Thinking of Paris 20 Years Ago

A recent phone call from my son conjured up beautiful memories of Paris twenty years ago. Jack needed a photo from his childhood for a project he is working on. I scoured closets & cupboards to find one to scan for him. The photo I found was taken in Luxembourg Garden in 1990, when Jack was seven years old. My husband & Jack had just rented a sailboat to sail in the grand public fountain there. They were doing what children & their caregivers have done for centuries. The photo is timeless. It could just as easily be today or ,except for the dress, 100 years ago. Luxembourg Garden has been open to the public since the 17th century. The chateau & it's gardens were built by Marie de Medici in memory of her husband Henry IVin 1610. It was her desire to recreate her childhood home, Florence's Palazzo Pitti . The park remains today one of the most beautiful public spaces in the world; enchanting to adults & children alike.

Here is what the website PPS/ Project for Public Spaces has to say:

The Luxembourg Gardens may well be one of the most successful parks in the world, partly because it is so well integrated into the fabric of the city around it, which makes it easily accessible. There are also many things to do there, evidenced by the wide range of people who use it: children, older people, Sorbonne students, people cutting through on a lunch break, etc. People come to stroll, play chess, to sit and read, people watch, to sit at one of the cafes or to bring their children or grandchildren to one of the many attractions for kids. Organized activities at the park include tennis, pony rides, puppet theatres, and toy sailboat rental (children float them in the large central fountain). Visitors can also stop inside the Palais and attend a hearing of the French Senate, which is open to the public.

My grandson, Jack, turns 9 on Friday. I hope I will be able to take him to Luxembourg Garden before he is too old to want to sail a toy boat. Happy Birthday, young, Jack! I am so proud of you!