Away from the crowds

After a weekend of very touristy visits around Paris, Monday found Jai and I walking along in the beautiful Parc des Buttes Chaumont and the not so great Parc de la Villette. Both the parks are located in the 19th Arondissement - which is near the outskirts of the city lines. I've been told the park is manmade but that doesn't take away from the beautiful green space it provides. There are 3 miles of walking paths, a lake, a beautiful waterfalls and hilly green lawns (where people, but not dogs are permitted to laze around). Even more interesting views of the city - not the Paris I normally see, but beautiful nonetheless. As Jai and I sat and enjoyed the woodsy environment, a couple of ladies came and admired Jai (he is SUCH a ladies' man). The ladies realized I was american ( I try with my french, really, I do) and assumed Jai was french. When I advised them that no, Jai was american, one of the ladies remarked - (en francais), oh I love animals, but I can't speak english, while the other one tried to speak to Jai in english. It's an interesting thought, can Jai understand anything in French or English? I wonder if he can become bilingual?

From the parc de Buttes Chaumont, Jai and I walked to the Parc de la Villette. It is a modern park that holds the Museum of Science and Industry (apparently renowned, but not a stop on my list of museums I want to visit). The park also holds rides and games for children and the only IMAX theater in the city which is in the shape of a Geode. I can see this as a popular spot for concerts, open-air movies and for families, but it just wasn't my cup of team after the parc de Buttes Chaumont.