Siri in Paris: JARDIM DES PLANTES

AN UNEXPECTED PLEASURE

2008

On our way in from the airport we’d spotted a strange green plastic structure hanging on the side of the quay. Having finally purchased a guidebook, we find out this is the brand new Cité de la Mode e du Design, listed as a ‘Best New Sight.’ Feeling very adventurous we manage to get by Metro to the Gare d’Austerlitz and walk from there. Turns out - ha! - that the building is closed - fermée, desolée - maybe because of the Fashion week, we see signs to a Lanvin showroom, or then again maybe because it seems pretty empty. Anyway, we have to turn back and then luck into the charming Jardim des Plantes, created in 1635, just a block down the river. We walk slowly down the main aisle admiring the way the French gardeners can prune and tie up bushes to form a top heavy bloom, which cascades gracefully down, almost like a bouquet. Turns out there is a nice old-fashioned restaurant, La Balaine, in the park, where we have a delicious lunch. When I chat with the waitress, who alas insists on speaking English with me, she tells me she’s a recently graduated communications major with a specialization in culture, and has been unable to get a job so far. Apparently the culture sector has been hit hard in the current economical climate.She also said that Paulo, a Brazilian chef in Paris to learn the trade, cooked our meal. When we leave a tip she is genuinely surprised and happy, “This is for me?” All through the meal we enjoy watching the cheeky little sparrows, who fly in from the garden and settle on bottles and baskets in the restaurant.

It’s a surprisingly hot day and we had a beer with our lunch (did I mention the Petit Gateau with home made ice cream flecked with vanilla pod scrapings, all done with fair-trade products?), so we’re low on energy when we leave to see the rest of the garden, including the beautiful iron and glass structure housing tropical plant collection looking very much like home. Throngs of high-school students are lining up to get into theGrande Galerie de l’Evolution and we decide to leave a visit there for another day, when we feel more energetic. Then we meander back through the Quartier Latin, passing the Mosquée de Paris, a place called St, Victor (haha), and also one of the best bakeries in town, Le Boulanger de Monge,where we stock up. When we reach our studio apartment we’re just about done in. We rest and read until it’s time to take the RER A1 to St. Germain en Laye, where Senga and Andrew are waiting at the station and we have a lovely dinner together, with beautifully arranged dishes