Le Vert Galant does not have a literal English translation; the closest I can come up with is a man past his prime that is still a ladies’ man. The most scandalous stories often come from history!
While registration for A Taste of Paris 2019 travel is open…
A Taste of Paris- March 31st-April 7th 2019
A Taste of Provence- September 7th-14th, 2019 OR September 14th-21st, 2019
…I am exploring a simple question with past ATOP travelers; “Why France?”
I was excited to hear from Barbara Wagner. She has been taking cooking classes with me for over a decade and is a huge supporter of mine.
“I had been to Paris before, but had never really SEEN Paris until I went with ATOP”
The best part of the trip was seeing Paris through Lorie’s eyes, the tiny neighborhoods; the cooking stores and the stories were amazing”
Did Barbara mention stories? OK, twist my arm, I will tell one of my favorites, the story of Square du Vert-Galant. I love bringing my Paris travelers here.
This tiny garden is situated on the tip of the Île de la Cité, an island in the center of the Seine river and just under Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris. Even though this is just a tiny patch of green there is so much history here.
When you cross Pont Neuf, you see this magnificent statue of Henry IV, the first French monarch of the Bourbon dynasty. He ruled France from 1589-1610, when the blade of a knife took him to his untimely death, he was assassinated.
Henry had quite the reputation as a ladies man despite his age and the fact that he was married.
Legend has it that he brought many lovers to this spot.
The foliage around the tiny island garden shields it from view, but rumors abound that King Henry could be seen from the palace walls by the queen. You can imagine that there was a lot of trouble at home!
His queen, Margaret, had at one point saved his life by converting to Catholicism, which of course is another story.
Square du Vert Galant offers and amazing view of the Seine, is a great spot for a small picnic or just to catch a few rays. I would love to take you there! For more information on ATOP 2019 travel email lorie@atasteofparis.net or call 214 551 9630.
Barbara was an absolute dream to travel with and I am so humbled by her comments about A Taste of Paris travel. Barbara is active in many organizations including the McKinney Garden Club; in fact her home was recently on the Garden Club tour and is a shining example of the lovely gardens our city has to offer. She is a wonderful cook and loves to travel with her darling husband. Barbara is such a thoughtful friend.
I want to hear YOUR, why France?
