Luxembourg Garden, spring time in Paris

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This Garden on the Left Bank of Paris, is considered one of the best parks in the world.
It has areas for bocce ball, tennis, kids play, cafe, cards, chess, and many smaller settings with statues.
And that wonderful pond, smack in the middle where kids rent model sailing ships to nagivate them with pokes from a stick, and all walks of people grab a chair and circle the water to snack, daydream, or fall in love. I fell in love with Paris.
You could attend bee keeping school, watch a puppet theatre, ride the carousel, or listen to a concert at the band stand. There are espaliered orchards, and flower beds around hidden corners.

Seems the most popular past time is napping in the chairs.

The queen Marie de Medici began remodeling the palace in 1615, after her husband, King Henri IV was killed. She was said to have been lonely in the big Louvre, and homesick for Florence. She had the garden designed after Palazzo Pitti.

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Photos

looking towards Marie's palace
Luxembourg Garden

pond sailing
a favorite pass time

selection of boats
to be rented

Marie de Medici's Palace
now the meeting place for the French Senate

from above
60 acre Luxembourg Garden as seen from the Montparnasse Tower

bringing in the trees
from the 'orangerie', greenhouse for the 100 or so planted palms, citrus and ornamentals

Keith and Kate
having a little lunch

Chopin
we would later see his admirers in the cemetery