Luxembourg Gardens, Paris

Well it's the weekend and time for the Paris Flea Markets.  I have a separate post on two that we attended - with lots of photos.  For now, here is a bracelet inspired by the Eiffel Tower and details of Barb and Jimmila's great adventure. 



At first glance you would think the Eiffel Tower is a steel grey. 
 However, I saw bronze, copper tones and dark browns in
 the beams.  Those matched perfectly with the Matt Apollo Jet
 Super Duos and Bronze 1.5 MM cubes I had with me.

 

Completed, this became a very structured cuff.




Angular form of the Czech Super Duos juxtaposed
against the horizontal and vertical 'bars'
of the 1.5MM Cubes.
Love the look - have to do another.



I didn't take clasps with me -
but if I could find a button that would work,
then the bracelet got finished. Here I think I found a perfect antique button from one of the flea markets.

   

The Luxembourg Gardens are just a couple of
 blocks west of our apartment. 
My mind was on the Flea Markets but Jimmila and Barb
decided to visit the gardens.



A pond at the gardens with the Montparnasse Tower
 in the background.
We saw these ponds a lot around Paris. 
 With chairs surrounding them, and people napping or reading a book and kids floating these fabulous, colorful boats in the water,  the French really know how to enjoy their day.



From the gardens, they walked down St. Michel towards
the Seine.  By the Notre Dame they caught a river
cruise west towards the Eiffel Tower



The river cruise allows passengers to get on at the Notre Dame, get off at various points along the river and then get back on again.  So Jimmila and Barb rode it past the Eiffel Tower and got off close to the Champ d' Elysees.

Remember I said each neighborhood had its own feel and flavor?  Well this one is obviously traffic and people - both locals and tourists.  The shops along here are very high end
and of course terminates at the Arc de Triompe 



Since they were getting a little tired - they took a Rickshaw ride back and of course, did some window shopping. 
This is the Grand Palais where the Cacharel fashion show
 is today. One of the few showing prints.
If you'd like to see this 2 minute recap, click Here

View from the river. 
 I think they caught the boat here to go back to Notre Dame.

  


After the cruise back to the Notre Dame,
 they tried to make their way back to the apartment. 


Remember I said my job was to navigate - to get everyone where they need to be and then safely back home?  Well, I wasn't along and they got lost.  On the street, trying to read a map in the dark, not knowing what street the apartment was on, they tried to ask people if they spoke English.  Barb did find someone who spoke Spanish - so they communicated some that way - go figure - in Paris! 

Now standing in front of a bookstore, still trying to figure out where they were, they heard this voice that Barb said sounded a lot like Maurice Chevalier.  He asked - Can I help you?  They told him they were lost and trying to make their way to the Moofart street market.  (The name is Mouffetard but I had pronounced it Moofart on the first day, and unfortunately it stuck.) 

He said, "If I help you, will you give me a little kiss?"  Barb replied, "If you help me, I will give you a BIG kiss".   Needless to say, they made their way home safe and sound.  And they won't tell me anymore about this Frenchman, who they now refer to as 'their  bookseller'.