Only a One-Star Attraction?
The not-so-highly-touted park at Buttes-Chaumont on the outskirts of Paris was full of unexpected treats for my wife and me: an impressively strong waterfall cascading into a grotto vaulted by branches that looked like stalagmites, a gazebo on top of a cliff with a clear view of the towering churches of Montmartre, and secluded pathways leading to a long wooden bridge spanning a man-made lake.
There were added bonuses as well. Festive orthodox Jews were having a party on the lawn. In another area of the park two brides wearing fancy wedding gowns paraded about. We saw and heard the pure delight of a toddler bouncing on her father's shoulders as he carried her to a playground. And near one of the exits, someone was taking photo shots of a classy female posing seductively. Two men in black were on each side of her, scanning the area as if they were bodyguards. My wife took one picture of the spectacle, and was ready to take another when one of the men cautioned her not to do so. There was no doubt that he was serious because he had a plainly visible holstered gun, as did the other man. They really are bodyguards, and the woman must be some sort of prized celebrity. My wife and I quickly moved away--we did not want to antagonize the men in black. But we ultimately were quicker on the draw: we have a picture of the scene, with her exposed thighs and their exposed guns.