Today’s Paris memories are of the Palais-Royal, a one-time palace located near the Louvre on the Right Bank.

Once called the Palais-Cardinal, the palace is today home to an unusual modern art exhibit featuring huge metal balls and striped “stumps” of various heights (the piece is called “Les Deux Plateaux,” by artist Daniel Buren), as well as a gorgeous enclosed courtyard with a huge reflecting pool, numerous statues, and perfectly aligned rows of trees and shrubbery.

Despite being located smack in the middle of “tourist’s Paris” — the 1st Arrondissement — Palais-Royal is usually deserted, particularly the avant-garde sculpture display. And there’s something magical about having the carefully manicured park all to yourself!