This is it...the last day in Paris. OK, technically tomorrow is the last day, but today was my last sightseeing day.

I didn't really have a plan when I headed out. I had a number of things in mind. I was tired of museums, but I also thought I might go the Musee D'Orsay or the Rodin. I was getting tired of churches, but I had a few more I wanted to see. And I needed to do some shopping. I especially wanted to see the markets on Rue Cler. I decided to go to the farthest thing and work my way back to the apartment, hitting what I wanted along the way. First stop: the shrine of the Miraculous Medal, the second largest pilgimage site in Paris after Notre Dame (which I would consider less of a pilgrimage site and more of a tourist site.) Right before the shrine is an indoor market called the Bon March Gormet Market (because it is located next door to a Bon Marche store.) ooh la la....it was so awesome. It had everything...produce, meat market, candy, baked goods, etc. This it had 'international' shelves, including one for USA/Canada. I have a picture of it. Keep in mind this is a gourmet market. US products included Fluff, hershey's syrup, jiffy pop popcorn, and karo syrup! AFter spending way too long in the market, I went to the shrine next door. (ACtually, I walked by it and had to back track. It was very well hidden.) I arrived just in time to be told they were closing for two hours for lunch (a very common occurance.) I decided to walk around and found a pharacie and bought some skin care products and gifts. Then I started walking back to when I saw a sign on a wall for the Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, so I went through it. Sure enough, there is a church with the preserved body of the saint. This was the most unique church I saw in Paris. Very decorated with paint...very colorful. I tried to find a website for the church so I could see some pictures, but I don't think one exists. I would have taken pictures but there were some people praying, and I didn't want to be 'that person.' The body of St. Vincent was about the alter, and you could climb stairs up to it. Very unique and a great church.

OK, then I head to the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, which is literally around the corner. Again, way cool. This is where Mary appeared to a young nun and showed her the design for the miraculous medal. (This was a few years before Bernadette and Lourdes.) Mary appeared twice and the nun went on to become a said, whose name is escaping me now and I'm too lazy to look it up. This church was also beautiful and unique from many of the others. This church was light and bright and very non-gothic. It also had the preserved body of the saint displayed. There were a couple hundred people here, but the church was absolutely silent. It was very serene.

Walking back to the metro, I ran into a protest march. I have pictures...I have no idea what they were protesting, but I was thrilled to see a French protest in action...and tying up traffic! It was almost all women and a good size group.

AFter that I dropped off my loot at the apartment, then took one last walk around the neighborhood. I walked down to the Seine to get a picture of Paris' Lady Liberty...and I did a little more shopping. It was a great last day in a great city.