Dejeuner sur l'herbe

Another warm day but this time we decided to go to the bois de Vincennes for a picnic. It is easy to get to for us, just 8 stops on the metro and a short walk. We entered the gates at the Parc Floral de Paris which is a bit like the botanical gardens in Melbourne. It is a place where many Parisians go on weekends to relax and spend time with their children. The number of strollers was quite remarkable. Then there were the people who had hired quadricycles the size and shape of a small car (don't know what they're called) but many a parent was labouring to peddle them for their children's enjoyment! They accommodate four or six people.
It's easy to see why people headed for the parc today as it was cool and pleasant in the shade of large colourful trees and shrubs. We spent hours there just watching the people passing by and occasionally taking a stroll.
We returned to our stamping ground with the intention of renewing our acquaintance with Berthillion ice-cream but found to our dismay that there were long queues at every outlet we passed so we decided instead to head back to our apartment for a rest and cool drink. On the way we were sidetracked by the sound of New Orleans coming from one of the side streets. On investigation we came upon a quintet of elderly Americans playing Jazz on the sidewalk. They drew quite a crowd causing traffic chaos which Parisians seem to manage with good humour and patience. We listened for some time, paused for a peek into the Carnavalet garden of box hedge, silverbeet and other colourful attractions before resuming our walk back home for a drink and a rest.