Is Rentrée Really Just French for Autumn?

Well the end of August has finally arrived. And so, by some strange coincidence, have some chilly overnight temperatures and a certain freshness in today’s breeze, which leads me to wonder if the inevitable end of summer and the change of season is nearly upon us too.

After a morning in the studio, my afternoon errands took me on a lovely walk along the banks of the Seine to Gare d’Austerlitz and through a very tranquil Jardins des Plantes to collect some images of the recently restored Grands Serres (glass greenhouses) for my research.

(Actually the structure of gare itself looked very interesting, but way too many military police with sub-machine guns patrolling the area made me a bit nervous about whipping out my camera with my recent touristy abandon).

The Australasian House lacks the sweaty rainforest experience of the much grander Kew Gardens’ greenhouse, but it was encouraging to see local people so engrossed in familiar Australian flora. (Once upon a time, a visit to Kew was usually a much-needed green dose of home!)

There is also a zoo at the Jardins des Plantes, which I have declined to visit, though from all accounts conditions for the animals are vastly improved on what they once were. Instead, I have included my own menagerie of animals I have recently snapped in the vicinity.

Of course, in a curious pattern that has happened nearly every one of the long evenings since I arrived in Paris, the clouds cleared, the temperature warmed a little and the late afternoon was the best and sunniest part of the day. Do hope there’s an Indian Summer (I wonder if that’s l’été indien in French?) in store for us in Paris.