Palais Royale

A quiet lunch within the courtyard of Le Palais Royale.

Having wandered aimlessly down Rue de Rivoli, the construction zone that I found myself in didn’t seem befitting of a place with Palais and Royale in it’s name. A little further along, however, the scaffolding began to dissolve, revealing the lush green courtyard that was hidden from view. Inside this eerily quiet oasis, a small lunchtime crowd reclined around the central water feature in typical French fashion. Nearby, in a bubble where time seemingly stood still, cafe diners passed the lunch hours at their leisure.

Scenes like this are one of the aspects of Paris that I remember most. On a weekday lunch in one of the busiest areas, while tourists swarm and the banalities of city life roll on, you find pockets like this.