Gardens and green spaces in the Chicago area lie dormant in winter, but that is not the case in the Côte d’ Azure, or French Riviera, where I had the pleasure of wandering through some grand gardens. Hugged by the Mediterranean Sea and Maritimes Alps are miles of olive, cypress and orange trees. Sculpted evergreens, mounds of herbs and blooming flowers accent the cities and towns. I listen to the songs of European Robins, Eurasion Magpies and Common Chaffinch while inhaling scents of lavender, rose, and thyme. The garden paths are free of crowds. I dawdle, pinch leaves, and paint pictures in my memory to bring home with me.

My brain flushes with dopamine at this sensory feast. I am tempted to pluck the oranges and olives that hang from the trees surrounding the house of Pierre Auguste Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer. To splash in the fountains, trace the archways and capture the light at the Ephrussi de Rothschild’s villa and gardens. Flowers blooming in winter at the Saint-Martin Gardens in Monaco wave their petals. Artist Joan Miro’s funky-formed sculptures fill me with glee as I stroll the labyrinth paths at the Foundation Maeght in the medieval town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Still, such magnificence does not dull my delight at seeing spring come to life in our area yards, parks and paths. Gardens express the joie de vivre – enjoyment of life – wherever you are.