Bois de Boulogne

There is something magic about those words. It makes me think of ladies in puffy dresses with umbrellas sitting in horse-drawn carriages and gentlemen on horseback greeting the ladies by lifting their hats. Oups, did I land in the wrong century? Back to 2011 then. The Boulogne forest makes me think of Eastern European prostitutes and some scary looking transvestites that I saw one night some years ago coming back by taxi from the Champs Elysée.  It  makes me think of homeless people dying in the cold (as seen on TV last winter). Is it fair to think of this green breathing space with such negative feelings?

This morning it was time to take out the car and the dog for some fresh air, and I chose the Bois de Boulogne thinking that the prostitutes were probably asleep and the homeless might have gone south for the summer. It was again cloudy and only 20° C, which is actually perfect for a Sunday morning walk. The forest is not far at all when you take the ringroad, and there were plenty of free parking on the  road that divides the park from the posh Neuilly-sur-Seine. 

I already said the word "park", and this is what it is. A big park with dirt tracks for walkers and asphalted paths for runners and cyclists, lakes for fishermen and ducks, a mini zoo for kids, a riding school for the rich, etc. A great place for dogs, too. Though signs said that dogs had to be kept on the leash, most dogs were running around freely. It was great, and Scubi got his fair share of sniffing, drinking from the lake, pooing in the leaves and caresses from older men.

The Bois de Boulogne was a hunting place for Napoleon III, but during the period of Hausmann (he pops up again and again, I am afraid) various changes took place: the garden with exotic plants and animals was constructed, the artificial lakes were built, the hunting pavillion became a restaurant, To read more (in French) or simply to look at old photos of the park: link