The Paris Lady's Slipper - Saturday, 6 November

Florist shops selling gorgeous bouquets and flowering plants can be found everywhere in Paris - I've always been amazed at the sheer quantity of shops and the breadth of their offerings at all times of the year - even big bundles of tulips in a rainbow of colors in November (although I must say, that seems fairly odd)!  And you often see people walking down the street with a bouquet elegantly wrapped in thick plastic film, tied with a beautiful ribbon, ready to brighten their own home or perhaps a friend's dinner table.

Today I ducked into Passage du Grand Cerf to escape the rain.  (You can read about these covered arcades, called "passages" in my blog post from 11/11/09.)  This gorgeous, almost chartreuse green orchid plant stopped me in my tracks - it might be hard to see the flower since it's the same color as the leaves, but it's shaped like the MN state flower, the showy lady's slipper.  Spectacular!  (You can click on any photo in this blog to see an enlargement of it.)

outside the florist's shop