Saint-Quentin Basilica

Unlike many cities I've visited in France, Saint-Quentin does not have a cathedral. Instead, it has a Basilica, which is quite impressive (though not as grand as some cathedrals I've seen).

Last weekend, the Basilica hosted a flower show where creative floral arrangements were placed throughout the interior space. It was a fun way to see the Basilica for the first time; adding flowers and plants made the austere stone look completely different. Some of the flowers were even placed on statues, dressing them up in fun ways.

~ Back of the Basilica ~

~ Interior arches ~

 

~ Dressed up statue - this was my favorite ~

Parc des Champs Elysees

Though I still have quite a bit of exploring to do in Saint-Quentin, I did visit a few sites this weekend. One of these was the Parc des Champs Elysees, a nice sized park in the middle of town conveniently located between my school and the city center. It's a peaceful area with several paths, a playground, tennis courts, and flowers and trees throughout. I'm glad I took my camera since I doubt the flowers will stick around as the weather gets colder! There's even an old stone ruin, tucked away in the park's Jardin d'Horticulture, that I believe is left over from when the Romans controlled France.

~ Border of the park ~

~ One of several tree avenues ~

~ "Horticulture Garden" ~

~ More flowers ~

 ~ Love all the purple! ~

 ~ Visitor's Center ~

~ Roman (I think) ruins ~