The Luxembourg and the Odéon: pond, palace, theatre
Toy boats on the pond, a hidden fountain, and the theatre quarter that frames the park. This is a Claude-drafted route awaiting the editor's walk.

1. Carrefour de l'Odéon
Start at the crossroads — cafés on every corner, the statue of Danton, the steady churn of the *quartier latin*. Get your bearings here, then climb the gentle hill west.

2. Théâtre de l'Odéon
The neoclassical theatre sits at the top of its own square, columns and a half-moon of paving. You don't need a ticket; just stand in the empty *place* and look back down *rue de l'Odéon* toward the river.

3. Palais du Luxembourg
Through the gates into the *jardin* (garden). The palace is the Senate now and closed to wanderers, but the gravel terrace in front of it is the best free seat in the 6th.

4. The Grand Bassin
The octagonal pond with the toy sailboats. Rent one for a child or rent one for yourself; the green metal chairs around the rim are yours to drag wherever the sun is. The afternoon light here is the whole point.

5. Fontaine Médicis
Tucked against the palace's east flank, a long shaded basin under plane trees, far quieter than the pond a hundred metres away. Sit at the far end and let the crowd thin out.

6. Église Saint-Sulpice
Leave by the north-west gate to the church — the great twin-tower facade, the Delacroix murals in the first chapel, the fountain of the four bishops outside. Free, and rarely busy on a weekday.

The Luxembourg and the Odéon: pond, palace, theatre