For a variety of reasons, I am still not traveling, so I’ve chosen to use some of my time to sort through my collection of old photos. I drove through town yesterday and saw the autumnal colors, proving the fall season is upon us, so that prompted me to send out this blog post using photos from my archives. These are ones I took with a point-and-shoot camera rather than my iPhone. Then I’ve taken photos of the original photos with my iPhone so they look a bit grainy.

I also realized the original photos were not dated so they could be in the range of 20-30 years old? Yet, what was so pleasing for me is they resemble what the Luxembourg looks like today. Some things don’t change and when it comes to the Luxembourg Gardens, it is essentially just as it was when I first visited it over 35 years ago.

I, once, had the opportunity to go on a tour of the gardens with the head gardener. One of the highlights was he took us to the area where the fruit trees are planted. Most were tagged with age and species which dated some as old as 100 years or so. Also, we witnessed the gentle care they are given throughout the seasons. Just an FYI: There are also greenhouses that are often missed when visiting the gardens too. The plantings are rotated throughout the seasons and what I like about these particular photos shows their use of grasses.

Although there are 480 parks in Paris, at last count apparently, I still claim this one as my favorite. I may be biased as it is in my Paris neighborhood, which is the 6th arrondissement, making it so convenient to access. It continues to act as my backyard when I am in Paris and…I don’t mind sharing it with others!

It is elaborately designed, offering a plethora of vignettes which gives one a haven for reads, meditations, chats with friends, for instance, and, yet, close by are meaningful and pleasurable activities for the young and old from tennis; to the King’s bees with its own beekeeper aiding in the production of honey to be sold in the fall; to a children’s complex of colorful playground structures; to a small museum with its own petite Angelina tea salon; to a couple of outdoor cafes; to a theatre for Wednesday and Saturday marionette shows; to chess and boule players; to a plot of land devoted to aged fruit trees, as already mentioned; to a focal point of a pond which children gain access for sailing small boats; to various bands playing in the summer; to the oldest carousel in Paris delighting children with rides…and the list goes on from here, not to even mention the people watching, if you are partial to that free activity.

Actually, one of the only changes I saw in the last couple of years is people picnicking on the lawn one day when I went walking around the Luxembourg. Generally speaking, sitting/walking/standing on the grass has been a ‘no-no’ in Parisian parks. Even so, if you don’t want to join in on the grass, you can picnic on a park bench or grab some park chairs and do so.

Next time you are in Paris, I suggest you make a point to visit. You will see the Luxembourg is a highly utilized park, as it should be, and a joyful, serene spot you can actively engage in depending on your mood of the day.