Le Flaneur

(Noun: one who wanders without a destination in mind). Whenever I have exhausted and completely satiated my body’s maniacal shopping gene, I seek out more peaceful surrounding to regroup and contemplate the day’s activities and ponder possible future endeavors. Paris offers solace in many places to reenergize, regroup and even retire for the evening. Some of my favorites include:

Jardin de Luxembourg: This 6th arrondissement treasure is perhaps Paris’s finest. The Palais du Luxembourg is surrounded by acres of manicured grounds and shaded paths, an oasis for locals and probably the best people-watching space in the city. My husband, also an avid runner, claims the perimeter – as measured by his nike/ipod - is the most gorgeous 2km track in the world.

Jardin des Tuileries: Louis XIV’s gardener Le Notre’s palatial grounds. Structured, ordered, an exquisite platform for the Louvre.

Bois de Boulogne: The “main lung” of Paris. Traverse by horse-drawn carriage through forests, lakes and waterfalls, Baron Haussmann’s landscape architecture at its best.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont: Napoleon III’s most distinctive and romantic gift to the city.

Place des Vosges: Built by Henri IV, this square exudes style and symmetry with some of the most elegant and expensive real estate in the city.

Jardin du Palais-Royal: This courtyard is currently being renovated, but the remarkable symmetry of these grounds gives much needed respite to the frenetic 1st arrondissement right outside.