By Anne Swardson

I’ve written before about how sad it makes me to see, in my walks around Paris, posters of the things that will never happen. The movies, the plays, the concerts, the museum exhibitions.

I realized the other day that spring flowers are also one of those. The parks are closed in large cities and with them, the chance to sit on a bench and appreciate new growth and new life. Nature can only be glimpsed through iron bars.

These photos are from a long, skinny park that runs down the median, on top of an old rail track, of the boulevard Pereire. In normal times, its rose gardens, playgrounds, lawns and benches are filled with people of all ages, enjoying what bit of nature they can grab in their own ‘hood.

I understand why closing them was necessary for social distancing. The first nice day of spring fell on March 15, a Sunday, and people flocked to every outdoor space they could find, even though the government was already suggesting that they avoid crowds. Monday, President Emmanuel Macron declared a mandatory lockdown beginning the following day.

That appears to have included park workers. It’s been 25 days now, and it looks like no one is mowing the grass.

People still go to the parks. I guess sitting or playing just outside them is better than being cramped in a small apartment.

Inside, iris is growing and daffodils are nearing the end of their season.

At least there is one park in my neighborhood that’s still open. It’s in the middle of the traffic circle around the Place Maréchal Juin, so could hardly be closed. It’s a little skuzzier, but people were sitting on the benches and enjoying themselves.

Macron is going to speak to the nation Monday and the word is he will extend the lockdown, currently scheduled to end on April 17. It’s understandable. The number of new cases and ICU admissions are stabilizing, but there’s a long way to go. Still, it would be nice to be able to walk in a park some time before the spring flowers are gone.