These last few days have been so nice and mellow. We hang out in the apt. in the morning, Miles works on his research and I catch up with this and that. After lunch, we go on a fast walk for about 50 minutes trying to work off all the great cheese, bread and desserts we are often indulging in. Then by mid-afternoon, we're ready to explore some sites. Lately it's been parks.
One of these was Parc de la Villette in the NE area of Paris which houses one of the largest concentration of cultural venues in Paris, including the City of Science and Industry, Europe's largest science museum, three major concert venues and the Conservatory of Paris.
We walked along the waterways until the Rotonde de la Villette. This building from 1784 was one of 54 buildings created to enforce custom duties for any goods entering the city of Paris. It always amazes me to find such lesser-known buildings scattered ALL over Paris. You never know what beautiful architectural structures you're going to find in all kinds of nooks and crannies.
One of these was Parc de la Villette in the NE area of Paris which houses one of the largest concentration of cultural venues in Paris, including the City of Science and Industry, Europe's largest science museum, three major concert venues and the Conservatory of Paris.
Omnimax cinema, La Géode
Front of the City of Science and Industry Museum...
...and the back side. Enormous!
I always thought the Seine was the only waterway in Paris. Mais non! Parc de la Villette is set along the banks of the Canal de L'Ourcq. We walked along this waterway which feeds into the Bassin de la Villette. From here the water way goes through a lock and onto the Canal Saint
Martin where you can take a canal boat ride.
Canal de L'Ourcq
Lock along the Bassin de la Villette
We walked along the waterways until the Rotonde de la Villette. This building from 1784 was one of 54 buildings created to enforce custom duties for any goods entering the city of Paris. It always amazes me to find such lesser-known buildings scattered ALL over Paris. You never know what beautiful architectural structures you're going to find in all kinds of nooks and crannies.
Rotonde de la Villette
Another interesting park was Parc Andre Citroen in the SW section of
Paris. The park, from the early 90's, was built on the site of a
former Citroen automobile manufacturing plant. This park has themed gardens, green houses, waterfalls, a tethered helium balloon available in the summer for rides and lots of pretty green space.
Waterfall and helium balloon
I liked these small "cubed" hedges
Green space
Autumn colors
So there we are at the end of our day, walking along the Seine towards the Allee des Cygness (a small artificial island/walkway in the middle of the Seine with a fantastic view of the Tour Eiffel) where SURPRISE, you spot the Statue of Liberty! This one-fourth scale replica of the NY statue is 22 meters high. It was inaugurated on 4 July 1889, nearly three years after its counterpart was given by France to the US. This replica was given to the city of
Paris by the American community of Paris, commemorating of the centennial of the French Revolution.
Tour Eiffel and Statue of Liberty
Close up!
Path with autumn colors
Play structure in the park
Oscar Wilde
(Tip: If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see lipstick kisses from admirers on the protective glass wall)
Marcel Marceau
Sunset from the top of the cemetery
I just had to include a couple more examples of architectural gems that we just came upon.
Interesting apartment house
Restaurant ceiling in the Gare de Lyon train station
Last park for this post: Parc de Belleville is in the NE section of Paris, close to Montmartre. It has a lot of pretty paths that snake around the hillside.
Parc de Belleville path
From there we wandered into Pere Lachaise Cemetery, the biggest in Paris.
Beautiful fall flowers planted ALL over the cemetery
It is SO HUGE and we just wandered awhile until we remembered to look on my phone for a map to find well-known graves.
Oscar Wilde
(Tip: If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see lipstick kisses from admirers on the protective glass wall)
Marcel Marceau
A fitting end to another perfect day.
You are becoming the parc mavens! Love it. Pere Lachaise is really something, isn't it. I trust you made the requisite jaunt to Jim Morrison's grave as well. It is a bit of a maze in there but oh so fascinating.
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