Tag Archives: Paris parks

What do Madame de Sévigné, Victor Hugo, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and Colette have in common?

03 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by in Paris photos, Paris sidetrips, Paris travel, Paris Walks, Paris Wandering

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Answer: they all lived here at Place Vosges, in my opinion, the prettiest square in Paris. It is ringed with 36 redbrick-and-stone houses—nine on each side, a salute to early urban planning. To love it is to know it’s history. Definitely a place to bring your sandwich (it’s okay to sit on the lawn), take in the sunshine and feel very far away from the traffic on nearby rue de Rivoli.

Four centuries ago this was the site of the Palais des Tournelles, home to King Henry II and Queen Catherine de Medici. The couple staged regular jousting tournaments, and Henry was fatally lanced in the eye during one of them in 1559. Catherine fled to the Louvre, abandoning her palace and ordered it destroyed. In 1612 the square became Place Royale on the occasion of Louis XIII’s engagement to Anne of Austria. Napoléon renamed it Place des Vosges to honor the northeast region of Vosges, the first in the country to pony up taxes to the Revolutionary government.

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Place des Vosges is structured around two pavilions, that of the Queen at the north part of the square, and that of the King at the south part both built deliberately higher. They are not open to the public; however, you can still visit the house of Victor Hugo, author of “Les Misérables”, which is now a municipal museum. It is free and open daily from 9am to 6pm every day except Monday. To preserve this unity, the place has been protected since the 1960s by the “plan for the preservation and enhancement of the Marais” and no intervention, especially on the façades, can be made without the architect’s agreement.

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Chic restaurants, boutiques and art galleries fill the arcade surrounding the park. A small private door, open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., will give you access to the garden of the stately Hotel de Sully, headquarters of the Center for National Monuments. Be sure to visit their well stocked bookstore. Unfortunately they don’t carry No Worries Paris, but you, of course, hopefully already purchased it before your trip to Paris. Place Vosges and all there is to do and see in the area starts on page 93 and is marked on the walking map.

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Hungry?  Here are some recommended restaurants

Au Bourguignon Du Marais, 52 Rue François Miron, 75004. Regional dishes from Burgundy.

La Tartine, 24 Rue de Rivoli, 75004

Chez Janou, 2 Rue Roger Verlomme, 75003

Les Cotelettes, Cafe Martini, Cafe Hugo

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Take a breather in Paris’s EcoJardin: Square du Temple

20 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by in Paris guide, Paris photos, Paris Walks, Paris Wandering

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A park where I take a timeout with a warm croissant/jambon sandwich from the bakery nearby. Nestled in the Marais, you might spot Tai Chi or small yoga classes on delegated green spaces, or someone asleep occupying an entire bench. The scene is everchanging.

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The site of the commandry of the knights of the Order of the Temple in the 13th century, the square became the scene of bloody repressions when the Templars were considered heretics.

It’s a much more peaceful place today. An English garden embellished with numerous exotic trees: American honey locust, goldenrain tree, Ginkgo Biloba, Turkish hazel, and a tall Japanese pagoda specimen embellish the landscape. This is an EcoJardin. It has been awarded the official French stamp of approval which recognizes ecological management guiding gardeners and managers of green spaces towards good practices (only certain sprays can be used, etc).

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The wildlife in this large garden has never been so vibrant. Many different species of birds come to refresh themselves near the ornamental pool and waterfall constructed of rocks from the forest of Fontainebleau.

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Complete directions to get here are in the No Worries Paris guidebook.

Square du Temple
64 rue de Bretagne – 75003 Paris

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Park it in the Marais at Square Georges Cain

06 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by in Paris tips, Paris travel, Paris Walks, Paris Wandering

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Out of Paris’s 400 parks, the tucked-away Square Georges Cain, an oasis of greenery,  gets my vote for poetic escapes. Maybe it’s the circular design, the gardeners’ decision to fill the center surrounding the statue of Aurore with a sea of orange long-stemmed roses in the spring, or to color coordinate all the other flowers with a pastel palette to complement the archeological relics around the perimeter. The sign at the park’s entrance reads “colors too bright would monopolize the view of the passer by.” Walk in, sit down and I guarantee you’ll feel soothed. There always seems to be an empty bench, just how the neighborhood regulars  like it.

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Who was Georges?  Answer: a painter and writer who was a long time curator (1897-1914) at the Carnavalet Museum.

Pieces from the history of Paris dispersed in the square include the remains of the previous Town Hall, Merovingian sarcophagi, and the pediment of the central pavilion of the Tuileries Palace still blackened from the fire that destroyed it.

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If you intend to visit Musee Picasso or Musee Carnavalet, this is a place to head for afterwards . Your feet will thank you and you’ll have a chance to read your No Worries Paris guide for where-to-next inspiration.

Stay long enough and you might have a chance to hear ” Le Rossignol Electrique’ by Eric Samakh (1990), a small electronic bird that starts singing whenever the wind blows (iffy in the summer).

7 rue Payenne
75003 Paris
District : Le Marais

Jardin de Reuilly: ‘eau gazeuse’ (sparkling water) for free

12 Sunday Apr 2015

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Jardin de Reuilly

Spring is here and locals know there’s no better place to enjoy the blossoms than strolling or jogging the Promenade Plantee. The Jardin de Reuilly (midway) lures visitors in with it’s artistically planted terraces, large circular lawn and rose garden. It was once the site of the ancient Chateau de Reuilly, a vacation house for the Merovingian kings.

jardin de reuilly No Worries Paris

At the main entrance (l’avenue Daumesnil) lies France’s first public fountain, still operational today. Tap water from the public pipes is pumped into the fountains, where it is chilled to around 6 degrees C (43 F). The CO2 is introduced into the mix right before the water comes out of the faucet and into your bottle/cup.

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Jardin de Reuilly
46 Boulevard de Reuilly, 75012

Quiet Paris: find a bench and cool your jets at Square Boucicaut

17 Tuesday Feb 2015

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Noise, crowded sidewalks and tourist attractions are exhausting. Taking a break in one of Paris’s beautiful parks can be a refreshing interlude. Sit and staring, reading your guidebook (No Worries Paris) or munching on a sandwich are acceptable activities. No smoking please. Chill.

paris par kNoWorries Visiting this square filled with exotic plants and artistic plantings located across from Bon Marche department store can be a magic moment. Bon Marche has a gourmet deli, grocery department and outstanding patisserie for all your picnic needs. Eat, rest, shop ’til you drop. This is an activity off the beaten tourist path, so share a bench with a local and enjoy your splendid day in Paris. quietparis

Make your first day in Paris pop

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

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From the pages of the No Worries Paris photographic walking guide:

“Trocadero Plaza and Palais de Chaillot … Tour Eiffel … Champs de Mars … Ecole Militaire … Musee Branly … Avenue Georges V … Arc de Triomphe … Champs Elysees … Grand Palais and Petit Palais … Pont Alexandre … Jardin des Tuileries … Musee du Louvre

Walking Tour One, along the major monuments of Paris, is the perfect way to spend day one after being cooped up in an airplane. The grand scale of the city is revealed from wide-open formal parks. First-time visitors will see many of the major sites, and Francophiles will become reacquainted.

You could spend a week making the worthwhile stops of the walking tour. For that matter you could spend a week at the Louvre. But you can also spend one long day with enough time to dip in here and there for stops—and come away with a grand sense of place. This walk is also easy to navigate. For a more leisurely pace, Walking Tour One, can be divided into two days: Spend the first day around the Tour Eiffel, and instead of crossing the river to Avenue George V, continue by seeing the sights of Promenade One, page 152, which is adjacent to the Eiffel. On day two, start at the Arc de Triomphe and take in the Louvre.

DISTANCE: 5 TO 6 MILES TIME: 4.5 TO 8 HOURS”

For the accompanying walking tour map and much more detail about this outing, buy a print, Amazon Kindle or Barnes and Noble copy of No Worries Paris.

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Vintage Luxembourg

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

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The beehives are in a hidden corner. See if you can find them.

Nostalgia. Never changes.

Art in the park. Now gone.

The Tuileries Gardens, heart of the Axe historique

20 Tuesday Nov 2012

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I can’t always write about fashion and food so I’ll bore you with a little history today: Paris’s Historical Axis.

The Palace of Tuileries was commissioned by Catherine de Medici in 1564 on the site of a tile factory (hence the French name ‘Tuilerie’ deriving from ‘tuile’ – tile).

Young Louis XIV lived there, as did Napoleon Bonaparte who made the Tuileries the centre of his imperial power. It was severely damaged by a fire during the 1871 upheaval of the Paris Commune and the government resolutely cleared away the ruins in 1883. Rumor has it that it will someday be rebuilt.

If you stand in the center of the Tuileries Garden, you can try to locate ‘the spine’ of Paris: In one direction, you should be able to see all the way down the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Still in a line beyond that lies La Defense, the Grand Arch. In the other direction is the Place du Carrousel, IM Pei’s pyramid in the Louvre courtyard and much farther away (and not to be seen from ground level), the Bastille (demolished during the French revolution). The July Column takes its place.

Now you can slump in one of those free chairs, relax and fantasize about what transpired exactly where you’re sitting ….. or just doze off.

Jardin Albert Kahn & Museum: magical

23 Monday Jul 2012

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This turn-of-the-century property just beyond the Quai du 4 Septembre, Boulogne-Billancourt, is a wonderland of English, French and Japanese garden styles, terraces, a prarieland, rocky terrain, a rose garden and conifer wood. It was begun in 1893 by French millionaire/banker/philanthropist/idealist/internationalist Albert Kahn. In 1909, believing he could promote cross-cultural peace and understanding, he sent photographers and cameramen in 50 countries to take pictures of daily life. The adjoining museum has preserved the first collection in the world of 72,000 autochromes and 180,000 meters of films. The displays are rare and beautiful. Some of the subjects include the earliest known color photos of Vietnam, Brazil, Norway and parts of the United States. A small admission is charged, worth going to especially in spring and fall. Closed on Mondays, opens at 11 a.m., metro Porte d-Auteuil, bus 52 and 72