We had another day of adventure with Lucy Jane. Stephen and Ann went to a tasting, which was splendid by all accounts. But the day began as usual with a walk to the boulangerie for breakfast breads. Our first stop after breakfast was the Marché Monge just a couple of streets away from our flat. Such wonderful produce, meat and fish, cheese, and charcuterie, not to mention clothes and Turkish rugs: Annie found some treasures. Kris, LJ, and I made a journey by Metro to the upper east side of Paris, the 19th Arrondissement, which turned out to be a lovely, chic neighborhood with nary a tourist in sight. The Parc des Buttes-Chaumont itself is beautiful. Up until 1863, when it opened as a park, it was a quarry, a place to display the bodies of executed criminals, a dump for dead horses (lots of them in those days), and a repository for sewage. We traveled again by Metro to Parc Monceau, a beautiful spot full of school children, joggers, and moms, grannies, and nannies with babies and children. It features beautiful lawns, flowerbeds, and 18th-century follies. The French are late eaters and the restaurant where we wanted to eat didn't open until 6:00 P.M. The place next door was highly rated and we didn't want to walk another step, so we had hamburgers. I know, but it wasn't McDonalds. We are home now, exhausted and happy to be sitting by the window watching the sun go down.
2 comments:
What absolutely stunning gardens!
Fun! I love all the follies.
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