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maltatoday SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER 2017 39 Travel BEST AREAS TO WIND DOWN AND ENJOY NATURE It's hard to immerse yourself in nature when you live in a city, but luckily for tourists and locals, Paris is filled with beautiful parks and gardens all around. One garden that stands out from the rest and is a little less formal than the rest is the 'Temple of Love', also called the Temple Romantique, in the gardens of Versailles. Make sure to pack a picnic and sit on the grass across from the little island with the temple, which you can access by walking across the bridge or even better, by renting a little rowing boat, which adds onto its romantic na- ture. So if you are a die-hard romantic this is definitely the place for you. BEST SPOT FOR SHOPPING If you love boutique shopping then Le Marais is the place to go. The streets are filled with quirky, fashionable and original shops ranging from designer wear to high-street fashion, which add to its avant-garde reputation. It is a great change from the overcrowded avenues all over Paris. The streets can be tight and narrow, which is perfect to wander and get lost in. It is also very hip with cycling studios popping up everywhere and healthy cafes taking over the more traditional French ones. If you do end up in Le Marais you must visit Place de Vosges, as it has many art galleries and cafes over looking such an aesthetically pleasing square. BEST PLACE FOR A NIGHT OUT If you want to avoid the judgment of bouncers and club promoters as well as snobby tourists, visit rue de Prin- cesse for a night of relaxed fun. There are numerous bars to choose from, all situated next to each other making it easy to bar hop and mingle with the locals. Drinks are cheap and the peo- ple are friendly, making it all the more enjoyable for visitors. There are also great food stalls open for when your late night hunger pangs kick in. BEST LOCAL THING One of the best kept secrets in the 'city of love' is rue Cler in the seventh arrondisse- ment hidden away in one of the cobbled streets not far from the world's greatest monuments, La Tour Eiffel. In rue Cler you will find many outdoor cafes - Cafe Central being one of my favourites, serving typical French food. There is also a smaller place called L'Éclair, a great burger place which has the added bonus of serving some eccentric cocktails. Apart from just cafes and restau- rants, rue Cler is vibrant and full of colour brought about by the many fruit and vegeta- ble stores and f lower shops that add a unique charm and undeniable beauty to the area. Unlike bigger and wetter countries further north of us, we are not blessed with many species of butterfly. While maybe two dozen or so species have been recorded, even an experienced naturalist will be lucky to rack up 20. Some are rare or have occurred only once, others are more frequent. Some are migratory, others resident, some are small, other big and showy. The red admiral (M. farfett tal-ħurrieq) is a medium-sized "showy", easy to identify from the bold black- red-white pattern. Many red admirals migrate, and some years we get a day or two when thousands flutter across our countryside and gardens as they wend their way north or south. They descend en masse on flowering shrubs to refuel on the energising nectar, adding life and movement, as everyone reaches for their phone camera to record the spectacle! As its Maltese name shows, the foodplant of this butterfly's caterpillars is the humble nettle. So before you weed your garden completely nettle-free, spare a thought for the hungry red admiral babies. Text: Victor Falzon Photo: Desirée Falzon 581. RED ADMIRAL Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 484: Find out more and register – https://foemalta.org/e-act/camp/ Bee Sustainable is a 2-day live-in workshop that will provide participants with the fundamental tools for creating pollinator-friendly gardens in Malta. One of FoE Malta's causes is to raise awareness on the importance of pollinators (such as honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies & moths), and create garden spaces that provide food and shelter for them. In this 2-day activist camp we will go through the basics of the importance of environmental sustainability & looking at systems holistically through a permaculture mind-set, pollinator species and the vital role they play in the ecosystem, how we can create bee- friendly areas by growing specific plants and creating bee-accommodation, and means through which we work together to create pockets of bee-friendly areas in different localities in Malta and Gozo. Previous knowledge base is not required, however an overall interest in learning about pollinators, and a desire to propagate the concept of creating pollinator-friendly areas, whether in private or public spaces is required. Activist Camp The only new 'hotels' we'd love to build