Place de La Reine Astrid
In Paris, a monument in a triangular-shaped area commemorates the beautiful Belgian Queen Astrid who died tragically young at the age of 29 in an automobile accident in 1935.The monument represents France and Belgium joining in friendship. Hauntingly, the Place de la Reine Astrid is near the infamous Place de l’Alma Tunnel, where Diana, Princess of Wales, also perished in a car crash. The monument depicts two women looking at each other and holding hands. There are two children underneath their hands. The inscription below reads:
"A LA FRANCE - LA BELGIQUE RECONNAISSANTE - 1914-1918"
("TO FRANCE - FROM A GRATEFUL BELGIUM - 1914-1918")
Marker for La Place de la Reine Astrid
The monument on the Place de la Reine Astrid
The street on the right of the monument is Cours Albert 1er, which runs parallel to the Seine; the street directly behind the monument is Rue Jean Goujon, named after a Renaissance sculptor; and the street to the left of the triangle is Avenue Montaigne, where high fashion houses such as Chanel, Nina Ricci, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Valentino, Emmanuel Ungaro, D&G, Ralph Lauren, and Giorgio Armani are all located.
A closer view of the monument
The two principal figures in the monument, representing France and Belgium
The monument with the Eiffel Tower in the background
The perfectly rounded clumps of flowers in the flower beds at the foot of the monument
Flowers clinging to a fan-shaped trellis
La Seine
In a small garden at the side of Place de l’Alma, across Cours Albert 1er from the Place de la Reine Astrid, is a reclining statue representing the Seine River. The sculptor, Gerard Choain, was born in Lille in 1906. He was dedicated to traditional sculpture and made many monuments, including La Seine (the Seine River) in the Place de l’Alma. The sculpture was installed in 1962, and Choain won the Grand Prix des Beaux Arts de la ville de Paris. (I first thought that the sculpture was by Maillol, 1861-1944, whose female nudes are in the Tuileries.)
La Seine by Gerard Choain
A closer view of The Seine River
La Seine
The Place de l’Alma is located at the foot of the Pont de l’Alma. La Flamme de la Liberte (The Flame of Liberty), which devoted fans of Princess Diana have turned into her memorial, is across from the Place de la Reine Astrid. Just across the bridge is Des Egouts de Paris (Paris Sewer Museum), and the Musee Branly is a short walk in the other direction. You could spend the whole day sightseeing without leaving the area. I didn’t realize all of these places were in such close proximity until I got there. The metro station is Alma Marceau.
Palais Royal Garden
Cardinal Richelieu built the Palais Royal in the heart of Paris almost 400 years ago. Louis XIV lived there as a young man, and the Dukes of Orléans called it home. Charles X (1824-1830) changed the layout, and it has remained pretty much the same to this day.This former palace now houses offices of France’s Ministry of Culture.
The sign directs visitors to the Palais Royal Garden. This garden may be in the center of Paris, but you don’t just run into it--getting there requires a very roundabout route, and you have to find your way there. That may account for the small number of people in this garden.
An elegant marble statue, Adolphe Thabard’s Le Charmeur de Serpent (The Snake Charmer - 1875), is at one end of the garden. I couldn’t figure out why it was titled “The Snake Charmer” until I found an old rendering of the sculpture before the boy lost parts of his arms.
A flower bed
White roses in a bed near the sculpture
The Snake Charmer
The Snake Charmer (somewhat intact, with a snake curled around his arm)
A double-row of trees runs along both sides of the Garden, and the two fenced lawns stretching between these rows of trees are bordered with flowers. At both ends of each lawn are enclosed sitting areas with benches. Between the two lawns is a circular pond and fountain. It is a lovely area for enjoying the sun and the sound of splashing water.
The expansive lawn
A flower bed on one side of the lawn
A flower bed on the opposite side of the lawn with a view of the row of trees on either side of the garden
The double row of trees on either side of the garden
Paul Lemoyne’s Le Pâtre et la Chèvre (The Shepard and the Goat - 1830) is at the other end of the garden.
The fountain of the Palais Royal Garden
The fountain of the Palais Royal Garden
Square Georges Cain
The square is named after Georges Cain, a painter and writer who was a long-time curator (1897-1914) to the Carnavalet Museum. Built in 1923 but not opened till 1931, it is also an archaeological depository of long-vanished monuments and stunning antique stone relics from the past.
A sign at the entrance to the park
The park is tucked into a side street behind the Musee Carnavalet.
A border of the park with an ivy-covered, "tepee-shaped" trellis
The ivy-covered trellis
A border of the park with the street in the background
A bed of flowers with a stone rosace (ornamental circular sculpture) in the background
A closer view of the stone rosace which was once part of the former Hôtel de ville (City Hall)
A pediment atop a façade and columns from the Palais des Tuileries, surrounding a bas-relief (a decorative carving raised from a flat background).
A bush shaped in a spiral pattern
Another view of the garden beds with a partial view of a stone sculpture
This is a stone sculpture which I can’t identify. It looks like the torso of a gentleman in a flowing gown from antiquity, and it is quite weather-beaten.
The “torso” is resting on a stone platform, as seen from the back
The sculpture in the middle of the rose bed is “Ile de France” by Aristide Maillol (1861-1944). In 1993, the Maillol sculpture replaced “La Flore et son Char” (Flora and her Chariot) by Philippe Magnier (1647-1715). The sculptures aren’t really alike, but I misidentified one for the other. A very knowledgeable viewer set me straight. Thank you, “Anonymous.”
As you enter the park, the Maillol sculpture is directly in the middle.
Ile de France, with the last roses of summer
Ile de France, seen through the roses
