paris has some amazing parks. the tuileries, jardin du luxembourg, st. cloud, bois de boulogne… each one with different layouts and planning and ambiances.
one park that certainly feels elsewhere than paris is the parc des buttes chaumont (i also mentioned it in my rosa bonheur post.) located in the 19e, certainly in a spot most tourist probably don’t (or shouldn’t) venture too, it’s a treasure chest amongst an ordinary parisian neighborhood.
i believe the parks are my favourite places in paris. they help you forget all of the traffic and noise and obligations that lies beyond its gates.
this park is a runners/childs paradise with beautiful scenery and high and low hills and paths that wind throughout the greenery and stumble upon sidewalk cafes or hidden puppet theaters.
if you find yourself in the neighborhood, or planning an evening at rosa bonheur, go a little early and enjoy this hidden gem.
*bisous*
i love paris. i love its architecture and the bakeries and the dog-walkers and the tourists and the sidewalk cafes and on and on and on. but nothing is truly more magical in france than it’s countryside.
i’ve never seen such an amazing variety of plants and flowers kept in the utmost of care. everything is truly magical and the space invites room for thought and fresh air.
monet’s house was so inspiring in so many ways. (no photographs were allowed)
with all being said, it was hard to fully appreciate everything because there had to of been several thousands of people there! if you wanted alone time to ponder and soak everything in while you strolled across the water lily ponds, forget it!
when i first came to paris, nearly 10 months ago, i did a lot of research and created a super list of anything and everything i wanted to do here. two things on my list were visit the parc des buttes chaumont as well as eat at 
we arrived around 6:00 and left around midnight, witnessing the space from a casual patio hangout, turn into a tapas lounge, which then turned into a dance club.
what i really liked about rosa bonheur is that it’s a true locals hangout spot. no tourist are found here and rarely will you find yourself speaking english. it’s a true submersion into the young, local, french culture.
everyone knows the french music classics like edith piaf and charles trenet, and hopefully you know some of the 60′s/70′s movement too with jacques dutronc (listen to : et moi et moi et moi) and francoise hardy, but a lot of people either aren’t familiar with current french hits, or with bands that they had no idea were french!
not having a working smart phone definitely has it’s disadvantages when trying to find a destination (i take phone photos of google maps and then go from there!)
i felt like i stumbled into a magical and cool ‘wholefoods meets brooklyn’ concept food store.
if you find yourself exploring the moulin rouge/sacré cœur neighborhood, definitely check this store out and purchase your “take home gifts from paris” for your friends and family because a natural, locally made ‘rose flavoured biscuit’ mix is way cooler than an eiffel tower key chain (at least in my opinion.)
you always hear the phrase “springtime in paris,” but until now it’s remained a mystery to me. we’ve had such a long winter (that is still happening depending on the day.) however, within the past two weeks and several visits to the tuileries gardens, i’ve noticed blooms within the soil and leaves sprouting in patches on the trees.
