A Day At The Park

The sun came out to stay Thursday morning, and I jumped on the 43 bus and headed west, across the peripherique, and into the leafy and luxurious neighborhood called Neuilly Sur Seine. My destination was the Bois de Boulogne, a 2000 acre public park on the western edge of the 16th arrondissement. More specifically, I wanted to explore the botanical garden called the Parc de Bagatelle, which is located in the Bois de Boulogne.

The Parc de Bagatelle and its château is the happy result of a wager between Queen Marie-Antoinette and her brother-in-law, the Count of Artois. The spunky queen bet the Count that he could not build the château in three months, and he won the wager. Today’s park is a melange of shady, forested trails, romantic water features, hidden staircases cut into stone, a Chinese pagoda, a château, noisy peacocks, and a world-renowned rose garden. I was fortunate to have timed my visit perfectly for the roses, which were amazingly beautiful.

The shady park was the perfect antidote to the warming day.

I was also happy to find a garden of peonies, which I love.

When my stomach told me it was time to go in search of lunch, I took the bus back into the center of Neuilly and strolled its shady sidewalks.

It was a very fun outing and I highly recommend a visit to the park. Even if the roses are not blooming, the grounds are a welcome respite from the busy-ness that is Paris.

And I know you all have been wondering how the Frizzled and Crispy Artichokes came out! I am happy to say they were a hit. The only mistake I made was not peeling enough of the outer leaves off before cooking them, leaving us with a few tough pieces we had to extricate from our mouths. Luckily it was just us, so there was no need for party manners.

Et voila! Frizzled and crispy!

Thanks for stopping by, mes amis! Things are heating up out there, so don’t forget your sunscreen. You don’t want to end up frizzled and crispy, do you?