I put in a lot of effort in preparing my children for Paris. They perused Lonely Planet's book
Not-for-Parents: Paris (Everything You Ever Wanted to Know) which my daughter loved so much she insisted we bring it everywhere so she could share key parts aloud at the appropriate location mentioned. My son's 7th grade class serendipitously read
A Tale of Two Cities. My other boy went through the
Louvre Museum app (any excuse to get on the iPhone) to pick out his must-see list. I truly wanted them to be in total awe of all the wonderful sights of
PARIS, the legendary City of Light that people travel from all over the world to see.
Yes, they saw all the iconic parts but, being kids, their eyes took in other things, too, like insects, birds, and cats. So, here are a few photographs inspired by my childrens' demands of "Mom, take a picture of that." They are a little part of Paris that the postcards don't usually show.
 |
| A butterfly with transparent wings in the Cité des Enfants greenhouse |
 |
| Leaf-cutter ants at the Cité des Enfants |
 |
| My girl spotted this snail on the manicured shrubs outside Versaille |
 |
| A swan graces the Petit Trianon garden at Versailles |
 |
| A cat peeking out of a bistro |
 |
| Even ducks enjoy the Louvre |
Whereas it was the young'ns who pointed out most of these animals, I have to give credit to dear hubby for spotting this goat taking care of the grass in the middle of the very urban, crowded-with-people Tuileries Garden. I fully suspect he intends to jettison the lawn mower when we return to Texas and set us up with a lawn goat instead.
 |
| A tethered goat "mows" the sloped lawn at the Tuileries Garden |
This post is part of Pret-a-Vivre and "Travel Photo Thursday" on Budget Travelers Sandbox. Check it out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.
A goat in Tuileries Garden? Funny :)
ReplyDeleteWell that was an entirely different and fun way of seeing Paris with animals, I really enjoyed this viewpoint, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots, and thanks for the heads up on the Not for Parents book. My youngest wants to see the Eiffel Tower one day so he should get a kick out of reading some stories about Paris first!
ReplyDeleteGoats are my favourite animal - no joke - and this one is a beauty. I love your kids version of Paris, I think it may have been mine as well.
ReplyDeleteI love this - Paris through the eyes of kids! It's great to look at things from their point of view from time-to-time.
ReplyDeleteLove this fun post! I think all we ever saw in Paris during the past two visits were ducks and birds. I need to go back during the summer ;) Glad the kids spotted these to enhance the Parisian experience. Love, love the goat at Tuileries though.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, thank you for sharing your beautiful trip and animals with us. Hope to see you again next week :).
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see how you focused in on the details - something I also love to do when I travel. That's one very cute goat.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the world through the eyes of children! They bring such a refreshing perspective and remind us that everything - including the smallest bug - is worth noting when traveling. Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this! Especially that lone goat. I love photos from the kids' point of view. Lovely! PS: I found you through the Travel Photo Thursdays linkup :)
ReplyDeleteOh the goat! And that very beautiful snail fits in at Versailles well. Lovely to see a different side of Paris.
ReplyDeleteI'm as guilty as your kids. I often gravitate to the small things when I'm traveling. You got some great shots, even if they were coerced. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful to see that these 'animals' are hobnobbing with the Paris gliterati.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I read somewhere that an airport, I think in the US, was contemplating using goats or sheep to tend the grass. It's a great idea - it'll definitely cut down on costs and goats don't wander off so no chance they'll get into the path of planes.