La fête des Tuileries

I never knew this, but for most of the summer there is a carnival on the Northern edge of the Tuileries Gardens, called La Fête des Tuileries.  (Note, I say carnival because that’s what it looks like to me, but Paul insists that this is not what it is called in French.  In French, anything called a “carnival” has to do with Mardi Gras).  There are the typical rides, such as the Ferris wheel, the Swings, and Bumper Cars.  You can also go into a haunted house, or play carnival games that involve shooting or picking a plastic duck out of flowing water (everyone gets a prize!).  It’s the kind of country fair that almost everyone has been to at least once in his or her life, though probably not in the middle of a city.  For me, it felt like a little piece of the Great New York State Fair brought to me in Paris, just a month early.  (No salt potatoes, though.  Alas).

Paul and I went to check this out with some friends, and it was another one of those things in Paris that he had never done before.  It’s amazing to be married to someone who grew up in Paris, as he can show me all the hidden things a typical outsider can’t find.  However, it’s also nice to make friends with other expats in the city who are excited to try anything and everything the city has to offer, even if it seems a little cheesy.  In the end, my Parisian husband was really pleased to have tried this once. 

The Ferris wheel was our first ride, and we were initially disappointed because it was enclosed in glass.  We had a special treat, though, as we could see a man in the building next to the carnival who was standing on his balcony in his underwear!  Yikes!  (It was quite hot out that night, so I guess we’ll give him a pass?)  I’ve seen a lot of things on the midway of the Great New York State Fair, but never that! 

Also, we happened to be riding the swings at exactly 11:00pm, when the Eiffel Tower began to sparkle.  That made the moment pretty magical.   (The picture below is of the Eiffel Tower with her sparkle lights, though it's not taken from the Tuileries.  The fête was much farther away than this photo).

This last picture is of the moon rising over the Louvre.  Unfortunately, this is one of those things that I simply couldn’t capture with a camera.  The moon was huge and bright rising right over the chateau that night.  It was even glowing a bit orang-y as it climbed into the sky.  I guess it’s the type of thing you just have to come to Paris to see.