One of the traditional activities in the Luxembourg gardens is to rent a little wooden sailboat and push it with a stick to sail in the enormous pond in front of the palace (which is now where the Senate is housed). The park was built by Napoleon, for the enjoyment of the people of Paris and it is still used for that purpose. In addition to beautiful grounds in which you are free to stroll, sit, and/or take your kids to the playground, there are also a few places to eat, an historic marionette theater, pony rides (which I didn't see this time, but Mark and I did last time we were here) and gazebo venues for musical performances.
This morning, with many of the other students, we met Pierre, his wife, Mallory, and Pierre's daughter, Danielle and her boyfriend to watch the puppet theater's production of Les Trois Petites Cochons (The Three Little Pigs). The theater charges just under five Euro, and the first four rows of benches are for children only (strictly enforced!) so that the puppets can interact with the kids. It was super charming, and I would have loved to have taken photos of the puppet and the kids -- darling! However, photos are absolutely not allowed. I did get some photos of our group before the action began.
Tristan, Mike and Eloy (in the back).
Saul (commenting on how creepy the marionettes were) and Sarah. We all admitted to being creeped-out by the vintage marionettes (and clowns). Thank goodness, there were no clowns involved!
Katie and Mike (sister and brother)
All of the marionettes had head-shots around the room. This was one of the scariest ones, which Saul jokingly called Captain Crotch-it. LOL!
After the puppet show, which we all really enjoyed, we went our separate ways. I stayed in Jardin du Luxembourg for a bit, enjoying the almost-rainy weather.
Catherine De Medici's fountain (my favorite fountain in Paris). She had it built in the Jardin du Luxembourg when she was Queen of France (and she missed her hometown of Florence, Italy).
Signs of the Gay Pride Parade geting ready to happen today. I loved this scene and was so happy to get this photo of a young gay man speaking with an old Parisian woman and a Muslim woman, who were all smiling and obviously chatting about the parade preparations.
It was saturday morning, and I had no plans, so I walked north, through the Isle (past Notre Dame), into the 2nd Arrondissement (past Hôtel De Ville, the City Hall, which was decorated for the Gay Pride Parade).
I continued to walk, reaching St Paul church in Le Marais, before giving-up and taking the Métro for just one stop to the Bastille, where I'd heard it would be a good location to watch the parade. I was early, so I sat on the steps of Opera Bastille and waited. And waited. And then it started to sprinkle. And then it began to rain. Finally, the parade came. There were people everywhere, and the mood of the crowd was fiendly, electric.
Some in the crowd had wild costumes, but most were dressed in street clothes. There were rainbows everywhere on this very rainy day.
Free Hugs . . . Bisous Gratis (free kisses)!
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