Things I saw on a Saturday stroll into the St-Germain-des-Pres and Luxembourg Quarter:
One of many cafes trumpeting the new Beaujolais vin, which comes out every year on the third Thursday in November. I can vouch for this year's -- it was reallllllllll good.
The Palais du Luxembourg, home to royalty, and, for a terrible time, to the Gestapo. The gardens surrounding it were stunning, even in November.
I got lost on the tiny, winding streets in the Luxembourg Quarter, but it was a lovely wandering.
I emerged into a place I found on my map, the square of the great St-Sulpice church, of Paris churches second in size only to Notre Dame.
The fountain at Place St-Sulpice, which honors four Catholic church leaders, my guidebook said.
A friendly local (they all were friendly -- didn't meet one rude French person) with many tattoos and piercings took my photo by the Place St-Sulpice fountain. Wish I'd photographed him!
At Place St-Sulpice. Even in gray weather, Paris is magical (though my friends who live there might beg to differ after two months of gray days).
On behalf of my devout Catholic sister-in-law Mary Miller, I visited the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on the Rue du Bac where, Catholics believe, a Mary visitation occurred to St. Catherine Laboure. Loved this nearby statue of nuns from the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul helping the poor.
At the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal at 140 Rue du Bac, shrine of St. Catherine Laboure.
In a glass coffin in the chapel there rest what are said to be the uncorrupted remains of St. Catherine Laboure (1806-1876). Being a journalist, I snuck up and took a photo, but tried to be respectful. There were lots of tearful, devout pilgrims there from all over the world.
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