The Final Days Part 1: Sunday Morning Mass at St. Sulpice &
les Jardins du Luxembourg
Benefit of hotel life: Really nice and charming young man working the front desk that morning tells me a quick way to get to mass at St. Sulpice that involves avoiding the boring route that I had chosen (Boulevard Montparnasee, to Boulevard Raspail, down Rue de Rennes). He told me a faster and far more picturesque way that made me realize just how great the location for the hotel is. His way, the Jardins du Luxembourg were just 5 minutes away.
Sunday mass was in honor of youth and the family, and the church was full (well, about one-third of the way full) with scouts of every age it seemed - girl scouts, boy scouts, and younger scouts.
Good thing I took a picture of the fountain before mass (I was late - hence no crowds). Note the really, really blue sky. After Saturday's being so uncomfortably warm, this really cool morning was very welcome.
The Place St. Sulpice would after mass be full of the youth and families for whom the mass was offered, complete with an "aperitif" consisting of a long table offering juice and small snacks (e.g., pretzels) for everyone to mingle and enjoy after mass. These kids could not be cuter.
I had come in large part for the organ - and the fact it does not happen every day that one of the most lovely and well-known churches in Paris is sort of just down the street.
Hoping the organist was going to really rock out on the organ in a spine-chilling way at the end of mass, I had the voice memo recording feature ready on the iPhone. The organist delivered. The grand finale had everyone transfixed, unable to leave the church until the very last chord.
Next stop on way back to hotel to prepare for Part 2 of next to last day:
The Luxembourg Gardens. The leaves looked particularly amazing I noticed on the way to mass. Better get one final look at them before the trip ends I thought...
Good call I think.
The Pétanque court in the gardens.
Next stop: hotel, then...Montmartre and the last day of the Fete des Vendanges!
Yes I posted just some of the crazy carnival atmosphere, but that was before Gourmande Mom found the food booths around Sacre Coeur....
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