Surprise!

I found an apartment. Yay! No, that's not the surprise. I signed a one year lease through October 2011. No, that's not the surprise either. I was on my bike yesterday, delivering the deposit to secure the apartment, and I wanted to start exploring the neighborhood.

I could see on the map that there was a park nearby, but I had never visited it. It's the André Citroën Park, opened in 1992. Here is one of the gates to the park.


Lots of joggers, and that's the Seine just beyond the overhead bridge.


A fountain, with a balloon in the background.


I noticed people waiting in line. Hey, maybe I'll check it out.

What?! Only 10 euros for a balloon ride? It's a gorgeous Saturday morning and there aren't that many people in line. Sign me up!

That fountain? Here's what it looks like from above. That tower in the upper left hand corner is the Montparnasse tower.


Here you can see the where the joggers were, with the Seine behind.


The balloon is filled with helium and could simply float away if it weren't for this cable tethering it to the ground. BTW, this might not be too much fun if you suffer from acrophobia (fear of heights).


Here's the view to the north and the Eiffel Tower which is walking distance from my new apartment.


The park and the balloon ride were a complete surprise. I had no idea they were here. I smiled all day long . . .