L'Arbre Paris

Every morning when I draw back the curtains on the street window, I look forward to watching the florist across the street setting up her pavement display.  Each day is different, and the display is arranged with care and without haste.  She often stops to chat with a customer or passer-by, and then returns to work on the display.  Today the arrangement was solely in front of her shop.  Often there is a second part to the display, a little further down the street against a blank section of building wall, but there is no shade from awnings and the plants are open to the afternoon sun, so not ideal on a 30+ degree day.

The afternoons have been so hot, we've aimed for an outing in the morning, then a siesta time at the apartment, followed by a late afternoon wander.  Yesterday afternoon we wandered down Rue du Bac, a gorgeous street that runs from the 6th through the 7th arrondissement, all the way to the river.  I felt really unwell at one point, as if I would faint - luckily we were standing almost opposite an Angelina pâtisserie and I could be revived with a pot of their chocolate chip glace!  I'm not sure what occurred first - me feeling unwell, or me spotting Angelina and then feeling faint at the thought of their ice-cream!  Anyway, the damsel in distress retired to the nearby parc - Square des Missions Étrangères - and, sitting close to the community garden, we spotted an insect hotel.  These are common in the community gardens around Paris, and they're wonderfully creative structures of wood and natural materials designed to provide a haven for insects.

Tomorrow is in the 30s again...phew!