Parcs Villette et Buttes Chaumont

  For a school assignment (homework--what?) we had to do something super difficult and scholarly...now I don't want to shock anyone or make you feel bad for me...but, it's what happens when you have a schedule like mine, so here it goes: I had to go visit two parks. Rough, eh?

  The first park I visited was called Parc de la Villette and the reason I was visiting it was because of an essay we were reading concerning it. It's an interesting park because it's built where the slaughter-houses of Paris used to be located. It adds a certain morbidity when you watch all of the fun and games that have replaced a place of blood and death. gross. 

  On a happier note, at the entrance of the park there was a music museum! It had a super awesome collection of instruments from all different times and places. I wish I was a bit more musically educated because I think I would have appreciated the museum a lot more, but it was still super interesting.  

Funky!

I would like a snake trombone-thing...

This resembles a pancake I once made. 

   There was also a Paul Klee exhibit. To be quite honest I'd never actually heard of Paul Klee before this. I probably should have. He's kind of a big deal. I mean, if I could sell one of my paintings for $7.5 million I'd consider myself a big deal. Here's an inspiring, artsy quote from him: "Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible." Yes.

Here's a bit of the park:

   It started raining and guess who forgot their umbrella? About 10 homeless people and me. We were all running around trying to find cover and I wish our retreat had been caught on film, it was a pretty interesting social commentary...actually we just all looked really goofy...it was art though, really. This meant that I didn't really see very much of the park, but from what I could see it looks like it was built in the 80's--oh wait it was! The idea of the park is for nothing to make sense and to make you feel free, good ol' post-modernism. There are plenty of little rides and such for childrens and all of the school groups that came through stopped for churros and chocolate, so it may be famous for that too?

  I got onto the metro and went to the next parc: Buttes Chaumont!

It was so pretty--I am so glad our professor assigned us this parc! Because it's in the 19e arrondissement I would have never found it on my own...because there's really no reason for me to ever come out to the 19e arrondissement. But, if you're looking for a real park, one where you can sit on the grass and run around (*cough* not the Tuileries), this is the place. Luckily, the rain had just stopped, so I got to fully enjoy this park and walked around. I really enjoyed the little "escape from the city", and seeing all of the mums walk their children and/or dogs. 

  The park was super massive and I had to be home in time for dinner, so I didn't get to go through all of it, but I must say it's much more traditional and relaxing than the Parc de la Villette. There were still activities for children, ie: pony rides, rubber-duck fishing, etc., but it felt much less...80's...I know some people lived during that time but the post-modernist ugly, weird, bleh just doesn't do it for me. I like my parks more traditional.  It might have also helped that the sun was shining and birds were chirping as nice little water drops fell from the trees. That bit was very nice.

   What would Paris be without parks?