"Sketches from Paris" Rick Steves, Paris in Seven Days, Travelogue by Robin Weiss

Sketches from Paris 2019

The Luxembourg Gardens have a rich history in Paris. Originally created by Marie de Medici the Italian wife of King Henry the Sixth, it is now a favorite place for Parisians and tourists to enjoy fresh air in the heart of the city.

On our second free day in Paris Ann and I found directions and walked to the gardens, about 30 mins away from our hotel in the sixth arrondisement. We did a lot of walking in Paris and you will too!! It's the best way to see all the interesting art, architecture and beauty of Paris.

Luxembourg Gardens, Paris 2019

We just happened to tour the gardens on a Sunday when traditionally, the Parisians enjoy the park with their families and children. One of the favorite pastimes is to watch the children play with the " les petits bateauxs" or... the toy sailboats.

These toy boats sail amazingly well and it is so fun to watch the children launch their boats and then scurry around the pond with their "bateaux batons" used to push the boats back out to sea...laughing, with family and friends urging them on.

It was the perfect occasion to do some sketching! Stay tuned for paintings to come!

Travel Sketch Tips Part Two
In the last post I talked about the watercolor supplies I used for sketching on location. I also use a Finito pen for sketching. I like this pen a lot! The cap fits tightly and snaps on to keep the tip from drying out. The ink is a bit water soluble until it dries which can give you some flexibility in washes using your water pen.

Because the tip will not allow the ink to dry out or evaporate this pen will last longer than a lot of other brands. I brought three of these with me to Europe and in a month of sketching only used one pen! You can also get them in other colors.





A tip about packing;  It's a good idea to bring an extra day pack separate from your carry on bag for carrying your sketch stuff and a few other items....like a baguette!  when walking around the city. I found a nifty one online that worked perfectly , was well built and affordable for this purpose!

The Venture Pal Back Pack is relatively new on the market. It folds easily  into a small pack that will fit nicely into your carry on bag and doesn't take up much space. It folds out into a full size day pack with two deep water bottle side carriers and other handy pockets. I mean this thing is well designed!  You can buy it from Amazon for about $20!!

A must have when traveling out of country..!! I got the orange one so Ann could find me more easily and that was a good idea when lost in museums full of tourists!!  On the Rick Steves tour of the Louvre some of our tour members lagging behind were able to find the group by looking for my back pack among the crowd!  A tip about the museums in Paris; Get there when they open. You will have an hour before the crowds arrive....=]

The Hall of Mirrors, Versailles