how it was supposed to go...

But first: Notre Dame. Can you believe that the university doesn't spend one dime on erecting buildings? No, it seems that grateful and generous benefactors pay for that privilege, with the caveat that the building be named after them. What a deal.

We arrive.


I must say that I like this Gothic inspired architecture.


This is Rockne Memorial. Named for Knute Rockne, the legendary Notre Dame University football coach, this is now a recreational facility for the university.


This is one of the older buildings on campus. The bricks were made from mud that was recovered from one of the two lakes on campus.


Unlike commercially made bricks, these are smooth and do indeed look like dried mud.


The main spire of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart is undergoing structural work to ensure it endures the years and the weather.


This log cabin is a replica of the original building on campus that was built after the university was founded in 1842. The original structure burned to the ground in 1879.


The Grotto. Shh, Mass will be starting soon.

The Grotto and the lit votive candles.

The statue of Chaplain William Corby.

And his story.

And now we have entered the Basilica. I apologize for the poor quality of some of these photos, but it can be difficult to take good pictures when traveling in a large group of people.

The baptismal font has been moved to the entrance of the Basilica.

The ceiling over the Altar of Sacrifice.

The Original Altar/Tabernacle.

The painted, domed ceiling at the rear of the Basilica.

Beneath it is the Baroque Altar.

The Reliquary Chapel.

"The famed Ivan Metrovic Pieta (1942) made of Carara marble, first shown in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was then loaned to Notre Dame by the former Croatian artist-in-residence. A replica of this Pieta is in the Vatican Art Museum.*

*Taken directly from Notre Dame's brochure for the Basilica.

The gilded dome on top of the Admissions (or Main) Building. The statue on top is 19 feet tall. We were informed that this is all re-gilded every 25 years.

The tile mosaic on the main floor underneath the rotunda.

Looking up three stories to the mural on the domed ceiling.

Statue in the gardens.

The World of Life mural, better know as "Touchdown Jesus", faces the football stadium. My husband informed me that I had to take this picture for our daughter.

Here you go, Kelley. The football stadium.

And another view of the stadium.

After we left Notre Dame, we boarded the bus and went off to lunch. We ended up at the same restaurant that my husband and I ate at Thursday evening. Some of the ladies wanted to go down to the shops in the building after lunch and I realized that my friend had left her jacket, and I went down to give it to her. So I naturally had to blame her when I found a black pearl necklace that I liked and had to buy. And then she found something she liked, so I waited with her while she purchased it.

Now, do you remember from an earlier post that I said there was a funny story with these shops? Well, while I waited for her, the bus left without us. They deserted us! Actually, they left behind three of us. Now, here I am going to blame this on the fact that they let a man run the tour. A woman would never have left her fellow shoppers behind. Pfft! Fortunately, as these things go, this was not all that bad, as we were just across the river from our hotel. And as we started off on foot to the hotel, both of our husbands called to tell us that they had each left their keys in our rooms. So, the dutiful wives that we are, we each retrieved our husbands' keys and got them to them before following our group to the next destination.

After a fair bit of trials and tribulations we did indeed meet up with our group as they toured Copshaholm, or the Oliver Mansion and tried to enjoy what was left of the tour. Perhaps it was the fact that we missed part of the tour, or some other factor, but I just didn't enjoy this leg of the tour as much as I had hoped to. Or perhaps the tour of Notre Dame simply refused to be eclipsed? But at any rate, I know that I made a new friend that day. Hi, Sally!

Having recovered from our misadventures of the afternoon, we headed across the skywalk to the convention center and our formal dinner. Can I tell you how much I love having a formal gown that I can literally wad into a ball and pack and then wear? Why don't they make all clothing like this? Er, anyway, this is the decorative waterway that was once the West Race.

Yet another view.

And, finally I bid you adieu from South Bend with a night time view from our hotel room.