A Fun Afternoon at the Vicariate Grounds

The third stop on our road trip to the neighboring province was an afternoon at the grounds of the Holy Family Church and also the Vicariate of Bontoc and Lagawe, perfectly located along the Sadsadan Train-Balicanao Road. It was our first time traversing that area so it was kind of a surprising discovery.

It was around half past 2 in the afternoon when we were there. The gate was open so after pulling over by the roadside, we helped ourselves in. The green space was inviting.

Took this shot as I was following my company. The church facade looked nice and welcoming. As always, our little guy was so excited that he ran fast and went ahead to sniff on the grass.

Except for a man lying face down on the grass beside the rock by the cross, there wasn't anybody else around. It was so quiet. The husband was just as excited as our little pup that he went where the guy was and started a conversation. He's good at it, being able to talk to anybody, even at the first meeting.

While there, we learned from the guy that most weddings in town and neighboring places are held there, even when other villages have their local churches. And we can see why. The church is huge, it has spacious grounds, and the views and landscape around are beautiful and I believe it's quite picturesque, especially in the morning.

My Anyongi and I went walking and checking out the corner of the place while the husband and his new friend chitchatted.

I imagine this to be the spot for a bonfire. It's quite nice what they did with it. People can sit around and enjoy a warm evening together.

Here's a panorama shot of the place taken from that corner. The old, smaller church is just above the stone walls. And yep, the husband was coming our way!

From that corner, we decided to go down to the lower grounds. This is what the place looks like on the map (Screenshot from Pinmapple). We were at the top floor level of the church and there was another lawn on the ground floor and we decided to check it out.

There were blooming flowers along the walkway. If I'm not mistaken they are called Damask Roses. They are perfect for the place, if I may say so as they are quite resistant to harsh conditions, even with not much water during the hottest of days.

Anyhow, we went down and enjoyed more of the views as our pet child took his time on the grass. While the sun was still hot at about 3 in the afternoon, it was a bit airy there. We noticed the farms below the railings and also sighted a small community farther away.

A few more minutes were spent there and then we walked back to the upper grounds, this time, taking the exit road. Our little guy loved the space he ran back and forth.

These were some of the plants and flowers along the road leading to the main ground. The first ones I think are Angiosperms, some Calla Lilies, and Hydrangeas.

We rested for a while, then had fun taking some shadow photos and more running and sniffing for our little one.

The husband captured some more photos and then we left the place for our next destination.

_{Except for the screenshot of the map, all photos are my own, some by the husband. 06032024/20:36ph}