So here we go! There is much to see and do at the Luxembourg Gardens for adults. The Medici Fontain was built in 1630 (!) and has been extensively remodeled over the years and eventually moved to this location. For me, it is always a ‘first must stop’ in the Luxembourg, no matter what season. Here, in these two photos the light plays on the water and the ducks  play in the water. This first photo shows a duck in a ‘Get Ready, Get Set, GO..OO-O’ pose!

But I don’t think he was the winner! All of them, people and ducks, seemed to just be content ‘to be’ in this stunning and romantic setting.  

When I used to visit (and run) in the Luxembourg decades ago (ahem), there were very few runners anywhere in Paris but now they are abundant.

There are several guards always ‘at the ready’ protecting the Senat building. This very impressive building was put into motion by Marie de Medici starting in 1612, to be built  for the purpose of being a primary residence. Here is a website that will walk you through the history, if you want to see and know more: https://www.senat.fr/lng/en/the_luxembourg_palace.html (You can change the language to Anglais/English, if you so desire).

There is also a museum and a Laduree Tea Salon connected to it. Here is an article about the Musee du Luxembourg: https://en.museeduluxembourg.fr/museum (There is an English version, if you just click on the British flag in the upper right hand corner of the article)

 

Trust me..it is a substantial building!

In the summer, bands come and play at the bandstand, which is near one of the outdoor cafes. People were using it for picnics in the shade when I took this photo.

And, here is the nearby cafe.

There are several large strips of lawn, side by side one another where they allow visitors to sit…and they were in full force on this sunny day in April!

There were more tennis players in March, since this sunny day in April, for the most part, sent people seeking shade.

A group gathering to play pétanque. Notice they had a coat rack! So organized!

And, the chess players were wise to head to the provided shade set aside for their game playing.

The gardens are meticulously maintained and one of the entertainments is to take a ‘walk and talk’ with a friend or simply stroll along on your own.

 

 

When I speak with people about the Luxembourg, I have discovered the majority of them have missed what I would call precious areas. One of them is the home to the bees. That’s right. Bees!!! The gazebo you see in the photo is for storage and supplies. There is a fountain for the bees’ drinking water. And, their ‘houses’ are copper-roofed sweet-shaped ‘buildings’. (I would imagine, from a legal standpoint in the United States, bees would not be housed in a public garden.) But here they are in the center of Paris. You can learn more about their habitat and a class offered, thanks to this article: http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blogs/pamperspakhlava/2015/06/09/whats-the-buzz-bees-in-jardin-du-luxembourg/

Yet another area I love to check on is the orchard. There are some fruit trees that are about 100 years old! I didn’t know about this area until I went on a garden tour with the head gardener. What a treat…the tour that is….no fruit offered to eat! Sometimes I see the fruit clothed in what looks like a cotton sack to protect them from potential frost. To be a bee or a fruit in the Luxembourg Gardens is to be loved.

It is common to see all ages reading in the Luxembourg. And, see what this woman chose as ‘her spot’.  Doesn’t she look comfortable? 

And, this is where I claimed ‘my spot’….also in the shade….

with an aperitif–a glass of rose.