I think we are all due for a bit of renewal and growth. As I’ve mentioned before, Paris has over 400 parks and gardens. I can’t remember seeing one, no matter how small, appear unattended. If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you know that the Luxembourg Gardens, in the first grouping of photos below, is my ‘go to’ for gardens. Yet I have visited a slew of them, over the years, and each one serves a purpose and pleasure to the Parisians.

But the Luxembourg is not only my first choice just because it is in the 6th arrondissement which is my ‘hood when I am in Paris, playing the role as my backyard, as it does for so many Parisians. And, it is not just a place for meditation and reflection or solitude reading or meeting up with friends or family. But it also offers a plethora of activities for all interests and ages. And….if you are a people watcher, the numerous activities, whether you participate in them or not, can be your entertainment for the day!

All of this takes place amongst greenery which, due to the splendid layout of the garden, offers needed shade for the recreational activities you choose when visiting. The beekeeper holds my attention when he comes to care for the ‘king’s bees especially at harvesting time so they can sell the honey every year. The orchard was one of my late discoveries, with numerous fruit trees well over a 100 years old. The boules’ players create motion and thoughtful strategy for the line-up of spectators who are held captive. Children deciding between the wading pool or the sandlot on the hottest days, and the serious chess players, both in sunshine and shade. Are all examples of just a few of the choices for a range of ages.

Stepping away from the obvious greenery of the Paris parks and gardens, I am endlessly curious when it comes to creative projects. Whether it’s a window shop stylist presenting the latest seasonal clothing, or the packaging of the product ‘of the moment’, or the intricacies of an artist’s interpretation in all the various forms of media. All of it captures my attention, affording me a chance to learn. I’ve selected a few below that ‘scream’ GREEN! Although these photos show nonliving objects, its the creative energy and thought that went into them that speaks to the renewal and growth within that person that created them.

Now here’s another enticing GREEN subject: food! Sometimes I think I have been handed a favor by no longer being able to tolerate lactose, especially when I am in Paris. OK…I am probably only saying this to convince myself. I have learned to accept it..but…OH! The desserts I would passionately consume, the patisseries choices I could indulge in, the 400 varieties of cheeses (some say with sub-varieties that puts the number closer to 1000!) I would be ‘forced’ to taste, and the selections I would have to make in the seemingly endless yogurt aisles in the grocery stores. Have you seen them? Really, take note next time!!

So, instead, I satisfy my temptation by taking photos…somehow, it works for me…(also, probably because I know how miserable I would feel if I did eat it instead of photograph it!)

And, it just so happens, of these GREEN photos, I can eat everything, except maybe that very last photo…just a teensy bite and then share the rest.

These photos (not necessarily in order of appearance!): Bon Marche Epicerie/Pierre Herme/Laduree/A Boulanger-Patissier on Ile. St Louis/Olivier or O&Co/A lunch shared with friends at the Louise Vuitton Foundation

Stretching more outside my neighborhood, the GREEN continues.

To name a few (not necessarily in order of appearance!): Tuileries/Montmartre/Seeing more greenery thriving on an exterior building/Take note of the Chalet-des-Iles where you have to take a brief ride on a pontoon boat to get to the island before you can opt to eat out on the terrace for lunch: http://chalet-des-iles.com Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement/Approaching the American Library and be surprised at the bold view of the Eiffel Tower

So see what you can find as you wander Paris…maybe keep it as a secret or decide to share it, as you want. Don’t you think every one of us should have the opportunity to greet our days with a spirited sense of renewal and growth? And, remember…there’s always room for one more at the Luxembourg Gardens.