Friday 22nd July

This morning we had decided to go to the Palais du Luxembourg and the surrounding gardens. A couple of trains later we arrived at a Metro Station that was close by the southern entrance to the park. We stopped off for a coffee (€9.20) and then wandered past the most lovely shops. We stopped outside a boulangerie and were admiring the goodies in the window and a couple of Aussies said just go in and buy them. We didn’t!! But met up with them again just inside the entrance of the park. They were from Brisbane and they told us about the floods that they have just been through and we exchanged info about the Christchurch quakes.

We walked off through the park and eventually to the Museum du Luxembourg where there were two exhibitions going at the moment. The chap who had done all of the bronze figurines had done a marvellous and we wandered around for a bit. Jannie went off to the art side of the exhibition and came out as I was about to go in and she said me that I wouldn’t like that side so we went out and walked towards the Palais.

In the park there are play grounds for kids and they a all full of kids and parents. There are petanque courts, tennis courts, seating around all of the fountains and most of them were full of people sunning themselves. The Palais is currently used by the Senat and it was being used so we couldn’t go into the Palais to have a look. It is a wonderful building as most of them are. The gardens are magnificient and all very colourful. The lawns are beautifully manicured and I would be happy for the gardeners to do my lawns at home like this.

We arrived at the music area and there was this orchestra of teenagers playing real band music. They were great and we initially sat amongst the trees with all the other listeners and decided to go to the nearby eatery and have lunch whilst this was going on would be a good way to fulfil ourselves and also listen to the music. The lunch was the best. We finished our lunch and the band finished playing at the same time – so all was well.

We walked out of the park and were on Boulevard St Michelle and we walked all the way down to the Seine. We were going to meet Jane and Paul off the Eurostar from London and take them to our apartment. Their train arrived exactly on time at 2.17pm and we took them home and after they unpacked we went for a walk around the block more to orient them as to where we were staying. Went to the Marche and bought some food for breakfast. Out for dinner tonight.