Water-Falling for the Bois de Boulogne, Paris, France

I'm not one to naturally pay attention to green spaces. If I hear something special about a park area, though, I will look into it and probably follow up with a visit.

About three years ago, a stationery store owner advised me to spend time in Les jardins de Bagatelle at the Bois de Boulogne to see the roses in bloom.

Apparently the second week of May is a bit too early (I'm terrible at remembering the exact seasons for plants), but what I discovered there made me totally forget about the roses, anyway.

I could hear water. I had just finished an overly priced appetizer of shrimp to tide me over for what was bound to be a long wander with no end in sight. As I tried to listen for where the water might be hiding from me, a flush of green and blue caught my eye. To the left stood a proud peacock, facing into the breeze to let the wind brush through its colorful feathers.

I decided to leave the peacock alone and get back to following the splashing water sounds. I took the path to the right into a dead end of tall bushes. I could see a stream, but had to backtrack for a better access point. I turned right again the next chance the path opened. I could smell the freshness of the water and found myself in a small clearing. Another dead end? No! To my left was a cave-like tunnel through a large rock. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).