Still feeling the effects from jet lag, Erin and I decided to take it easy today by staying near the hotel. Just down the street from the hotel’s front door is the Jardin du Luxembourg, or Luxembourg Gardens. 
According to our guidebook, this park is to Paris what Central Park is to New York City. It is a tree-laden haven in the center of an otherwise bustling city. People of all ages visit the park to read, run, sunbathe, and picnic.
The park features several gorgeous fountains, complete with dozens of benches and chairs. Some of the grassy areas are open for people to walk on and sunbathe while other areas of grass are just for looks. 
There are also a few playgrounds full of kids, and ping pong tables (however you must furnish your own paddles and balls). Several sidewalks snake through the park that are perfect for runners/joggers/walkers. There were also dozens of Parisian men (of all ages) wearing shorts. We spent some time sitting in the shade eating our sandwiches we brought for lunch.
The fresh air replenished our ambition, so we continued to walk 10 minutes south from the Gardens to the Cimetière du Montparnasse, the Montparnasse Cemetery. 
The cemetery is another sanctuary in the heart of Paris, surrounded by dozens of cafes and brasseries. Erin suggested we go in search of a particular statue named Le Baiser de Brancusi, or simply “The Kiss”, located along the cemetery’s eastern wall.
The weather has been great these past two days (mid-70′s and sunny during the day), and these two parks located close to our hotel really helped to bring a couple of sleepy-eyed travelers back to life. I also pulled together a map that shows both the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Cimetière du Montparnasse (as the large green patches in the center of the screen) and a green arrow that points out the hotel’s location.