Living in a city, surrounded by buildings and masses of people often leaves you craving nature and quiet. I find nature, more than anything, can give you perspective in life and keep you grounded. I love to experience the changing of the seasons, the magic that lies in each of them.

But in a city, it just takes a little extra effort to find nature, when you do, though, it feels even more special. Lyon has lots of green spaces, some more obvious than others. There’s the huge Parc Tête d’Or with lakes and woods and roseries and little corners for everyone. And then there are the jardins, little gardens hidden away in courtyards, like this one I found in the very beginning of my time in Lyon.

I loved coming to the park all year, walking through rustling leaves in autumn, photographing frozen roses in the winter, and now enjoying the most wonderful season in nature: spring. Birdsong, colourful blossoms and hundreds of shades of lush green. There’s so much to take in and you can just feel the life coming back.

Last weekend I went on the hunt for wild garlic and ended up crawling through trees and bushes, finding myself in the midst of greens, the outside world shut off for a while.

When I want to be in a livelier place I come to the Montée de la Grand Côte. It’s the main alley up Croix-Rousse, with a little park towards the top. And let me tell you, this is one of the best places for people watching. Take a seat on one of the benches or in the grass. Under pink and white blossoms you’ll have a view over the city and can listen to the chatter of people around you or watch tourists and locals walking up and down the hill, every other person stopping to take a picture of the trees.

How’s spring looking where you live?