Friday 22 April 2011

Paris Eye 23/30 - The outdoor living room


They strut their stage, proud peacocks petanque-ing, pivotting on heels, playing to the gallery, pouting in mock displeasure. Weathered hands carve the air, cloths mindlessly smooth the beaten surface, creaking knees at the ready.

The gallery nods with knowledgeable pleasure, the arm is extended ... a flash of cold metal ... clink ...


Jardin du Luxembourg closes at 2015 during April. Until then, it is the living room for everyone in the area. Whether to promenade, to read, to people watch, play tennis, natter to friends while supervising grandchildren, play chess, or play boules. This is the place to be ...

12 comments:

Kay L. Davies said...

That last photo is fabulous, Julie! And you're so right about the people of Paris. It's as if they live to be seen.
Gotta love em, though, right?
-- K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

Vanessa said...

It looks like you're having a fabulous time! I wish I could join in the game - what a beautiful, sunny day!

Vanessa

Thérèse said...

Merveilleuse lumière!

Joan Elizabeth said...

I love the dappled light in the outdoor living room.

Joe said...

Sign me up for the next round .... Clink.

diane b said...

Why are the gardens closing? I love L'homme dans son béret.

Kaori said...

I love how your wrote "living room for everyone" because I can see from your photos that it really is! Gorgeous photos :-)

Julie said...

DB - I think the gardens close depending upon the amount of light. They don't want accidents and people tripping in the dusk. There is a lot of activity and just soooo many people. The Mairie wants them home in their own homes when the evening closes in. I imagine at the end of April (next week) the closing time will click over to 9pm and then in summer it could easily be 10 or 11pm when the garden closes.

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

Julie, your photos are amazing as they capture both the spirit of the game and the action (stopped in a nano-second!)... I can hear that clink even now!

So glad that we got together in Paris and I am enjoying your comprehensive photo coverage of beautiful Paris.

Bises,
G

Alan said...

Love those telephoto shots of the boules, Julie.

Julie said...

Should have seen the ones that got away, Alan. It involved leaning against a tree, keeping my left eye on the player, and my right eye in the view-finder on the 'jack' up the other end. Quite exhausting!!

Alan said...

I've had that experience. Lucky we're in a digital world, otherwise my film costs would be the stuff of bankruptcy. But Henri Cartier-Bresson said "Your first 10,000 photos are your worst". My latest camera is reading around 4,400 so far, so I reckon the sooner I get another 5,000 or so clicks... enjoy your remaining days in France. Bon retour à Sydney.