Paris 2014 - Day 12, Jardin du Luxembourg

Chris and Jason set off early for the Louvre today (its free on the first Sunday of the month) and then they are staying tonight in a hotel. So I had a relaxed morning, not leaving the apartment until about 10:30.

While having coffee at the local café I noticed the boulangerie had quite a line up.
This was true at every boulangerie I saw today. I think Sunday must be a day for
sweet toothes.

I walked back to the Montparnasse Cemetery to take some pictures as my battery had been dead last time I was there.

The tomb I sketched last time I was here.

My interpretation.

There were more people here today, many of them planting flowers and generally tending the graves and tombs. There were still some just out for a walk or jog as it is a pleasant and peaceful environment in a busy area.
I walked home through the market street and picked up Greek food for supper. OK, I confess, I bought a merengue too.

Simon had asked me to bring him some Pastis and I was going to get it at Duty Free, however
I decided I would probably get something a bit better at this specialty wine store.

Home for lunch and checked the weather that indicated a likelihood of rain this afternoon from 3 to 6. I decided to take the risk and walked down to the Jardin du Luxembourg. We have passed it numerous times on the bus so I knew how to get there.

Unfortunately this magnificent fountain had no water in it yet. It marked the start of a series
of narrow parks that lead to the Luxembourg Gardens. They were full  of children playing,
families and couples strolling and some pretty intense games of ping pong being played on
the outdoor tables.

The Luxembourg Gardens are in front of the Palais du Luxembourg, that now houses the Senate. The gardens themselves are everything a public garden, in the heart of a city should be. They have something for everyone and were well used today, a Sunday.

People were taking advantage of one of the few areas of grass not fenced off with
warning signs.

There a areas where paths meander through woods and shrubbery with plenty of chairs
and occasional flowers. Later I sketched the stag statue in the background.

There was a large area set aside for people to play boules (the French equivalent to the Bocce we play at the beach). I stood for a while watching, enjoying the intensity, the finesse, the murmurs of approval when a good shot was made, the moans when one didn't go exactly where intended.

I had never seen before the long strings with a magnet attached, that some used to pick up the balls without bending down. What a good idea.

I got a coffee "to go", 'a emporter", from the outdoor café and walked to where I had seen glimpses
of ponies through the trees.

There is a huge playground area in the park but this was also a very popular
activity for the smaller children. They were settled on the ponies here, given about
5 minutes to acclimatize and then lead off in groups of 4 (the first 2 being lead with one
rope and the next 2 attached to their tails) to go around the park.

The Fountain of Medici is the hub, surrounded by chairs and people. The white dome
in the background is The Pantheon covered in plastic, for renovation.

Although there are certainly cell phones and tablets in evidence in France, the book is not dead here. On a Sunday afternoon there were many individuals and couples seated on chairs or lounging on the grass, reading, old school. That is quite amazing considering that these public parks all have free wifi. I saw fewer people connected to their electronic devices here than in the parks in Merida, Mexico, where there is also free wifi.

A group practicing T'ai Chi

L'Orangerie houses the more delicate of the garden's plants during the winter months.
I could see some orange trees and palm trees through the slightly open windows.

There is a huge variety of flora here and some of it is labelled, including where the plants
originally came from and when they were introduced to France.

After the circuit of about half the gardens I sat to sketch the stag, doe and faun statue in a wooded area. I had just about finished when the wind picked up and it "felt like rain". However I was able to walk back under threatening skies without feeling a drop.