I've had another great weekend in Paris; despite working most of the Saturday I managed to get out in time for evening drinks under the Pont des Arts bridge by Louvre Rivoli, meeting a host of other au pairs from various countries. It was nice to use my English and German (in which I am equally fluent) and French (in which I still struggle but for the most part am able to hold decent conversation, and the gin helped), it made for a very multi-cultural crowd. It was amazing that there were so many people, hundreds even, sat all along the Seine on a Saturday night drinking and chatting and that the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming. Sure, there was the odd drunken beggar trying his luck for free cigarrettes and beer but they were harmless.
Sunday I ventured to the Bois de Boulogne for the first time. The huge park is in the 16th arrondissement and we made it our mission to find the Lac Inferieur for some boat-rowing in the sunshine. I underestimated exactly how large the "park" is; it contains multiple lakes and even an amusement park which goes by the name of Jardin d'Acclimatation. The park technically spreads out onto the outskirts of Paris, which should give you an idea of its size, and is even home to the famous racecourse Longchamp from which the French designer bag label takes its name.
It all looks very idyllic, doesn't it? It feels it too, when walking along sandy paths surrounded by tall trees and enveloped by families on bike rides and general days out. But don't be fooled: apparently the park is home to one of the largest areas of prostitution in Paris, and it's actually not too hard to see why. It is large enough to permit people to go undetected within its many forests and there are no gates to close it at night.
As we began our trek back (we must have walked a total of hours throughout the day, but it was worth it) it was starting to get later and we noticed a distinct increase of lone men walking around which seemed odd until the knowledge of the park's notoriety clicked in. There are also unexplained markings on seemingly random trees. So there you have it, two sides of the same coin or however you want to put it, the park incorporates an amusing distinction between night and day. The rowing itself was fun aplenty, although I did manage to look like a complete idiot attempting not to crash into trees and such things, but very fun nonetheless. It cost 10 euros for the hour, and afterwards we sat on the grass in the sunshine enjoying well deserved beers and ice creams.
If I haven't said it before, this is the life!
A bientot xxx
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