Gardens of Les Invalides

Mindy in the middle of the parade ground at Les Invalides.

As Mindy and I found ourselves with the day off due to the strike by the Metro and RER workers, we decided to put our tourist hats back on and explore a little more of Paris. We headed for the Hotel National des Invalides with the full intention of taking in this fortress commissioned in the 17th century for retired and disabled soldiers. Les Invalides boasts a stunning basilica and now also houses a war museum with artifacts detailing the history of the French military.

Upon our arrival however, we were surprised by the weather we were experiencing as the temperature was only one or two degrees above zero, however due to the fact that there was not a cloud in the sky, it was beautiful day to be outdoors and we decided that it was best not wasted inside a museum. So we stuck to the gardens and explored the outside of the building.

The gardens at Les Invalides are perfectly manicured and contain more then a few historical pieces including rows of cannons used by the armies of Napoleon. It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon in the beautiful sunshine.

Going into Les Invalides.

Can you guess which Looney Toons character was Mindy's favorite? Maybe Willie Coyote!

In front of the real "Golden Dome".

As we left the gardens, I asked this gentleman for directions to our next stop. He kindly showed the way on his map and then we were off.