Taking time to see and smell the roses

The Pantheon.

June 26, 2017 – Roses are still blooming in Paris in June.  They are past their prime, but still beautifully expressing exuberant splashes of color.  When I think of roses in Paris I think of the Jardin des Plantes, over in the 5^th arrondissement.  Of course, we have roses in the 15^th arrondissement, too, including the red beauties in the neglected front garden of the École Militaire – roses in a blood red hue, appropriate for that War College.  But we do not have roses in Sanibel, except for the ones in bouquets that Tom brings home from Costco (rainforest-friendly roses).

Roses in front of the Ecole Militaire.

The roses in the Jardin des Plantes are arranged in a well-tended formal corner near the natural history museum entrance.  Some grow on trellises which grace a lovely walk.  How I remember seeing my mom and dad on that walk, under the rose-laden trellises, years ago when they visited Paris before taking a river cruise.

Before the bloom was any more off the rose, Tom and I decided to visit the Jardin des Plantes.  After an easy and direct subway ride, we left the Austerlitz train station and entered the Jardin.  We strolled slowly through the main garden until we finally reached the rose garden.  After soaking that in, we visited the new/renewed biodiversity garden and saw a photographic exhibition about the gardeners.

Flowers adorn the steps leading up to the rue Rollin.

From there, a short stroll took us out of the Jardin and over to the former Roman arena, recreation area, called the Arènes de Lutece.  Tom’s goal was to wander through the heart of the 5^th arrondissement, which is full of sights, one right after the other.  Shortly after we traversed the arena and we found ourselves across the street from Hemingway’s tackiest apartment in Paris, on the rue Cardinal Lemoine near the rue Monge.  We decided to save the colorful rue Mouffetard for another walk on another day, and instead headed past the famed Lycée Henri IV to the stately Pantheon, where so many of France’s heroes are interred.  Another short stroll down the rue Soufflot took us to the gateway into the Luxembourg Gardens.  We enjoyed refreshments at the outdoor café in the Gardens, and then tried to walk out the gate onto the rue Vaugirard near the Musée du Luxembourg, but that didn’t happen.  Some formal event was taking place in the Orangerie, and a huge area around it was barricaded and posted with security guards.  We exited across from the rue de Fleurus instead, and decided to take that charming street, past Gertrude Stein’s old place, in the direction of home.

A small boy practices on his cello while mom works on her Ipad on the rue Rollin.

Dinner was next door at Le Café du Commerce.  The special of the day was a whole dorade royale (golden sea bream), and I could not resist it.  When a server brought it to me, she asked if I’d like to have her “prepare” it.  She meant debone it, and I replied, “No thank you, I will do it.”  She was surprised and said, “Are you sure?”  To that I replied, “I’m from Florida,” by way of explanation.  She said “Okay.”  (That conversation was all in French, by the way.)

If I debone the fish myself, I get more fish off the bone and it does not get cold before I can consume it.  Tom had beef carpaccio again.  Then he indulged in a café gourmand, which was pretty and nice.  My dessert was a little glass of Grand Marnier.  Mmmmm.  So good.

Cafe gourmand at Le Cafe du Commerce.