~Paris Five ~ Overture~

We’re back physically but I’m still somewhere between Paris and home.  Just to give you a preview of our month long vacation in Paris, I’m going to share some of the highlights.  This will be a visual, more than a literary, review.

This is our apt. building, we’re #24.  The apt. is on the very top floor. You can’t even see it in this photo.

The photo below is a view from our living room window looking across the street.  Our apt. corresponds to the top floor with the slanted roof and large sky-light type windows.

Our living room was actually quite adequate. The window let in a lot of light and there was a shade inside and a rolling shade outside.

 

The apt was located in the 16^th arr.  about 2 ½ blocks from the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero.  This was the view when we reached the end of our street heading to the Metro or bus stop.

On my list of ‘things to do ‘for this trip was to find some aerial views of the city.  We have been on top of the Arc de Triomphe (and I couldn’t do that climb again).  Some of the possibilities are the Tour de Montparnesse (the tallest building in the city) and Institute du Monde Arabe.  This photo was taken from the 9^th floor of the Institute du Monde Arabe and it is doesn’t cost a cent to use the elevator.  Fortunately, it wasn’t raining and we got beautiful photos of both of the islands in the Seine.

 

Some of my other photo themes included;

                                            Doors                                                                                                                               

Art

Pigeons

We spend a lot(!) of time in parks and gardens.  My primary intention for this trip was to visit at least five of the large parks that we haven’t seen yet.   We only made it to one on my list and came upon a second merely by chance.   The others will have to wait for another time.

 Albert Kahn Japanese Garden

 This was a breath-taking garden.  It is so well maintained ….a total surprise.   There were several groups of school children on field trips as well as 'grown up' artists.  We were here for hours and were very grateful for the sunny day.

I had several walks planned to search for examples of Art Nouveau architecture.  There are still a few very fine examples of this style to be found.

Museums weren’t a high priority for this trip; though with the weather being so inclimate, they should have been.   We visited the Architecture Museum…another wonderful surprise!   In order to see Val de Grace we had to tour the hospital museum; that proved quite interesting as well.

The one planned visit was the Mineralogy Museum at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines of Paris.  This was a treasure!!   We were the only ones there and had the whole place to ourselves.  The exhibits were unbelievable… much more extensive and impressive than the Mineralogy Museum at the Jardin des Plantes (which has been closed for a couple years now).

Of course a trip to Paris is not complete without a trip to the Louvre, there is always something new to be found.  We followed the crowd to the Mona Lisa, and then instead of going right, we went left to the Apollo Gallery.  Italian sculpture in the Denon wing was a new area for us too . 

Lastly, we returned to the Napoleon III Apartments.  This is a popular place and everyone was fighting for the spot to take the best photo.

I took thousands of photos.  I want to remember it all!  Somehow they aren’t as colorful or dynamic as I had hoped.   I blame it on the weather.  I certainly have a vast variety of subjects for blog posts.

Even in the cold, wet weather, the flowers were beautiful.  I regret that we didn’t get to see the lovely rose garden of the Parc de Bagatelle in the Bois du Boulogne.  The roses needed another week of nice warm days in order to bloom.   The manager of the apartment said that on Mother’s Day (May 26^th in France), there was a shortage of the traditional peonies and those that could be found were very expensive.

Most of our traveling around the city was by bus.  My legs and hips just couldn’t take all that climbing up and down in the Metro.   We got a bus map when we purchased our Metro tickets, then I researched which lines we could take to the various places we wanted to go.  We were very lucky to be close to the Trocadero and Place Victor Hugo; 2 hubs for buses.    The buses are quite modern, everything is automated and the signage is very good.   The interior is laid out to accommodate luggage and baby carriages.  There are several designated seats for handicapped and elderly.  With all of these features, the buses don’t hold a lot of people, but on most lines, the buses run every 7-10 minutes so the wait is not long.

The one side trip that we made was to Tours to see a couple more chateau.  We got our train tickets the week before at the SNCF office near the Trocadero.  Like last time, we took the TGV (fast train) so the trip only took an hour.  We knew our way around from the last visit so were able to walk to the hotel from the train station.  We traveled light!  The 2 chateaus were Chateau Ussé and Chateau Langeais.   They were very different and good choices.

This one is Chateau Ussé, called the “Sleeping Beauty Castle” because it was the inspiration for the story.

Chateau Langeais, below, is a medieval castle.  The furnishings were remarkable.

I’m going to end here.  There will be more soon.  By the way, if you subscribe to the blog, the posts will pop up in your email as they are posted
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 A bientot!

~Paris Planning~ Parc Georges Brassens

This park located in the 15th arrondissement was created in 1984.  The area used to be the hamlet of Vaugirard.  It was incorporated into the city of Paris during Baron Hausmann's reconstruction in the 19th century.
In the 18th century, there was a large vineyard on this site and it employed most of the inhabitants of the area. By the 19th century, the vineyard disappeared and was replaced by market gardens; then in 1894 the slaughterhouses of Vaugirard were constructed.  The slaughter houses were busy for many years but were finally destroyed in 1975.

Georges Brassens (1921-1981) was a singer, songwriter and poet.  He lived in the neighborhood on rue Santos Dumont. The park was given its name by Mayor Jacque Chirac and was opened to the public in 1984.

 At the entrance to the park are two bull statutes on pillars, symbolizing the slaughter houses.

 Several original buildings remain; the belfry from the auction houses, the metal roofed horse market and ornamental gates to the auction market.

Pool in front of the belfry.

  A vineyard  is a reminder of the original vineyards of Perichot which once 

covered the area.There are 700 Pinot Noir vines.

A bee hive was created in 1986. On the first Saturday in October,

 there is a sale of the honey produced by the hives.

 These are the original metal-roofed horsemarket buildings. 

There is a weekend bookmarket held on this site now.

 Bust of Georges Brassens by Alex Greck.

Like most parks in Paris, there are walkways, play areas for children, a carousel, a climbing area made with the stones of the former buildings, a gazebo for music concerts, a rose garden and a puppet theater.

It sounds like a beautiful place and it's high on our "must see" list.

~Paris Planning~2013

In 2 months we will be on our way to Paris for the 5th time. I've been calling it the "Paris Finale" because the decision to go was based on my mobility or lack thereof.
On previous trips the planning stage was almost as exciting as the vacation itself; researching sites, finding new resources, reading travel guides etc, etc. But this time it is different.  After exploring the city 4 previous times, the search becomes more difficult, not because it's hard to do. The reason is that the neighborhoods (arrondissements) have so many interesting 'hidden' places.  The more I read, the more I find.  It becomes overwhelming~to the point of research paralysis.

I've given this a lot of thought and have decided that the frustration and difficulty comes from the issue of this being the last trip. So, I'm changing that idea~it is not the last trip.

I'll never give up being able to go to Paris.

A couple of nights ago I was reading my DK Eyewitness Travel Guide for Paris.   (I love the "Eyewitness Travel Guides", they're very well organized, include great information, photos and detailed maps).  While reading, I found myself thinking, seen that, seen that, been there ~page after page.

I have many, many guide books~Rick Steve's France, Fodor's Paris, Frommer's Paris, Lonely Planet and Michelin Green Guides.  I have books for finding the best walks, the cheapest restaurants, the 10 best sites and things to do.  For this trip, I added several new travel books:

This little book Markets of Paris is a great guide to the city's food markets, antique markets, flea markets and artisan shows.
It is organized by arrondissement, especially good if you are already familiar with the city, and includes great directions, times and dates.

Another great find was Discover Paris by Metro put out by RATP (the public transportation operator in Paris) and the City of Paris.  This book describes each line of the Metro, stop by stop.  It lists sites to see, places to eat, museums to visit at the more prominent stops on each line.


Since I love architecture, I found Five Hundred Buildings of Paris a wonderful resource. The photos are black and white, the buildings are described by arrondissement and each is referenced in the back of the book with detailed information about the building's history.  This would be a great guide to have for siteseeing if it weren't small, thick and heavy.  Nonetheless, it is worth it's weight!

My favorite books though are the  Thirza Vallois'  Around and About Paris series. Each book in the series covers several arrondissements (1-7, 8-12,13-20).

These guides are not for the first time traveller unless you are extremely interested in history.
Arranged chronologically by arrondissement, the author,first, gives a thorough description of the neighborhood with detailed history about the people, places and events associated with the area.  The introduction is followed by interesting walks through the neighborhood with accompanying maps.



And so, I have a renewed enthusiasm for planning.  I've decided on a variety of themes for photographs and exploration ~Art Nouveau architecture, shop windows (my favorite), parks, gardens, squares & courtyards,art, cats, aerial views, Faubourg St. Antoine ~to name a few.  The only guides I will take with me will be the new edition of the Michelin Green Guide and my well-worn Knopf Mapguide of Paris.

Now, I must get back to Paris~planning.     Au revoir.