The best thing about the Jardin du Luxembourg might be its chairs. Hundreds of green metal chairs, free for anyone, scattered around the lawns and the great pond. You can pick one up and carry it into the sun, the shade, closer to the water or away from everyone. Then you can sit as long as you like.
A garden built for a queen
The garden and the palace were created in the early seventeenth century for Marie de' Medici, widow of Henri IV, who longed for something that reminded her of her native Florence. Today the palace houses the French Senate, and the garden belongs to everyone: students, children, chess players, readers, joggers, lovers.
Where to sit, what to look at
1. By the Medici Fountain. Tucked into the shade at the eastern side, a long, still basin under plane trees, with a sculpted grotto at the end. One of the most romantic corners of Paris. Sit and watch the reflections. 2. Around the great pond. In front of the palace, children push small wooden sailboats across the water with long sticks, as they have for generations. Watch the boats drift. Notice how calming it is to watch something move slowly. 3. Among the queens. Around the central terraces stand statues of queens of France and famous women. Choose one, find out who she was, and wonder what she'd make of the garden today. 4. Under the trees by the orchard and beehives. In a quieter area to the southwest, there's an orchard and an apiary. Few visitors linger here.
A slow afternoon ritual
- Choose your chair, and your spot, carefully. Take your time. It's part of the pleasure. - Read for twenty minutes. A paper book, ideally. - Then put the book down and look. Children, birds, light on the gravel. Ten minutes of simply watching. - Write three lines in a notebook about the afternoon. - Leave before the guards whistle at closing time, though hearing that whistle is part of the experience too.
A letter for the green chair
Bring The First Letter with you: a short sensory meditation on receiving a letter, free to read or listen to, with a sample of my magazine, "(meditating) On Art". The perfect companion for an afternoon on a green chair.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi