Day 13

It's May day and a Sunday, a holiday for most Parisian citizens.  We decided to go to Buttes au Chaumont late morning after sleeping in, breakfast and putting some clothes in the tiny, very slow washing machine.  It uses very little water but pounds the dickens out of the clothes.  Quite effective.
After two transfers on the metro, including going over the Seine we reached our stop.  Walked uphill to the park passing several vendors selling Muguet, lily of the valley.  It's considered lucky to receive a sprig from a loved one.  Didn't explain the tradition clearly enough to Ross...
The Buttes were constructed from an old quarry.  Its another beautiful park.  Many areas for children to play.  It was packed, people on benches, on the grass, walking, running.  In one area many adults were boxing, kickboxing, doing tai chi, jump rope, situps on the railings, ballet bar.  Everywhere there were people in the sun, some just sunning, some eating, talking, many, many were reading, mostly real books rather than devices.

We plan on returning.  From there we went back to Luxembourg gardens.  Even busier and again people of all ages, lots of kids, lots of kids!  I watched a portion of a puppet show.  So cute!  There is a section right up front in the theatre exclusively for small children. A delightful young man, about 3 years old was sitting directly in front of me with his mother and grandmother.  Everytime a pair of the puppets would collide, he would roar with laughter.  I love a childs belly laugh.

I know I'm  repeating myself but I so appreciate how much space and effort is devoted to children.  There was even a huge section surrounded by very manicured hedges, looking like a very formal enclosed garden from the exterior until you listened closely, it was another enormous sand box area. There were areas with swing sets, an area with jungle gym type equipment for school age children, small childen in riding helmet on ponies being led down one of the paths. Model boats could be rented to sail on the huge reflecting pool.  And the flowers, blooming trees and shrubbery was spectacular.
Walked back across the river up to Les Halles and down Rue Montorgueil, which leads to our street.  It's listed in some sites with the Markets.  Lots of restaurants, patisseries, wine shops, food markets. Looked like every chair at every bistro that was open and on this street that was quite a few, had a body in it. And mostly younger people, in their 20's and 30's.
There is very little evidence in the city of an predominantly aging population.  I see a sprinkling of people my age and very few elderly in comparison to the hordes of young people.  So unlike at home, where you go to the store and are overwhelmingly surrounded by folks with white hair.