Gardens!!!!!

Unfortunately, today was spent working and doing life maintenance stuff—grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, etc. Yesterday, however, was wonderful! My primary goal, since it was a very sunny day, was to visit Sainte Chapelle on Île de la Cité. Word is that the walls are made up almost entirely of stained glass, and that when the sun is shining, it is a breathtakingly beautiful sight to behold—often compared to “a jewelry box full of diamonds.” The church is apparently a marvel of gothic architecture. It was built in 1246 as a home to relics of the True Cross—including, purportedly, Jesus’ Crown of Thorns. It is relatively small, which is what allows it to accomplish its architectural oddities—soaring heights without the usual requirement of heavy flying buttresses for support.

But I digress…. I didn’t actually make it to the church before it closed at 6pm, so that’s still on my to-do list. Instead, I visited the Royal Palace and Tulieries Gardens. The Royal Palace Gardens are entirely enclosed by the palace, and there was a large section of the buiding in which there was some type of construction going on. So while it was extremely lovely, I sense that I didn’t get the full experience. Nevertheless, here are some pictures:

Window display in one of the Royal Palace shops













Roses













Tree-lined walk

















The Tulieries Gardens, however, were MAGNIFICENT!!!!! This is the oldest park in Paris, and is filled with ponds, fountains, and statues of mythological figures and events. (I’ve read than many of the sculptures have been disfigured by acid rain, but they were still completely lovely to my eyes!)






























I walked and walked and walked, took pictures, and drank a glass of champagne at the little garden café. Perfect day! The gardens begin right outside the Louvre with the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel—the smaller of Napoleon’s two arches that was constructed to commemorate his victories in the War of the Third Coalition in 1805. (Judging by scale, he apparently considered this one of his smaller victories, but the arch is still quite impressive.)















I would like to say I know where the gardens end, but I didn’t make it that far because I was rushing to get to Sainte Chapelle. (Doh.) But I’m heading back tomorrow for my first run (!!!) in Paris—and I can’t wait to see more!

P.S. Here are a couple of pictures of the Louvre as well, since I was right there and feeling artsy.