Luxembourg Gardens, Paris

Today we visited the Hillsongs church in Paris, rising early to do so. By the time we came out, the temperatures were soaring.

A panorama of the Luxembourg Gardens

Now we had parked in a Vinci underground park, and I was surprised to see it so empty. At the church, a local told us that street parking is free in August in Paris. Wanting to be certain, I checked a ticket machine on the way back. Free Sundays, holidays, and in August, it said. So I recovered the car, and with only a little difficulty, we found a free space next to the Luxembourg Gardens. The panorama above was stitched together automatically by my phone camera - with an error as you can see. The flowers were a riot of colour but hard to see in the above shot. If you come to Paris, the Luxembourg gardens are some of the nicest there are, so be sure to see for yourself.

We set off through the park, and quickly sought the shade. It was blisteringly hot, even the wind, what little there was, was only a slight relief since it too was hot. We found a café with outrageous prices. I am afraid we walked out before ordering. A second some distance away was very busy. The waitress squeezed us in between 2 other couples on the street. You had to move the tables to get in and sit down. It too was reasonably pricy, and after salads and drinks the sun had moved to start heating up the back of my neck. 

So we paid up and walked slowly back to the car; which reported 41°C. It felt like it. Thank heaven for the air conditioning for the 2 hour drive back.

Hats against the sun in the Market
at Chalons en Champagne

Here also is a picture of us wearing our hats for the first time (on Saturday as it happens, on the way to market).

And here is a warning from the France 24 news on line. In 2003 thousands of (mostly elderly) people died in the France canicule.
france24.com weather heat-wave 

Bank Holiday Tuesday

Bank holiday Tuesday.

Selling flowers in Reims centre

Remember the French do not move their bank holiday days, and Nobel chose to 'bridge' this one so June and I have had a 4 day weekend. And it's a fête (the banks are always close on Monday so 'bank holiday' often makes little sense) - so all the shops, well almost all, are closed. May 1st. And lilly of the valley is lucky. So opportunist French men and women, boys and girls, sell bunches on street corners and in squares. Just about anywhere it seems. Our lilly of the valley is not out yet in our garden.

The laughing angel is still happy

We visited Reims just for fun and checked on the progress of the cathedral restoration. They are doing fine but still lots to do.









Now we are home, and June is preparing a chilly con carne. Half way through and she has just found that we have no kidney beans. It's a fête. The shops are all shut. Even the ones that were open this morning. It will be an interesting meal tonight!

Some more pictures.

Restored house - now a museum

Hotel de Ville - and more flower sellers

The door of a champagne house in the centre of town.

Lac du Der

A full lake earlier in the year

Lac du Der is full again. I am sure Paris is relieved (Paris drinking water is here, it also stops flooding in winter and drying up in summer).

Sailing?

And on bank holiday weekend the sun came out. Here some enthusiasts enjoy being in and out of the water.

Flying?

Bank Holiday Tourism

When there is a bank holiday in France, everyone wants the day off. So it was that when we played the tourist, most of the tourist locations were close. I am sure this suites the French mentality, it was a very cheap tourist day out!

Charles de Gaulle tomb, wife and daughter too

It has to be said that the Charles de Gaulle memorial was open but we wanted just to visit the huge cross on the hill and to try and find his house. It turned out that the man was not born in the village where he is buried, but moved there and opened a restaurant of some sort. We could not visit it because it is now a tourist attraction, and closed on bank holidays. He went there partly for his daughter's health, but sadly she died aged 20 and is buried in the family tomb in the small cemetery next to the church.
CdG wanted a modest affair. It is almost, but there is also a large memorial in the centre of the cemetery and dozens of plaques along the wall.

Flies on the picnic bag-
We had thought that this location was ok,
but at least the yellow bag bunched most of them!

We did not stay for lunch. Wherever we went we were plagued by thunder-flies. We elected for an early bank holiday return home.