~Beehives in the Garden~

Jardin du Luxembourg

While researching and planning this year's trip, I read about an apiary in the Jardin du Luxembourg.  The bees and the beekeeping school have been in the garden since 1856.  Since we usually spend time in the gardens each time we visit, I added the bees to the "to see list", wondering why we hadn't seen them before.

 This is a perfect place for the bees as there are many flowering and fruit trees in the garden.  There's an extraordinary orchard next to the apiary.

The antique bee boxes are under the gazebo; the bees now make their home in the newer 'pagoda-like' houses.    The fountain in the middle of the apiary is especially for the bees.  The colony thrives as Paris is a pesticide free zone.

We entered near the Luxembourg Palace built for Marie de Medici in 1615.  It currently houses the French Senate.

We couldn't have been further from the apiary, which is in the southwest corner of the garden near the Rue de Fleurus entrance; an entrance we've never strolled by.

The Medici Fountain, a beautiful,quiet place to sit and enjoy the moment..

Walking along the Luxembourg Palace, the flowers are gorgeous.

The lovely white statuary circles the parterre garden.  They are all women, many Queens of France

French gardeners love their Dahlias.  They were spectacular!
Always reminds me of the dahlias my Mom grew in her garden..

                                                             More of the parterre garden

The Palais Luxembourg~now housing the French Senate.

We are slowly making our way to the other side of the garden, enjoying all the beautiful plantings.

Soon we came to a very large boules area.  There must have been a dozen games in progress.  These men are obviously friends and quite competitive.  They do have fun and we enjoyed sitting and watching.

Next to the boules courts was a very large play area.  This is a serious playground!

Now we are close to the bees!   The sign says; "Don't walk on the grass. Danger Bees"

I am so glad I read about this part of the garden.  Those bees have some luxurious housing.

The area near and around the apiary is quite beautiful as well.

Such a beautiful walk.  This area will definitely be on my "must do again" list.

This is the walkway from the south entrance to the gardens.  I love how the gardens are maintained.

Returning to where we began, we pass the large pool.  On weekends, there would be kids sailing boats.

The Jardin du Luxembourg is on every Paris 'must see' site list.  I've shown photos of the garden from every one of our Paris visits. I hope you don't ever get bored with this beautiful retreat.  I know I won't.

~Eiffel Tower Revisited~

It's only logical that if we are viewing the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero, that we should walk down to the river, cross over Pont Iena and see it up close.   I never get tired of seeing and photographing the Eiffel Tower (I refer to it as ET).  I do not, however, like to be up close and personal; it's just too crowded.

You can see how much rain they've had in France judging by the high water level. In May it was very close to flooding the quai and the river was moving quite fast.

It is possible to see the Eiffel Tower peaking through at various locations around Paris...

 You just never know when you are going to catch a glimpse.

Since I don't usually spend much time under the tower, I had never noticed this bust before.  Gustave Eiffel is the engineer who designed the tower for the 1889 Universal Exposition.  The Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world.

If you don't have a reservation, you must stand in line to take your turn to ascend by lift. (Lines are much longer in summer.) I have been up to the upper levels but it was many years ago before I developed a fear of heights.  Back then, there was no waiting for hours in line and there definitely was no such thing as 'reservations'.  Of course if you are in great shape, you can take the stairs to the first level and second levels.

On the upper levels are restaurants, souvenir shops and telescopes; you can even mail a postcard with a special Eiffel Tower postmark.

This is a view from the top looking down at the Trocadero.  You are able to see 360 degrees, 30 miles or so on a clear day.

Studying the structure from this point of view is incredible. It looks so light and airy then you realize all the parts that went into building it and it is even more awesome.

I prefer to look at it from the bottom up.  You don't have to go far to be away from the crowds and get a totally different view.

This photo was taken next to a little pond with ducks.  You couldn't see the hoards of people at all.

The absolutely BEST time to view the tower is after dark.

From the Trocadero terrace, you can see the Eiffel Tower and the fountains lit up.

It has such a warm glow; there is a search light on top.  Then, every hour after dark, which in Spring is not until 10 pm in France, you can see the incredible "light show".  20,000 sparkling lights dazzling for about 10 minutes.

 It's hard to believe that 100 years ago the Parisians wanted to dismantle it...communications and the wars saved it from demolition and kept it in use.  It is still used to broadcast radio and TV signals today.

~Entertainment on the Street~

You never know when or how you will be spontaneously entertained in Paris.

Because of the number of tourists, Montmartre is a popular place for performers . These street performers can not ask for money...the hat or bucket is there for contributions.  Too often people watch and walk away. I've come to really appreciate and enjoy the talent and share all my 'heavy money' (coins) with the entertainers....especially the mimes.

This lady was a real one-woman show.  She sang while cranking the large "music box"and amused the crowd, though it was in French so I missed out on the humor.

The place at the foot of the Sacre Coeur is a popular spot for musicians.  It's not every day that you hear someone playing the harp.  As you can see, he has CDs for sale.


I love the mimes.  They are so creative.  When I saw this one in Montmartre I went right over to watch.  While we stood and waited, she was perfectly still ~not even a blink.  I put a euro into her hat and she immediately 'came alive'; the woman standing besides me screamed.  She did not realize it was a real person.  She moved her finger and made the red butterfly on the tip of her finger come alive, fluttering.  I put a few more euros in the hat and whispered "tres bien"~she winked.

We saw Safari Man the first time on Rue Buci in the St. Germain district (6th arr.). After that first time, it seemed he was popping up everywhere.  What a character!  Dressed in full safari regalia, he would drive up on the sidewalk, park and walk off as if he was on "a mission".  He was a 'presence'...he wouldn't stay long though.  My only regret is that I didn't capture a photo of him.

These 4 guys were playing jazz also in St. Germain.  The man playing trumpet also played sax; the guy on the end had his washboard attached.

The large place in front of the Pompidou Center on the Right Bank (2nd arr.) is also a spot that you will always find some form of entertainment.  The guy below is another one-person show.  He acted out his skits changing costume and props very quickly...an amazing feat in itself.  You can always tell the good performers by the size of the crowd....and he was good!

Jugglers are common but they aren't just jugglers, these guys are accomplished jugglers!  The Pont Saint Louis connects the Ile de la Cite and the Ile St. Louis and is closed to traffic.  It is a virtual stage for the street entertainers.  This guy juggled knives, tennis balls and torches, all while chatting with the crowd.

This next site is the Pont des Arts~another pedestrian bridge connecting the Left and Right Banks. This band wasn't the greatest but they sure captured the crowd's attention with their upbeat music; everyone was hooting and clapping to "When the Saint Go Marching In".  

Back at the Pompidou Center, the newest form of 'entertainment'~the Bubble Guy.

The little red-headed girl was having the best time chasing the gigantic bubbles.

The clown making balloon animals was popular with the kids too.

This group of 5 guys put on the most incredible show. (I shot a movie the 3rd time we saw them.)  They showed up at this spot regularly~rue Montorgueil~right next to our favorite Italian restaurant La Perla.   Enormous stamina, energy and strength was needed to do the moves that they did.  Each guy had his own 'specialty'.  They had their own boom box~the music alone got the crowd involved.

There are quite a variety of musicians and most are quite good.  This accordionist was behind the Notre Dame.  We saw a violinist who could have been playing in any symphony orchestra. One evening, strolling along the rue de Furstenburg, we heard a single cellist playing under a tree in the middle of the square~it was romantic and beautiful.

Just watching this guy was comical with his crazy hat, big black rimmed glasses and that red nose (attached to the hat) that he sometimes put on his nose.  He rode this bike in every possible way.  At the end of the show, he brought out a bike that had to be about a foot long (maybe smaller), it took some maneuvering but he managed to balance himself on it and ride.

This group of Italian troubadours stopped in front of the Saint Chapelle on the Ile de la Cite and entertained the crowd that was waiting in line.

We heard this group in the Metro long before we saw them.  We stood and listened for awhile; they were extraordinary.

The street performers are a wonderful part of this city. If what they do is legal I do not know, but Paris wouldn't be the same without them.

Check out the link to see more performers; you will notice some of the ones that I've posted