Jardin des Tuileries

Someone who frequents Paris tells me there’s a teahouse here that serves decadent cocoa—it’s melted chocolate in a mug served up with warm heavy whipping cream.

When I first arrived in Paris, the first thing I did was visit the Louvre. I was very tired from both my visit and jetlag. It was still too early to check into my hotel, so I took a nap in the Tuileries. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the 70s and I slept well. Such a beautiful place to wake up in!

A lovely spot for a stroll, especially if you’ve just emerged from the Louvre and are suffering from art fatigue!

…and a nice place to rest after the Louvre, especially at the big pond where you can watch children playing with their toy boats. In the summer they sell really good sorbet at the Concorde end.

A lovely spot, and one you really can’t miss – after strolling down the Champs Elysees and crossing Place de la Concorde, you’d find the Tuileries standing between you and the Louvre. (I prefer it here to the Luxembourg Gardens, depsite the fact that they’re smaller – it seems a bit calmer, for some reason).

There’s a couple of cafes within the grounds, it’s a really nice spot to sit and have a beer or a coffee – especially when the weather’s good. Admittedly, it will probably cost a bit extra compared to other places. However, if you want to offset the cost, there’s plenty of park benches and chairs – grab a sandwich from a vendor and dine al fresco ! Early autumn’s a really nice time – with all the chestnut trees, you’ll be able to grab a couple of free souvenirs !

The big circular ponds tend to be popular with those taking a breather – they’re also home to a colony of very tame ducks. They’re great for a bit of entertainment – they aren’t a bit shy about asking to share your lunch either ! The first time I was here was in the summer of 1998 – I could swear there were fish in the ponds at that time as well, though I haven’t seen any since…

As you’re leaving the Gardens on your way to the Louvre, think of Dan Brown. Remember that high speed car trip he sent Robert Langdon on, from the Ritz to the Louvre, at the beginning of “The Da Vinci Code” ? You see that big flight of steps it would’ve had to drive up ? Time for a chuckle…