This time of year two years ago. I came back to a Paris that I knew a bit less. I went to Le Jardin des Tuileries with some friends to wander, and by surprise caught on to the fun of La Fête des Tuileries: a classic mini theme-park that was temporarily set up along Rivoli- La Roue de Paris included.
When I came back to Paris last week, I discovered this same park: the same rides, the same placement, the same colors… in the exact same place.
Hemingway was right, you can always come back to Paris. And I especially like tacky stuff like this!
Not sure what sparked my interest in Parc de Loisirs or Foires, but I’ve always found them amusing. The lights, the fonts, the colors. For me, they all scream “TAKE MY PICTURE, MEG!”
As a kid we drove to many amusement parks across the US as my brother was obsessed with roller coasters (the classic vintag-esque ones were always the best and prettiest in my mind). I guess you could say we were adventurous. But then again, it could have been being introduced to places like Casa Bonita for my sister and I’s 7th birthday party, or having the annual school night at Lakeside outside of Denver. I also had fun with these types of places at Oktoberfest a few years ago, and also of course Coney Island this summer in Brooklyn. Sometimes it’s not even riding the rides, but weaving through them, observing how they function and sometimes wondering why on earth some people would go on certain rides. I hope to check out more of these special parks, as it’s definitely a summertime getaway to admire the odd construction of random rides and games and also prime people watching.
This particular Sunday just happened to be the last day of the Fête de Tuileries, and a marker for the ending of summer.
