Day six, Friday April 20.
After the rigours of climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe yesterday, jostling with the increasing amount of tourists and the heat, today I needed green, and lots of it. So It was back to Vincennes and to explore le Parc Floral de Paris and what an excellent decision it was. A massive place with specimen plants, lakes, woodlands and formal beds. Divine, just what I needed.
I managed to get there fairly early and had just sat myself on a shaded bench and was taken by a clump of trees with fresh Spring leaves and sunlight shimmering through. So I decided to get my paint box out and do some watercolour sketching. Now I have often said, even confessed to my dislike of the exercise. I’m an artist, I’m supposed to do it ! Anyway, I don’t know what came over me but I decided not only to do this in public but to film myself going through the process at the same time. Maybe the sudden heat had affected me but it seemed I was about to suffer for my art. possibly in m ore way than one.
The video was fairly successful and the painting fun, so it will be posted somewhere.
I thoroughly enjoyed my further explorations of the parc, a great place indeed and as the day wore on more and m ore people arrived. The only problem I had then was finding my way out. It was, as the French say mal indiqué, but I got there in the end. A great place to spend the day.
