Les Fleurs

While many Parisians headed to the countryside for the long Easter weekend, we urban stay-behinds had to get our taste of nature in the pockets of small Parisian squares, places, and larger parks that are decked out for spring.

The Square Boucicaut is a neighborhood favorite of mine. As in all the Paris parks, the gardeners are horticultural wizards -- true artists. This yellow patch of posies makes it seem as though the sun is shining. (It wasn't.) Even on a grey wintry day like today, it is an oasis of cheerfulness.


And I mean oasis! It even has palm trees.

Located above the Sevres-Babylone metro stop, Boucicaut is also a perfect rendezvous spot when catching up with friends: "Let's meet at the statue at 1 pm." You can read on a bench (or pretend to) -- or dash around and snap photos of flowers! -- while you wait.

The amazing part to me is that Boucicaut isn't exceptional at all -- it is representative gardens in almost 500 small neighborhood places in Paris, gussied up for Easter with beds of primrose, hyacinth and jonquils, or riotous masses of blooming shrubs.

Now, when will springtime weather arrive?