Place des Vosges & Carnavalet

So I haven’t written about this yet but I went and explored some of the Marais district last week. This is probably one of the only areas of Paris that still has some history from the Renaissance. The Carnavalet is the “History of Paris” museum, and the Place des Vosges was laid out by Henri IV (its also where Victor Hugo lived for part of his life).

So many of you know, I’m kinda obsessed with Catherine de Medici. (Its an odd obsession – I realize that - but its right up there with bread and nutella & banana crepes.) So the Place des Voges is where Henri II (the husband of Catherine) got killed in a freak jousting accident (a splinter went into his eye and into his brain). So Catherine had the lists torn down and Henri IV built these really ritzy apartments here.

I took a pic with the portrait of Catherine in the Carnavalet (this is for you Franz.)

And the gardens there were really beautiful as well. (I’m really into gardens these days.)

And then I went shopping. (It was my day off!... and although I've never thought of myself as a shop-a-holic, I may be turning into one... something about having cash in my pocket.)