September is in my opinion the best time to visit Paris. The temperatures are still high enough to wear summer apparal, but not too hot. Evenings are still sultry and therefore excellent to have dinner on an outside terrace. There are less tourists, so you get to experience and see more of how the locals live. And most importantly, the flowers are still blooming but the trees are also changing colour which makes Paris even more beautiful.
When I visited Paris two weeks ago, I decided to fill my Sunday with nothing but parcs and gardens. I needed some tranquility and nature sounds after a whole day at the interior and lifestyle fair Maison et Objet. Time to clear my head, to stroll, breath in fresh air and enjoy the sun. In the morning I went to the Grande Mosque and to the Jardin des Plantes, of which I will blog about soon. In the afternoon I went to the Jardin du Luxembourg.
The Jardin du Luxembourg was designed as a private park in 1612 in typical French style and didn’t become public until the 19th century. In the center of the parc there is the Grand Bassin, where kids can rent a miniture boat and play. On Sunday afternoon Parisian families flock to the bassin to play with their kids, or just sit on one of those typical Parisian chairs you can move to sit on a prefered spot. This would never be possible in the Netherlands. The chairs would get stolen within a day! I love that about the Parisian, they really know how to utilize and enjoy parks.
The bassin is surrounded by different gardens in geometric shapes and there are beautiful flowers and statues everywhere. North of the Grande Bassin perks the Palais du Luxembourg. It was built around 1620 in Italian style for Marie de Medicis, Louis XIII’s mother. It changed function from palace to prison, to headquarter of the Luftwaffe during the war. Nowadays it’s home to the French Senate.
