Parc des Buttes Chaumont

When I was younger I had the fantasy of living across from Central Park in NYC. In this fantasy I would ride my bike through the park to a deserted bench, take out a worn copy of Catcher in the Rye, eat a homemade sandwich and enjoy the green space, the laughter of children, the occasional bark of a dog and a wink from a total stranger passing by. Afterward, I would walk my bike home, grab another worn novel from a street vendor, chat with the doorman a while, go up to my apartment, open the window and experience the park from yet another perspective. I don't live in NYC, and could probably never afford an apartment on 5th Avenue or Central Park West. By beautiful circumstances I live in Paris and somewhat living out my park fantasy. I have managed to live across from a park, Parc des Buttes Chaumont. It is not quite as large as Central Park, but large enough to lose yourself in the first few times you visit. It's construction came out of the partnership of Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann in the 19th century and took shape out of a former stone quarry. To give people in the outer reaches of Paris (19th Arrondisment) a place to go, and feel they were in the country, the park was built in 4 years and has been a success. It's design is something out of a Vernet or Poussin painting, complete with rocks, slopes, cliffs, a mote, grotto, cascades and a little Greek temple. The place is incredible. It is dream-like, charming and enchanting. There are many varieties of trees, plants and flowers. There are water fowl. There are even tiny parks within that are for children, including pony rides and a puppet theater. Sure, much of it is manmade, but it is better than anything Disney could create and far more natural looking. It is a perfect place to walk your rented bike (Vélib) to a deserted bench, take out that worn novel you bought from a vendor along the Seine, eat that sandwich you picked up from a nearby cafe, sit and enjoy the green, the laughter of children, the occasional bark of a dog, the wink of a passing stranger, the strange sighting of a lonely peahen...well, the list goes on.