Tête d'Or... I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

For those of you wondering about the title... Tête d'Or (at least in my mind) is somewhat similar to Toto (the cute dog from Wizard of Oz).  It will make sense as I continue... I hope.

Over the past few days, I have been spending quite a bit of time in Lyon's most famous park, Parc de la Tête d'Or.  It's literal translation is Park of the Golden Head.  Sounds better in French, no?

The park is located in the northern area of the city along the Rhône.  The park is approximately three hundred acres in size... complete with it's own lake, various sporting facilities, jogging trails, and some carnival-style attractions.  Another very unique feature is that it comes complete with a zoo!  The zoo has hundreds of animals ranging from lemurs, and antelopes, and giraffes... OH MY!  (You had to know I would be doing that at least once during this post.)  They have everything ranging from small to large, gentle and dangerous.  I was somewhat surprised to find that they keep the crocodiles in an enclosed exhibit.  I mean really... we had crocodiles walking right past us in the Gambia.  (I feel as though this will give my mother heart palpitations.) This experience in the park was all VERY enjoyable, though.

Park de la Tête d'Or is also an incredible place to go if you are just looking for some peace and somewhere to de-stress.  For those of you who enjoy watching The Big Bang Theory, I can officially say that I have found "my spot" in the rose gardens of the park.  In the hottest part of the day, it is shielded by trees overhead which provide a cool atmosphere... yet not too much leaf coverage which would make sitting there depressing on such a nice day. In the summer, it's directly in the path of a gentle breeze due to an ideally located building approximately fifty-five feet away that directs the airflow towards the spot. It faces the main field of the park at an angle making it enjoyable to comfortably watch as people play soccer... but not too much of an angle that makes it difficult to enjoy the view of the rose gardens to the left. I could go on... but I think I've made my point.  If you are confused by this part of the blog, you can follow this link to watch a video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2hIIvF5gJI.  Hopefully it will all make sense.

The park is certainly one of my many favorite places to escape to when I simply want to take some time to relax, write, and enjoy the weather.  Furthermore... can you really NOT enjoy a park that has Tiki statues randomly placed throughout the gardens?  I don't think so...