19. Jardin du Luxembourg - Part 2

Le Jardin du Luxembourg aims to provide something for everybody.  This section at the front entry gates has lush, thick green grass bordered by tall hedged chestnut trees.  

Jardin_du_Luxembourg 

Every time we come here I am overwhelmed by the numbers of young people, aged about 17 to 25 who sit on the grass just inside the gates here.  It is like a rite of passage: once you reach a certain age you are old enough to sit on the grass in the Jardin du Luxembourg to look at and be looked at.  Although my photo doesn't show it very well, there were at least 500 young people in this area.

Once inside and turning left, we were amongst tall beech trees and grass that you were not allowed to walk on.

 

Then we happened upon a large area dedicated to fruit trees.  Most were espaliered, particularly the apples and pears.

Great examples of pruning techniques.  I took lots of photos, but most of the garden was netted as the trees had just set their fruit.  As well, they were behind a tall fence, obviously to stop the trees being stripped when the fruit ripens.  So my photos were disappointing.

But I managed to hold my camera over the fencing for these pics, even though I got told off by a Gendarme.  You can see the various espaliers along the two back rows, one young pear being trained around a circular metal support, with more mature trees growing on similar vertical columns to the right.

And the full monty - a mature tree covered with tiny set fruit.

And around the corner from the orchard, what else but an apiary.

Very extensive and really buzzing!

How civilised.  Cafe (coffee) or a drink, plus a snack and a game of boules/petanque.

Even a clothes rack with hangers for coats, hats, bags  and of course, motor cycle helmets - now this is serious!

Lots of judges - two per team. So four per game.

And even an entry/exit gate for the less nimble.  Love it!

A huge playground for 4 to 12 year-olds - this is a circular flying fox .  There are two girls on the vertical pole which they have just launched off the platform where the girl in the pink is standing.  The equipment is colour-coded.   Green is for 7 years and over.

This pyramid is made of rope, so it is very bouncy.  Someone up high started bouncing and the young boy centre-right on the lowest level (with his backside facing us) lost his balance and came down with a solid thud.  His grandfather looking on nearly had a heart-turn.  But the playground is entirely softfall.  

Games areas for les grand garçons (the big boys).

Tennis.

Cards.

Lounge lizards - if only the sun would come out.

Chess.  Tables provided.  BYO chess pieces and time-keeper.

The extensive sand-pit garden for toddlers complete with hedging for wind-breaks, taps for water play and beautiful flowers.

The obligatory statue - this time it's a statue of Eugéne Delecroix artist, pre-impressionist, illustrator for Will Shakespeare and special friend of George Sand.  (More on George Sand and the Musée de la Vie romantique soon.)

Flowers and grass. A chair and a foot rail.  All that's missing is some sun.

And of course there is a lake with boats.  There was a stiff breeze today so the boats were really flying around.  We saw the pirate boat collide with HMS Canada, locking bows and rigging, to the anguish of two kids whose parents would not let them wade out to untangle them.

Lots of people - all rugged up but making the most of their Sunday.

The tulips are nearly at the end of their season.

We have been in Paris 3 weeks today and the tulips have been glorious - this lot have maybe another week left in them.

Cafe Le Rostard is directly outside the side gate of the Jardin du Luxenberg at the top of boulevard Saint-Michel.  

On 11 or 12 May 1998, we found ourselves somewhat marooned here when a demonstration, complete with placards, bells and whistles came marching up the street and assembled in the intersection outside the gardens and opposite this cafe.  The gendarmes had re-routed the traffic and there were hundreds of chanting and placard waving people occupying the intersection.  We were so fascinated we ordered another wine which was accompanied by the sweetest, tiniest green olives you have ever tasted, and settled in for the spectacle.  Our second wine arrived but, disappointingly, the crowd promptly disappeared.  The traffic reclaimed the roads and you would never have known anything had happened.  Absolutely amazing!  So, for old time sake, we thought we'd have a wine at Cafe Le Rostard.

But before we crossed the road to the cafe we noticed a whole fence-full of Tour de France photographs.  Apparently Le Tour is 100 this year and, desperate to reclaim favour, has mounted various promotions such as this one.  The photographs were stunning but there was too much reflection to be able to photograph them. 

Le Tour de France in 80 photographs 

There were 80 of them and obviously of great interest.

Unfortunately (for us) Cafe Le Rostard no longer offers those tiny, sweet olives with its aperitifs.  But it would be a great spot to observe a revolution or even a lowly demonstration.