TOM NORTHENSCOLD PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Gallery

Photography, Life, and Travel

We’ve Got It On A List

5/4/2019

3 Comments

 
Picture
Twisted Tree Limbs in the Alpine Section of the Jardin de Plantes
In preparing for our time in Paris, we compiled a list of things we might like to see or do. This list is more like an à la carte menu rather than a schedule. When we wake to an unplanned day, we ask ourselves “what’s on the list?” Today was one of those unplanned days. In fact, most weekend days are unplanned days. We tend to do our planned events on weekdays when lines are shorter and crowds lighter. Today was looking to be cool and possibly wet. What better day to go to a garden!

The item on our list that earned our votes today was the Jardin de Plantes. This garden dates back to 1635 and Louis XIII. Originally it started as a place to study medicinal plants. The gardens are huge and quite varied. It was fascinating to see Swiss chard and fennel planted among the poppies. The color of the Swiss chard was coordinated with the poppies, the red-stemmed Swiss chard in with the red poppies and the yellow-stemmed in with the yellow poppies.
Some of the trees in this garden were planted in the 17th century. They have grown to a magnificent size, as shown in the photo below. Just for a frame of reference, my wingspan is 6 feet 6 inches. I know, your wingspan is supposed to be how tall you are. My height genes never got that memo. The alpine garden section, accessed by a tunnel under a road, was a particular favorite of ours. While the Tuileries tends to get all the press, our vote goes to the Jardin de Plantes. Its gardens are much more beautiful and the crowds are significantly smaller. That’s a winner in my book.

One of the pleasant surprises about life in Paris has been the gardens and parks. This city has done an incredible job creating green spaces in the midst of the city that everyday folk can enjoy. It’s a common occurrence to come upon a small public garden tucked into a corner or courtyard while we’re out walking in Paris. Invariably, these gardens are well kept.
Picture
Tom the Tree Hugger
On our way to the Jardin de Plantes we got our first sighting of the Yellow Vests. When we came up from the Metro station we saw folks milling about wearing yellow vests and police officers and emergency vehicles in the area. We wondered if we shouldn’t ought to turn around and head home, but we decided to press ahead. We’re glad we did. The march turned out to have been a peaceful one, with a police escort. The marchers carried a banner that read “no hate, no arms, no violence.” With all the bad press coming out of France with the Yellow Vest protests, this was a breath of fresh and peaceful air.
Picture
Peaceful Yellow Vest March
Another activity we had teed up for our time in Paris was the Marais Food Tour put on by Paris by Mouth. Thursday was our day for this tour. Our guide, Andres, really knew his stuff, although neither of us is quite sure what he said that prompted the reaction from Priscilla in the photo below. We started at an award-winning boulangerie, and then moved on to a chocolatier, a charcuterie, a fromagerie (cheese shop) and a pastry shop, before winding up at a wine shop for a tasting of the foods that we’d collected along the way with three different French wines. It was all delicious and was a memorable time. Andres did a great job in explaining the importance of quality ingredients and careful preparation in French foods. The French take their baguettes seriously!

​There were three other couples besides us on the tour, all Americans. Now we have more food shops to return to. In fact, we’ve already been back to the boulangerie to pick up Priscilla’s pain chocolat and a baguette. It’s nice that they are a short walk from our flat. By the time we got back to our flat, it was around 7:30 p.m. We both agreed that dinner was not necessary.
Picture
Priscilla Reacting to our guide Andres
3 Comments
Sue
5/4/2019 02:32:54 pm

Have you two read the book, "All the Light You Cannot See"? The Jardin de Plantes figures strongly into that story - an excellent read.

Reply
Tom Northenscold
5/4/2019 02:39:30 pm

I have read that book. I loved it! I forgot about the references to Jardin de Plantes though.

Reply
Shanan T
5/5/2019 08:26:18 pm

That look kills kills me. It's nice to see P looking so healthy and happy. The food descriptions are enough to make a glutton ravenous!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Tom Northenscold
    ​Husband | Father | Grandfather | Traveler | Photographer

    Archives

    December 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Big Woods
    COVID 19
    Film
    Food
    France
    Gear
    Justice
    Music
    Paris
    Parks
    Photography
    Photowalk
    Technology
    Travel
    Wine

    RSS Feed

Tom Northenscold Photography
​tomnorthenscold@icloud.com
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Gallery