Each year the Mairie de Paris close the lawns in almost every park in the city to the public for the colder six months of the year so the grass can "rest". It is forbidden to walk, sit, run, play on the grass that gets fenced off to the city's inhabitants and visitors. To someone who had just arrived from the Great Southern Land and grew up with huge green spaces at immediate disposal for any al fresco folly, the notion of this was just absurd and I vowed to, one day, throw a huge picnic party to celebrate when we were allowed on the lawns again.
Yesterday this very idea, which had been banging around in my head since my first springtime in Paris three years ago, was realised and to say I was ecstatic of its festive fruition would be an absolute understatement.
It was such a joyous day; the weather was positively perfect and Parc Monceau came alive with families and young folk all rejoicing in the early spring sun. Everybody I had invited, both long-time friends whom I've known since my first week in Paris and bloggers-about-town I'd only just met through social media and their invitees, got into the spirit of the fête superbly and I can't thank everyone enough for coming along and helping celebrate. It was so lovely to catch up with familiar faces and become acquainted with so many of the ladies whose blogs I'd been following for a long time and have come to cherish.
Despite my usual Sunday practice of taking photos of everything I see and do I was so nervously occupied with hosting duties that I didn't get much of a chance, and I'm not all that much of a photographer as it is. So for more absolutely stunning pics of this gorgeous day I've pasted links below to the posts of the gracious girls who have shared the day also.
Organising this little picnic made me miss terribly the event production work I loved so much prior expat life and the cogs are already in motion scheming up an even bigger and brighter fête for 2014!
Watch this space!
xx
:: 'Diary | The Weekend' - Ambitieuse
:: 'Pelouse en Fête: Celebrating Spring in Paris' - Expat Edna
:: 'Pelouse en Fête' - De quelle planète es-tu?
:: 'Pelouse en Fête: A Spring Picnic at Parc Monceau' - Diane, A Broad
:: 'Pelouse en Fête' - De quelle planète es-tu?
:: 'Pelouse en Fête: A Spring Picnic at Parc Monceau' - Diane, A Broad
(Pavlova cutting pic credits: Olivia)