Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

Sunday morning was gorgeous. Of course, on the day we are to go home from Paris, the weather finally clears! We were greeted with crowds and cheers as we headed to the bakery for our usual breakfast pastry. They weren't cheering for us, though. It was the 40th annual Paris Marathon day, and the course ran through our neighborhood.

We escaped all that be getting on the Metro and heading for the Left Bank. Our first stop was the Abbey of Saint Germain des Pres. This was out in the country when the abbey was founded here in the 6th century. The present church dates from the 12th century, with significant repair necessary after the French Revolution.

This is one of those churches with much of the Medieval paint scheme still intact. It was a bit too dark to get good photos, but once upon a time all European churches were filled with such rich colors.

Luxembourg Gardens

We walked a bit to take in the Eugene Delacroix National Museum. To tell the truth, I don't know that I'd heard of the artist, and we almost didn't find his former home and studio, because it's tucked away in a residential neighborhood. But it was free on the first Sunday of the month, so we gave it a look.

On next to see the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens. The French Senate meets in the palace. Parisian runners, walkers, and sun-worshippers appear to own the gardens.

Just a few blocks away, the Church of Saint Sulpice stands facing a fountain that sparkled in the morning sun. Inside is the Great Organ, one of the monuments to French Romanticism, and the home of great organists. Marcel Dupre' may be the best known of those who were regular organists here.

The Great Organ of Saint Sulpice

The guidebook said the 10:30 mass would be followed by a 20-30 minute organ recital. But mass didn't begin until 11 (fortunately there were two long preludes -- listen to a clip HERE). We didn't get much out of the sermon, since we don't understand French, and we had a plane to catch, so we had to leave before mass ended, and never did get to find out if there was a recital.

Back to the hotel to collect our bags, we had to make one last stop at a French bakery for a lunch sandwich (everyone in Paris seemed to have the same idea), and watch a few marathon runners pass by as we ate. Then it was off on a marathon of our own, to get to the airport anc catch our plane back to Malta. By 10:30 p.m., the weary travelers were back in a familiar bed.