At Luxembourg Gardens

So far, in the middle of museums and cafes and endless walking, my most euphoric moments in Paris have been sitting in the Luxembourg Gardens reading. Along with benches, the park has hundreds of moveable chairs scattered throughout the paths, so you can grab a seat and situate yourself whereever you like. Yesterday the sparrows were hiding in the flowers, calling to each other. The entire flower bed in front of me was chirping madly.

What strikes me most about the city is how close the past seems here–it’s like 2010 is just an overlay, and all the other years and centuries are right under the surface. I love the plaques on the buildings that announce where a certain writer lived or worked or where something was composed or painted…and it’s astonishing just how many plaques there are and how many artists have settled in Paris over the years. Somehow they city’s managed to be thoroughly modern while keeping the sense of history palpable.