(Source Wikipédia)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Le Parc de Bagatelle, en plein cœur du Bois de Boulogne, fait partie du Jardin Botanique  de Paris.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Il Il est reconnu comme étant un des plus prestigieux de la capitale : On y découvre des grottes, des étendues fleuries, des beaux bâtiments et des arbres gigantesques…                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                On y trouve forcément un coin à notre goût pour un pique-nique romantique.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Le Parc de Bagatelle est né en 1777 à la suite d’un pari entre Marie-Antoinette et son beau-frère le Comte D’Artois (frère de Louis XVI et futur roi Charles X).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Ce dernier avait acquis cet ancien terrain de chasse des rois deux ans plus tôt. Taquine, la Reine l’a mis au défi de le rénover alors qu’elle partait en voyage pour deux mois.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Le Comte l’a prise au mot et l’histoire devient alors étourdissante.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pour la « Bagatelle » de quelques millions de livres, le Parc est entièrement reconstruit en 64 jours !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Les plans ont été conçus par François-Joseph Bélanger en une nuit et ce sont quelques 900 ouvriers qui ont travaillé sans relâche sur le chantier.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Le style, qui a un peu changé depuis, est inspiré des jardins anglais et chinois, ce qui était très tendance à l’époque.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               On y trouve d’ailleurs une sublime pagode chinoise du XIXème siècle.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Aujourd’hui, sur ses 24 hectares, le parc comporte plusieurs bâtiments dont l’Orangerie et les Écuries.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Il est organisé autour de divers jardins :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          On passe de la nature brute avec des grottes et des cascades à des petits ponts, des fontaines et des jardins plantés selon des thèmes comme le jardin d’Iris ou le potager.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Mais, la partie qui vaut certainement  le plus le détour est la Roseraie. Réputée dans le monde entier, elle comporte près de 10 000 plants de 1 200 espèces.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Tous les ans, depuis 1907, le concours international de Rose attire les curieux.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Follement romantique et charmant, Bagatelle a l’avantage de ne pas être surpeuplé, et ce, même en plein été.  Il y a de fortes chances que l’on rencontre des paons !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Ce majestueux animal se balade en liberté et agrémente nos discussions de son cri si reconnaissable : « Léon ».

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Chaque été, de nombreuses animations sont prévues et la part belle est faite aux expositions et aux concerts.

L'île d'Yeu et son Vieux Château vus du ciel :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Petite île de Vendée, l'île d'Yeu recèle un patrimoine bâti et paysagé exceptionnel.

Située au croisement de routes maritimes, elle fut convoitée par les Anglais, les Espagnols et les Hollandais. 

Lac Oroville en Californie

  Lac Peyto, Alberta, au Canada

   (Château Fairmont) Lac Louise, Alberta au Canada

  Lac Tao au Nevada, USA

 Lac Titicaca, en Bolivie

  Lac Donner, Californie de l'est 

   Mono Lake en Californie, USA

  Lac Ness, en Écosse

    Lac Aswan, en Egypte

le Parc de Keukenhof.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           A quelques kilomètres d’Amsterdam (et très facilement accessible par train & bus), ce parc fleuri avec plus de 7 millions de bulbes en fleurs, dont 800 différentes sortes de tulipes, vous en mettra plein les yeux !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Veillez cependant à bien planifier votre visite, il n’est ouvert que deux mois par ans, du 23 mars au 21 mai pour l’année 2017.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Sur plus de 32 hectares on peut profiter de parterres de fleurs tous plus beaux les uns que les autres, c’est vraiment très beau ! Il y a du monde dans le parc, mais tout est quand même bien fait pour en profiter, le parc est grand !

On voit en bordure du parc les immenses champs de tulipes pour la production de fleurs coupés qui seront expédiés partout dans le monde !

Il ne faut pas non plus louper le moulin qui donne une jolie vue sur le parc. 

Et pour les gourmands ?

Tout est prévu sur place pour vous régaler. Il y a proche de l’air de jeux une zone avec des Food Trucks, pour y acheter aussi bien des burgers faits maison, que des pulled pork sandwichs topissimes, des frites, des salades, smoothies et yaourts glacés.

Dates d’ouvertures et horaires :

Ouvert du 23 mars au 21 mai, tous les jours (également les jours de fêtes et les dimanches), de 08 h 00 à 19 h 30.

Tarifs :

16 euros pour les adultes, 8 euros pour les enfants de 4 à 11 ans, gratuit pour les plus petits. Ne pas oublier de prendre le plan à l’entrée du parc pour ne rien louper sur place.

Comment s’y rendre depuis Amsterdam ?

Il faut prendre le train de Amsterdam Central Station direction Schiphol Plaza (l’aéroport). Sur place vous trouverez plusieurs comptoirs de vente des billets groupés comprenant l’entrée au Parc et le trajet en bus (Keukenhof Express ligne de bus 858). Le tarif est de 24 euros par adultes, 12,5 euros pour les enfants de 4 à 11 ans, gratuit pour les plus petits. Tout est très bien fléché dans le hall pour vous rendre au départ du bus (sortie du Hall des Arrivées 4).

Musée Maxim’s à Paris  ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Pierre Cardin était un passionné de la Belle Époque et de l’Art nouveau. Pendant plus de 60 ans, le couturier a collecté des œuvres d’art.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Sur 3 étages, ce musée situé au-dessus du restaurant « Maxim’s » présente dans un vaste appartement d’une courtisane de la Belle-Époque, une splendide collection de tableaux, bronzes, faïences, luminaires, des illustres mouvements artistiques du XXème siècle : (fauvisme, surréalisme, cubisme, dadaïsme…).

Cet élégant Musée, réputé pour son Art nouveau, est situé au-dessus de ce célèbre restaurant  ... 

Il existe en Belgique une mystérieuse forêt entièrement tapissée de jacinthes.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Cette mystérieuse forêt issue d’un conte de fées, représentée ci-dessus,   existe vraiment ... On l’appelle Hallerbos (ou Bois de Hal en néerlandais), et elle se situe en périphérie bruxelloise.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             C’est C'est son épais tapis de fleurs de jacinthe qui donne l’impression que cette forêt sort tout droit d’un conte de fées. Ces fleurs prospèrent et fleurissent au printemps et au début de l’été, et c’est ce feu d’artifice de bleu et de violet qui donne leur nom aux forêts de jacinthes comme celle-ci.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           La La floraison des premiers jours de printemps, draine une foule de visiteurs (et de photographes) vers Hallerbos et les forêts similaires. Les conditions brumeuses sont idéales pour les photographes, car elles confèrent aux bois une atmosphère mystérieuse et surnaturelle.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Les épais tapis de jacinthes indiquent habituellement que la forêt en question est très ancienne. Ceci ne signifie pas obligatoirement que les arbres de cette zone sont anciens, mais que cette zone est restée continuellement boisée durant 300 à 400 ans au moins.

Jetée de Sellin, île de Rügen en Allemagne  ...

Cette jetée n’est que l’une des nombreuses attractions de la jolie Sellin.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Devenue station balnéaire dans les années 1880, elle n’a jamais cessé d’être une destination touristique de premier plan pour les Allemands, même à l’époque de la RDA.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Après la Réunification, de grands travaux de rénovation sont entrepris pour lui redonner tout son lustre d’antan. Depuis, la jetée est devenue non seulement le symbole de ville, mais aussi de tout Rügen. Située dans la mer Baltique, cette dernière est la plus grande île d’Allemagne, avec une superficie de 926 km².                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Avec ses charmantes stations balnéaires, dont Sellin fait partie, ses parcs nationaux et ses longues plages de sable blanc, elle est l’une des premières destinations de vacances du pays.

PARIS :  La Villa Santos-Dumont  ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Cette petite impasse du 15ème arrondissement créée en 1926 par l’architecte Raphaël Paynot? semble encore hantée par les âmes des artistes qui y ont séjourné. Ici ont vécu le peintre Fernand Léger, le mosaïste italien Gatti et le sculpteur Zadkine, à quelques mètres de l’ancienne résidence de Georges Brassens située rue Santos-Dumont, et de l’actuel parc qui lui a été dédié.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Encore aujourd’hui, l’endroit inspire et accueille des lofts et ateliers de création sous ses verrières. Mais pas seulement ! On y trouve de charmantes résidences particulières, nichées derrière des portails colorés et des jardinets aux airs champêtres. Ici et là, des pots de fleurs, de vieilles chaises, des jardinières, des vélos et même quelques chats.

Plus qu’ailleurs à Paris, chaque saison laisse son empreinte dans l’allée, sans rien voler de sa quiétude : à l’été, rosiers et vignes semblent y grimper en liberté, alors qu’à l’automne, les pavés disparaissent sous un tapis de feuilles brunies. Un charme fou qui nous fait oublier la ville et sa frénésie.

Difficile d’imaginer qu’à l’époque, les logements de cette impasse était destinés à une population modeste … Nommée alors Villa Chauvelot, elle était l’œuvre d’un fils d’ouvrier ayant fait fortune en tant que promoteur, Alexandre Chauvelot. Un homme de goût, également à l’origine de la rue des Thermopyles ! Ce n’est qu’en 1943 que la Villa pris le nom de l’aviateur franco-brésilien Santos-Dumont, ajoutant par là-même un accent exotique à son indéniable charme bucolique.