Paris Vignettes: Natural Beauty in Gardens and Parks

The Paris Vignettes series features the inspired work of street photographer William “Bill” O’Such in themed installments

Once again Richard Nahem of Eye Prefer Paris invited me to take an adventure. This time it was out to Fontainebleau on a beautiful Saturday after a rainy week. We started by first walking through the chateau which was so vast, we wondered how the former royal occupants could’ve possibly used all those rooms. Afterwards we ventured out into the adjacent park which was hyper green after the rain. Like many Paris parks there are boats you can rent to paddle around the lake (“les bateaux de Fontainebleau”) and admire the chateau and the pavillon (“Pavillon de Fontainebleau”) in the middle of the lake. As we walked further into the park we found a number of art pieces blending into the greenery. The most curious were two well-dressed statues (“les hybrids”) waiting to greet you in a curiously exotic way.

Another day I went on a mission to find a small lake, recommended by several friends, that’s hidden away within the vast Bois de Boulogne. After taking the metro to Les Sablons, I started with a short walk to a nearby lake where I found two ducks diving away (“les canards qui plongent”). After a walk around the lake, I grabbed a Velib’ and meandered through the park until I found the lake which I discovered has an island with a restaurant (“le chalet des Îles”). Do you have to rent a little boat to row your way out there?

Finally, I returned to Batignolles and joined people relaxing on Sunday (“dimanche dans la Square des Batignolles”) and then took a walk to Parc Monceau where I found both turtles sunning themselves (“j’adore le soleil”) and herons gracefully walking along the water’s edge (“heron dans Parc Monceau”). Even though Paris is a major city, the vast number of large green spaces gives you the opportunity to connect with nature anytime you want.