Paris, France: Jardin du Luxembourg

Jardin du Luxembourg or the Luxembourg Garden is walking distance from the Pantheon. It may look like any regular garden but it can't be more far from regular: 

- It is smack in the heart of Paris. 

- It was the brainchild of a Queen - Queen Marie de Medici in 1612.

- The gardens was built around her residences, the Luxembourg Palace, which today is where the French Senate meets.

- It is inspired by the Boboli Gardens in Florence, and has a "split personality" - it has French and English gardens. 

- There are 106 statues in and around the gardens. Keep a lookout for Medici fountain, Orangerie and Pavillon Davioud.

- The gardens is extremely entertaining - enjoy music at the bandstand, steer ships in the pond, ride a horse, pose with the many statues, or simply people watch (how aptly French).

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted - here's where you can escape from the city and spend a good summer afternoon.

Visit: http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71393/Jardin-du-Luxembourg 

London, England: Kensington Palace and Gardens

Unlike Buckingham Palace, which is open in late July to the end of September, Kensington Palace is open throughout the year. It is pitched as "the palace of secret stories and public lives", I can't pass up on a visit to any such palace! As it is within walking distance from Notting Hill, together both make for an ideal half-day visit.

Kensington Palace in London is a working Royal residence. Of great historical importance, Kensington Palace was the favourite residence of successive sovereigns until 1760. It was also the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria. Today Kensington Palace accommodates the offices and private apartments of a number of members of the Royal Family, including The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Although managed by Historic Royal Palaces, the Palace is furnished with items from the Royal Collection. Source

The palace is nested within the Kensington Palace Gardens, which makes for a good place to relax and get a suntan.

Visit: http://www.hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace/

 

Apart from the Garden (free admission), you can visit the palace (for 15 pounds) with various galleries like:

The Queen's State Apartments (closed during my visit)

The King’s Staircase, State Apartments and Gallery

Fashion Rules

Victoria Revealed

It's a palace where everyone can be a king, queen, prince or princess (in the bathroom).

Those the actual palace was built as far back as 1605, I like the modern day twist to the visuals around the Pala

The King's State Apartments 

 These magnificent apartments were created for George I and Goerge II in the 18th century and became the centre of their courts. This is where everyone who was anyone wanted to be seen. The artist William Kent's fabulous decorations are paired with sumptuous court dress.

 

This is one of the best maps of an attraction, one that you would like to keep for keepsakes - a smell map! (still works the last I checked, *wink*)

I enjoyed the many attention to details to delight visitors, including photo opportunities with props or actors, bored board games and other interactive exhibits, and live acts, all of which bring the visitors back in time. The British sure know how to have fun and lots of laughs.

These are cushions, but they can also be used to test if you know the order of the queens and kings in British history.

Fashion Rules features outfits from the collection of HM The Queen, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales

This way to Victoria Revealed - 

Explore Queen Victoria's long and extraordinary life - in her own words.

Inspired by the Queen's own journals, and featuring displays of personal objects in the rooms where she once lived, the exibition Victoria Revealed gives an intimate account of Victoria's extraordinary life. Source

Find out about the story of Victoria and Albert (who had 9 children, 3 of whom Victoria outlived). 

Want to get up close and personal with British royalty? Here's your best bet! Indeed, Kensington Palace is "the palace of secret stories and public lives", A visit worth every penny (or 15 pounds).