On Thursday the weather turned fine in Paris. After a cold and very rainy spring the change in sky and temperature made everyone feel hopeful about the future. Both the Parisians and their visitors were outside. The museums of Paris are filled with wonderful art yet this day people were in the gardens.
From the Arch de Triumph to the Louvre is one of the great walks in Paris. Down the Champs-Elysées past Cartier and Banana Republic, into the Jardin Des Tuileries all the way to the Louvre you can soak up the pace and style of Paris. The Tuileries Garden(named for the land of the old tile makers) is now a great public space lined with trees, filled with sculpture and accented with fountains. Paris gardens have these lovely green metal chairs surrounding the fountains, the squares of grass and along the old the military parade route. There are benches everywhere and there were filled with people. There were no umbrellas.
Two gardens provide gathering space for viewing the Eiffel tower. The Park du Champ-de-Marc runs all the way to the great Military Museum.
Tourists with their cameras were gleefully capturing the memories. Across the river are the Trocadero Gardens and the Jacaranda trees were in full bloom. A plein air painter worked on his canvas.
French women are famous for their stylish use of scarves, A beautiful woman stretched out on the grass, used her scarf like a beach towel. Americans have adopted a working lunch at your desk ethic, here lunch in a park bistro or on a bench under a tree seems more popular.
A drawing class worked on perspective and line among the sculptures. Groups of school children on tour had a picnic break in the park.
The gardens were full of life, the sky was full of blue with white puffy clouds, the sun watched over all. Great cities have great gardens. Paris is a great city.