Tea at La Mosquee and Stroll Through the Jardin des Plantes

I've dreamed about having tea with my mother-in-law at La Mosquee for years.  It's a special place she's talked about over the years located in the 5th Arrondissement in an active mosque.  La Mosquee has a traditional North African tea room that serves sweet mint tea and a huge selection of traditional pastries made with ingredients such as pistachios and almonds.

 

Afternoon tea then led us to the Jardin des Plantes where we followed a labyrinth up to the gazebo at the top of the hill (top two left photos).  As we walk through the rose garden and smell the perfumes, I'm inspired to plant my own (top right photo).  Statues lounge throughout beautiful French garden (bottom two right photos).  Rocky will not let us pass a carousel without stopping (bottom left photo).  The kids rode the giraffes in honor of Zafara, the baby giraffe the Pasha of Egypt gave to Charles X.  She was shipped and arrived in Marseilles in 1826.  Zafara was the third giraffe to set foot in Europe.  From Marseilles, she walked 16 miles a day in a yellow coat, shoes on her feet, and a Napoleon style hat on her head, finally arriving at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris where crowds rushed to see her.