Summer Gardens - Giverny ou Parc de Bagatelle

A few years ago I was blessed to be able to visit Paris in June. 

 

We normally plan our international trips in spring or fall to take advantage of travel sales but we really lucked out for this one - I won an all-expense paid trip!   In planning this Paris visit I wanted to take full advantage of seeing some of the gardens in full bloom so of course one of my first stops (after Musée Rodin) was Giverny.   I just couldn't wait to see the garden so we hopped the train and headed north.   We stood in line and waded through the crowds to see the house and the garden.  

 After seeing it all and spending the day, I decided the poppies were the one thing I enjoyed the most.  They were everywhere.   On the inside I felt a bit disappointed and I could hear Peggy Lee singing, "Is That All There Is?"   

The next day a good friend who lived in Paris suggested we take a half a day to enjoy his favorite park, Parc de Bagatelle and I was so glad we did.  If you are going to Paris during the blooming season and you haven't visited before, you might like visiting Parc de Bagatelle.  Here are some photos to inspire you (by the way, there won't be a crowd, unless you count the peacocks-they seemed to be everywhere). I developed the film into slides so apologies in advance for the tint in the scans.  The first rose competition that was ever held, was held at PB and the international competition for new roses is still held here each year in June.   The history of this garden (or should I say gardens because it's huge) is fascinating so you might want to click here to learn more http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Parks_Gardens/Bagatelle.shtml