Scotland

Nice

 A whirlwind weekend trip to Nice with Cori Spezzati left only a few hours on Sunday morning to see the city, but I made the most of it by swimming in the mediterranean....

 Le Negresco hotel, where we sang one of our 2 concerts.

June gardens

No roses were blooming in early June in the roseraie at the Parc de Bagatelle...

...but there were peonies, at least.

 And in the gardens at Versailles, I saw hardly any flowers at all....

but lots of green, and statues, and plenty of pools and fountains, including the magnificent water display pictured below.

The grand canal was an oasis of peace and quiet and shade, on this 90 degree day.

Mai

 Puisque mai tout en fleurs dans les prés nous réclame....

The weather is not exactly warm and sunny around here, but the flowers are blooming...

 

so I am trying not to complain about the weather like all the Parisians do, and just appreciate the green and the flowers!

 

 I gave my balcony a make-over  (all I need now is some patio chairs and a table) and it makes me so happy to go out and see my little plants!

  

A completely unrelated photo of me, Céline and Ariane at the Bellevilloise last night.

Le Parc de Bagatelle

 The Parc de Bagatelle is an extravagantly lovely park in the Bois de Boulogne. 

 It has an incredible rose garden, but on my last visit the roses weren't blooming yet. 

 

But the tulips were at their peak.

 And of course, the cherry blossoms, lilacs and other flowering trees that are my favorite part of spring!

 

These beautiful shots of a white peacock were taken by my friend Ariane, pictured below.

Spring, finally...

Promenade Plantée

Jardin Villemin

Parc Floral

Bois de Vincennes

Le Moulin d'Andé

I spent the first really spring-like weekend of the year in the countryside for a choral retreat with the Bach Collegium Paris.  We stayed at a place in Normandie somewhere between Paris and Rouen, and it was beautiful! It's got me wanting to get out of the city more often!!!