Paris - Tuileries Gardens - 1er

Plate VII - Tuileries Gardens - towards the Grande Louvre

One of the first places I head for when revisiting Paris is the oldest and largest of the Parisian public parks, the Tuileries Gardens. Nothing could make anyone feel more immediately French than a cheese baguette or croque monsieur and a good Burgundy wine taken in the convivial surroundings of the gardens.

Originally the setting of the Tuileries Palace, the gardens that remain hint at what was to be enjoyed with a royal lifestyle. Destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune on May 23, 1871 the palace was named after the ‘tuiles’ or roof tile kilns (tuileries) that operated for many years near the site. The gardens are still largely as laid out in 1664 by landscaper Henry le Notre with fountains and pathways, and many statues have been placed around the grounds while the vision of the Grande Louvre becomes a completed reality.

The acres (some 60 or more) of limestone gravel found here started me on an unusual habit of collecting an interesting piece of stone at each place I have visited. This stone collection that now covers many places of interest in Europe, the UK, America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East all started right here in the Tuileries Gardens. I can still recall the origin of each piece. I will occasionally succumb to a local curio (‘No more stuff’, my wife’s voice echoes in my mind), but mostly these stones along with many enduring images are my souvenirs, and best of all … they’re free.