Squirrels are out and about across the Parc de la Tête d’Or. I have previously shared a photo of a local squirrel, but today I took a little footage and put together the short film below.
On a side note, iMovie 11 has started crashing my Mac Pro. It makes putting these films together impossible on my most capable Mac; instead I have to borrow Megan’s MacBook Pro. I have reported the problem as best I can as a customer to Apple; the recent decline of software quality at Apple is concerning.
I have looked forward to my first walk since the surgery with delight. We often walk in the local park to escape our apartment and the trials of the day. So I dreaded being stuck inside while I recovered.
Ducks on our local park lake in Lyon
I was not disappointed by my first slow, and a touch uncomfortable, walk yesterday evening. The rain had just stopped when we stepped outside and the light was fading. It made for a magical environment and a near deserted park. Only a few runners looping the edge shared the quiet paths with us.
I have been neck deep working with pkgbuild and productbuild for DssW. These last weeks have been busy and my work is now increasingly demanding every moment available.
After a long day, I needed to get out of the apartment last night; we opted to walk to the park.
It was first time since moving that we have found the time to walk in the evening.
A section of the Parc de la Tête d’Or has been set aside for wild flowers. This area resembles a meadow and attracts numerous pollinating bees and other insects to the park.
A field of poppies and other wild flowers in Lyons park.
A cluster of poppy flowers in Lyon’s main park.
We were not the only ones photographing the wild flowers.
We run in the mornings and there are always others around exercising in the park. What we experience in the morning is quiet compared to the evening.
During the evening the number of people running is incredible. The running route around the park is busy with all categories of runners making their way around. The main entrance to the park makes for a regular stretching and catching of breath point for many.
Runners stretching or catching their breath by the main gate.
We stopped and watched the ducks in the main lake.
A mother duck and duckling by the edge of the lake.
I have no idea what this plant is called but it reminds me of candy floss. The French call candy floss, la barbe à papa – which translates to father’s beard in English.
I frequently notice red squirrels when we visit the Parc de la Tête d’Or. The squirrels are not afraid of humans and carry on foraging as runners pass by only a meter away.
A red squirrel eating a nut in the park in Lyon, France
We watched quietly this weekend as a man hand fed two red squirrels. Each squirrel approached slowly and carefully before standing upright and stretching out a small paw to take a small nut. Then a quick scurry back to safety before eating and repeating the rewarding routine.
Lyon’s largest park, Parc de la Tête d’Or, contains a set of beautiful greenhouses. These large glass houses contain plants needing a warmer, more controlled, environment than Lyon’s weather can offer.
Greenhouses in Parc de la Tête d'Or, Lyon
Underneath the glass, a banana tree seemed to thrive alongside numerous other tall trees reaching up towards the curving roof.
Looking up at a banana tree
Bunch of bananas hanging from the tree
Below is a short film of the greenhouse. As usual the footage was taken with my small point and shoot camera, and edited with iMovie. A High Definition edition is also available.
Having arrived in a bleak winter freeze I have been keen to see the return of greenery to the trees and plants around the city. The last two weeks have fulfilled my wish and suddenly greenery is emerging everywhere.
The once frozen lake of the main park in Lyon, Parc de la Tête d’Or, is now surrounded by vivid green grass.
Grass next to the lake in Lyon's main park
Greenery in Parc de la Tête d'Or, Lyon
Most welcome of all is the return of greenery on the trees lining the boulevards of Lyon.
Tree lined boulevard in Lyon
First green leaves showing on a boulevard in Lyon
Both the boulevard photos above were taken at lunchtime over Easter weekend when the city was unnervingly quiet. I was able to stand in the middle of normally busy streets to capture moments impossible on any other day.
Parc de la Tête d’Or has a sizeable collection of turtles in a pond near the field of deer.
My understanding, is that the turtles have been given to the park by members of the public who are no longer allowed to keep them as pets. This pond is an anonymous drop off point for these now illegal pets.
Turtle lifting itself out of the water
The limited sun bathing areas are crowded with turtles and they try to crawl all over each other. The resulting slow speed collisions and collapses draw a constant crowd of spectators.
Turtle swimming with its head just out of the water
Parc de la Tête d’Or, the main park in Lyon, is large enough to be home to many animals. One walled off area contains deer – and oddly ostriches.
The park has now thawed. The sun has been out consistently enough for the crowds to return and for the animals to return to public view.
Deer looking up at the people
Signs ask the visitors not to feed the deer, but this seemed widely ignored. When we visited a few weekends ago, the deer knew that food would be forthcoming from the crowds peering over the wall. We watched small children gleefully sharing their food with the waiting deer.
The sight of an ostrich walking through the field caught me off guard. Once I noticed one, it was not long before I realised it was not alone. There were quite a few ostriches living alongside the deer.
