Where We Be
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| You can see how "Touchdown Jesus" got his nickname |
| Notre Dame -- South Bend, Indiana |
It was tempting to skip seeing Notre Dame
University on such a long driving day (plus time
change), but we're glad we didn't. It's a beautiful
campus with a distinctive gold-domed building
at its center. Be sure not to miss the library --
its outer wall is decorated with a huge mosaic
colloquially known as “Touchdown Jesus.” It’s
become something of an icon here. We also got
the tiniest of peeks into Notre Dame Stadium,
home of the Fighting Irish. Then we continued
on to the central courtyard near the Gold Dome.
There we saw the beautiful Basilica of the
Sacred Heart with its gold and blue interior. An
organist happened to be practicing inside when
we visited. We also paused at the nearby Grotto
of Our Lady of Lourdes with its many lit candles.
A fun aspect of our visit was the timing in late
August as students were just returning from
summer break. There were lots of hugs and
shouts of joy as friend reconnected with friend.
It had that exciting feel of a new year at college,
full of possibilities.
University on such a long driving day (plus time
change), but we're glad we didn't. It's a beautiful
campus with a distinctive gold-domed building
at its center. Be sure not to miss the library --
its outer wall is decorated with a huge mosaic
colloquially known as “Touchdown Jesus.” It’s
become something of an icon here. We also got
the tiniest of peeks into Notre Dame Stadium,
home of the Fighting Irish. Then we continued
on to the central courtyard near the Gold Dome.
There we saw the beautiful Basilica of the
Sacred Heart with its gold and blue interior. An
organist happened to be practicing inside when
we visited. We also paused at the nearby Grotto
of Our Lady of Lourdes with its many lit candles.
A fun aspect of our visit was the timing in late
August as students were just returning from
summer break. There were lots of hugs and
shouts of joy as friend reconnected with friend.
It had that exciting feel of a new year at college,
full of possibilities.
| We spent about 1½ hours on campus and were glad we made the stop in South Bend |
| To the east is Hesburgh Library with its distinctive mural and reflecting pool |
| Don't miss the chance to peek into Notre Dame's stadium -- home of the Fighting Irish |
| We both love the feel of college campuses and Notre Dame's is no exception. The Gold Dome of the Main Building is right at the heart of the campus. |
| You can also visit the Main Building itself with its landmark Golden Dome |
| A statue of Mary -- the university's namesake "Notre Dame" -- stands atop the Main Building |
| The Basilica is lovely from the outside too |
| Near the Basilica is the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a recreation of the famous grotto in Lourdes, France |
| To the west is the gorgeous Basilica of the Sacred Heart -- the highlight of our visit |
| The Eck Visitor Center is worth a stop for its 10-minute introductory film |
| Murals decorate the dramatic inside of the Gold Dome |
| Famed head coach Knute Rockne is honored just outside the stadium entrance |