Last Minute Preparations...

I am getting so excited. The parish trip to Lourdes is very near, and I'm desperately racking my brains to see what I've forgotten.

So far, so good, I think.

The coaches have been booked. I need to put the contact numbers for the English coach company and the hotel just in case there are any last-minute glitches. I have spoken to my contact at Gatwick Airport, and she has promised that we get our own dedicated check-in, and that the seats and luggage tags will have been sorted out the day before. So that should be fairly straightforward.

That reminds me: I need to print out little cards for everyone with the flight number, time and booking references, and to print out little luggage tags to make luggage retrieval easier. Having a tag with a picture of Our Lady on it means that it's less likely to be grabbed by someone else by mistake (as happened one year!)

I've printed and collated the pilgrimage booklets - these have copies of the itinerary inside, as well as hymns and readings for the Masses, as well as the most common chants sung during the processions, and the Hail Mary in several different languages, including Latin. And I have printed out the notices for each day on headed paper so that we can post them up on the hotel noticeboard. That also has the added advantage of annoying any reps from other tour operators if they have pilgrims staying in the hotel!

On a personal level, I have my passport, my European Health Insurance Card, and my insurance documents. I also have my holiday Euros to spend on rosaries. And don't bother telling me that "Euro" is actually the correct plural. I don't care... I've got plenty of catfood in for Sylvester, and my next-door neighbour is primed and ready to make a fuss of him.

I think that's everything...