It's early April 2021, and we are in the middle of another Covid lockdown in Paris. Restaurants, museums, and stores remain shuttered. People scurry to and from their destinations with tension and anxiety around their eyes - the only thing you can see with the mandatory masks.

But today is different. The sun is shining, the birds have returned to the city, and my girlfriends and I are restless. We are all in various jobs related to tourism, travel, and creative content, and an idea starts to brew in a shared chat on What's App: a day trip to Parc de Sceaux.

Located only 5 km southwest of Paris, Parc de Sceaux extends over the western flank of the Bièvre valley, at the confluence of the Aulnay and Châtenay streams. This valley relief inspired the famous landscape designer André Le Nôtre (who also designed the gardens of Chateau Versailles). Nôtre relied on a ridge, hillsides, and a naturally humid base, to create perspectives, terraces, basins, and canals.

The chateau, built in the 19th century, is also a museum since 1937. It houses precious collections evoking the history of the site and its successive owners. Engravings, drawings, paintings, sculptures, pottery, furniture, manuscripts, decorations, and many other treasures are displayed, some of which come from the Carnavalet museum in Paris.

But Parc de Sceux is also home to another precious collection that many don't know about: The largest cherry blossom orchard in the Paris, Ile de France region. There are two hidden orchards side by side, in the heart of the park. One is an expansive sea of white cherry blossom trees. And the next orchard over is nothing but fluffy pink flowers.

Today's picnic team includes Eliana Campo, Emily Lester, Janelle Sweeney, and yours truly. Eliana is a sommelier & event coordinator, so she took on the job of bringing decor, entertainment, and delicious homemade treats. Emily specializes in wine education & marketing, so she brought some fab vintages for us to try. For those of you who have been with me for a while, you'll know that my gal pal Janelle is a professional photographer in Paris. And my job? Transportation and to gather additional picnic supplies.

We met at my flat, and with fresh flowers, sunhats, and picnic baskets in hand, we loaded up the car and headed to Parc de Sceaux, excited and hopeful to find the elusive cherry tree orchards.

After parking, the first thing you're greeted with is the magnificent approach and view of the stately chateau. As you round the mansion, your view opens up to a Versailles-esque manicured grounds and gardens. It's breathtaking.

And also, in stark contrast to the famous jardins of Chateau Versailles, you can picnic right on the lawn!

We decided to come back to the car for lunch supplies later - the ladies and I were on a mission to find the cherry blossoms. As we strolled along the paths, I distinctly remember Emily explaining some of the new and exciting vintages and changes within the French wine industry as we explored the park, including her recommendation to snap up anything from 2019.

As we rounded a corner, the ladies and I finally found the first cherry tree orchard... with no blossoms! While the cherry trees in Paris were all in bloom, at Parc de Sceaux, the buds were still tight, with tiny hints of pink flowers teasing us. We all tried not to be overly disappointed that we were too early and continued to explore the vast gardens, vowing to come back when the trees were in bloom.

Thankfully, we had something else to look forward to - a trunk full of picnics goodies to eat and drink!

These talented ladies never cease to amaze me, and while I thought I was a good planner, Eliana showed us who was the real pro. We all ended in a fit of giggles as she kept pulling things out of what seemed to be a never-ending Mary Poppins-style bag. She even had packed maracas!

Tucked in the shadows of the chateau, with sun shining on our faces and hardly another soul in sight, the world felt bright, joyful, positive, and hopeful for our futures, even in the middle of a terrifying pandemic.

More so, moments like this are forever burned into my memory - a small group of immigrants from all around the world (United States, Italy, and New Zealand) who came together over good food and wine to share love and kindness.

Want to follow these fab ladies in this article? Click to see their Instagram stories and say "bonjour"!

Emily Lester - @pariswinegirl

Eliana Campo - @elianacampo_

Janelle Sweeney - @myparisportraits