After staying in central Paris for nearly two weeks, the traffic, noise and crowds of tourists were starting to wear on me.
The Jardin des Plantes is a haven in the middle of Paris, the perfect place to unwind on a beautiful spring day. It also happens to be just a ten minute walk from my apartment. I spent the afternoon wandering lazily through the aisles of flowering plants, occasionally stopping to snap a photo or sit on a bench and watch people strolling through the park.
Although it's still early in the season, the jardins were bursting with life and color all around me. I soaked up the beauty, started breathing a little deeper. By the time I left, I felt calm and content, ready to take on the city once again.
The gardens are, quite literally, a breath of fresh air in the middle of the hectic city - just what I needed to clear my head.