Peacocks, bonsai, and other matters aside, the main reason to visit the Parc Floral is the fleurs, and we found its population of rhododendrons going strong...which is good, since we may be missing the height of the rhodo season in southern England...stay tuned...we Chunnel in less than a week.
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| Starting with the azaleas (a kind of rhodo...) |
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| New to us |
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| Guard squirrel |
So there we were, minding our own business, admiring the Parc Floral's large bonsai collection, when up struts a peacock, who then begins to behave strangely, but beautifully...
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| Parc Floral is an especially impressive place if you get there at the right moment in the spring |
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| And much more than just fleurs... |
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| You could hear the screams of delight and laughter walking by |
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| Or enjoy the several greenhouses |
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| We never miss the bonsai collection, the territory of this fellow |
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| The peacock apparently sees something interesting |
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| Turns, and |
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| Begins rattling his train |
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| And turns again |
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| Show's over...he has determined I am not a pea hen |
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| Back to business as usual...this is a bonsai'd rhododendron, dated 1900, the year of the great Exposition... |
Our search for roses continued the next day, into the Jardin des Plantes. We bused to it, but walked back, across the 5th. It was May Day, another beautiful day, but days of deluge were coming...
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| The Jardin des Plantes has a lot of natural history museums, so you get to see lots of rocks, dinosaurs, other things; basalt on the right |
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| Hoping the Laburnam Arch will be in full bloom when we get to Bodnant in three weeks |
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| Poppies going strong |
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| Poppy city as far as the eye can see |
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| One of the huge green houses; closed...May Day |
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| Plane tree planted by Mssr. Buffon, original director, in 1765... |
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| Hotel Jardin des Plantes, where we stayed for our 25th anniversary... |
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| It looked rather better in 1993...we wonder whether they ever added air conditioning |
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| Resto in a pretty courtyard |
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| Public baths, creche |
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| While supervising publication of Le Encyclopedie; was imprisoned briefly for blasphemy, treason, etc., but released after protests by the publisher, booksellers, the intelligentsia, the public... |
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| Lived here for a time; really was a menace, as far as the aristos were concerned |
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| Nice private garden |
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| Emily used to live here; now in Rome or possibly even Greece; much to Paris' relief; two different appartements are currently advertised as available "in Emily's building," at considerably more than the market price... |
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| Gabriel's former restaurant; he's gone too; but in fiction, people only go away so they can come back... |
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| The line wrapped around the block to get into... |
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| Hot new gelato joint |
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| Rest of the line |
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| Did I mention it was May Day, sacred in France? Everything closed but eateries and drinkeries and touristeries...Luxembourg was as crowded as we've ever seen it |
