Paris has so many wonderful parks, squares, gardens, and open spaces. They range in design and size from the classic to the modern – from small areas tucked in out of the way neighborhoods to massive spaces like the Bois de Boulogne or the Bois de Vincennes on the east and west sides of the City. We love them all! Some have playgrounds, carousels, public art, pétanque courts, concession stands, restaurants, ponds, lakes, flowers….you name it – and you’ll probably find it in a Parisian Park.
One of our favorite activities on this or any trip to Paris is to visit our favorite open spaces but we also like to try new ones. We like to explore for a while and then find a bench in the shade. Mostly we read – doze - and people watch. What a parade of humanity of all ages - kids on pony rides – kids on carousels – walkers with several dogs in tow – well dressed matrons on their afternoon stroll - young people walking hand in hand – police patrols on horseback – pick-up soccer games…..
Parisians have small apartments and few have their own green space except for the occasional balcony or roof garden so open space is especially important - as it is in most large cities. Marie-Elisabeth grew up in an apartment with 4 sisters – six people in about 1,100 square feet AND they had a large apartment by Paris standards. Her twin sisters used to ride tricycles around in circles between two rooms and the central hallway. Getting out of the house and going to an open space is a necessity. In the afternoons, you can always see moms, grandparents, and nannies with kids in the parks. On Wednesday afternoons most schools are not in session so this is a great time to see “kids in action” in the parks, squares, and open spaces.
So far this trip we have gone to the Tuileries, Luxembourg Gardens, Parc Monceau, Parc Montsouris, and today – Parc Bercy. More are on the list – especially one of my favorites – the Place des Vosges.
I’ve already written about Parc Monsouris so today I will add a few comments on some of the others.
The Tuileries are known to most Parisian visitors – the linear space between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. Actually it is part of the axis that runs from the Louvre all the way to La Defense in the west of Paris. André Le Nôtre designed the space in the 1660s – he is also the landscape designer of the gardens at Versailles. There are many modern sculptures in the space – some that defy explanation – at a distance we thought that a tree had fallen – we could see the exposed root system on its side – but on closer inspection it was a sculpture!
The art museum Jeu de Paume that houses a collection of Impressionist Art sits at one end of the space. On our first full day in Paris we installed ourselves in chairs to read and relax just above the museum overlooking a pond with fountain. Many Parisian parks have movable chairs for visitors – some with arms, some without, and some that are in a reclining position. I have to avoid the reclining chairs or I would spend the afternoon asleep on our first day in Paris.
BTW - A good trick for curing jet lag is to be sure you are out in the light to get your Cicardian Rhythm in working order. I had almost no jet lag this trip and have not had much of a problem in a few years – of course now it will be bad when I come home for saying this. I also avoided coffee and alcohol on this flight – well one glass of champagne to get in the Paris mood - and I always set my watch ahead to the time of my destination and never think to myself what time it is at home. I have it – Denial as a Jet Lag cure!
The Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement is a medium sized space set in an upper class neighborhood. The park had its beginning in the late 1760s but took its present form after expansion. Actually its earliest design was by an English landscape architect. It was opened to the public after the revolution but it was not until 1860 that it was acquired by the City of Paris. At that time Barron Haussmann and his landscape architect shaped it into the space it is today. Yes – Haussmann is everywhere in today’s Paris – some say for the good – some say he destroyed the “real” Paris. Personally I like the wide boulevards and the Haussmannian buildings but the old Paris of the Left Bank and the Marais have their charms – I guess I’ll take both.
Of course maybe I'm prejudiced with my urban studies background. I did not always embrace the "new" planning of my colleagues - too much sameness in places like Irvine and south Orange County where I first worked in Planning.
We spent a great afternoon in the Parc Monceau – munching a sandwich on a bench while watching the Wednesday afternoon kids on the carousel.
There were many modern sculptures on display – a temporary exhibition of Chinese artists – many very strange – like the one with a tall stack of butcher ready to buy chickens standing on each other’s shoulder – if chicken’s have shoulders? The name of the sculpture is odd – Décrocher la Lune – or Detaching the Moon – of course the whole thing was odd.
Art?
I’ll get to the other parks later – places to go people to see!
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