Every princess needs a place to expend a little energy. Fortunately, I live in Paris, where around every corner there seems to be a park waiting for an invasion of hyperactive children. I'm a lucky princess; I have several nearby. One of the closest is my nanny Véro's favorite - the Square Blomet.
Square Blomet is hidden, known only to the locals and, now, to those who read the New York Times (you can read a little bit about it in this article). It's a few meters away from Paul Gauguin's studio and what was once the 'Bal Nègre' or 'Bal Colonial', at number 33 (drawing below). Josephine Baker, Pablo Picasso, Picabia, Robert Desnos, Foujita and many others frequented this famous haunt of 1920s Paris - today it's a latin dance club where you can take salsa lessons.
The park itself is quite small. Several benches, a granite ping-pong table and a large bronze statue by Joan Miró (his studio was in a building that gave way to the Square).
Then there's the good stuff: slides, swings, climbing frames, and a huuuge sandbox! I love that sand. Mom and dad find lots of it in my pockets when I get home. They also find some in my shoes, in my socks, in my hair, and, eventually, all over the apartment!I've been going to the Sqare Blomet for a while. But these days a new world has opened up. I'm vertical. I strut my stuff around Sqare Blomet like I own the place, and I'm pretty sure that I do. Any toy I see is instantly mine. If my hands get too dirty, there's a nice old-fashioned water pump there and there's even a dedicated terrain de boules where some of the best pétanque players in Paris get together to throw a few.
Yeap, Square Blomet is just what a girl needs. If you're looking for me, you can find me there most days after my nap.
Check out a couple more playground pictures here: sand, slides and surrealists
