What a lovely place the world would be...

Branfrere was the destination of choice today.

The French, we have found, have a way with the keeping of animals in a park like this which is about the joy of the animals, not the joy of the humans.  This park is a beautiful mix of both.

The "safe" animals are left to wander the beautiful landscaped gardens, and the humans are kept to the paths by little ropes. 

The humans in the main keep to this restriction, the animals, being not quite so daft, don't; and so it was we found ourselves face to face with two very fluffy alpacas and 25 screaming nursery children.  One of the alpacas even lay down on the path and had a good ole rub to itself, dusting itself down with the path soil. 

The beautifully landscaped gardens form a gorgeous backdrop to the appearance of the marsupials and llama types which are allowed to wander.  

The more dangeous beasties, like these red pandas, are separated too, by a rocky wall, and a rope.  I think they would quite happily jump it but thankfully decided not to.

All the animals look in amazing nick, and it's great to be upclose to see a little joey jumping in and out of it's mums pouch. 

The best part - the "Spectacle of the Birds".   The  speil tells me that 120 birds take part.  Could have been.  I was sitting, head up, head down, mouth open, spinning in my seat as bird after bird joined the throng.  

Macaws, parrots, flaminos, pelicans, Ibis, Egrets, vultures, cockateils, hawks, kestrels, all wander past you - literally so close I was able to put my hand out and stroke them as they walked past.  They would walk for a moment back and forward, and then as their information had been imparted, they were free to fly, and wander as they wishes. 

Sitting with flocks of parrots flying overhead in formation, with a very irate flamingo - which reminded me of the croquet game in Alice in Wonderland - at my feet, and watching all the other birds wander round checking out the crowd, taking fish from their keepers, and seeing all the little marsupials wander around behind them was amazing.  And the pelicans!! Wow.  Big, Big birds, and one of them at least was very partial to rolling around on the ground and having its belly rubbed.

There was an Adult Parcabout... a playground for adults, which consisted of about 500 metres of paths in the trees made of ropes and netting.  Si and I declined the invitation, but Tooli was right in there.  Hooting like a looney as she made her way across the African Plaines above our heads.  Our turn to laugh came at the end though - as she descended through an almost vertical rope funnel, her shirt pulled up and over her head, and the rope caught in her bra, leaving a half nake Tooli falling from the hole at the end :-)