23 November 2011

Bagatelle

The parc de Bagatelle is a beautiful little château designed by architect Bélanger in an English-style park that now forms part of the Bois de Boulogne. It was built in the 1770s for the comte d'Artois, allegedly the result of a bet with his sister-in-law Marie Antoinette.

The park is composed of woods, expanses of lawn, grottoes and ponds, a kitchen garden, and a particularly well-known rose garden. When I visited a few weeks ago, it was too late in the season to enjoy the full effect of the rose garden, but Bagatelle was still a delight. This post is mostly a celebration of fall textures and colours, and a little eccentricity, under hazy grey light.












Memorial to the appropriately-named Forestier, "Master of the Art of the Garden."






















A man brought his shopping cart and at least three cats with him, let out of their cages to enjoy a meal in the park. Amazingly, they didn't run about (or away)---even with this peacock hanging around!




More (noisy) peacocks, and... gasp! do I spy Canada geese?!?







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