Dodo Manège -- Un carrousel

Dodo Manège, so read the hand-painted wood sign in front of this picturesque carousel, a merry-go-round of extinct and endangered species. Closed in the winter with the green tarp sealed tightly, it is a must-see for my warm-weather trips to Paris. It is found near the southeast entrance to Jardin de Plantes (Metro: Gare D'Austerlitz) and can be located by the sounds of the carousel music and children's laughter.

You will not see many tourists but parents, grandparents, children -- local families out for an afternoon. To ride the green T. Rex or perhaps the Dodo, each child clutches un billet until it is handed over to the ticket collector. Indulged most likely by grandparents, some children ride time and again, some changing animals each time the manège stops and others guarding the "first-come" rights to the same favorite animal.