Last Sunday, we took a beautiful Paris walk, the Promenade Plantee. It starts near the Bastille atop an old aqueduct. It's not unlike the High-line in Manhattan, but much longer. Below, near Gare de Lyon, is the Viaduc des Arts with artisan studios and shops. The Promenade descends to street level in the 12th e. along an abandoned railway line. Some modern apartment buildings seem sliced to fit right up next to the Promenade.
(Paul is rather annoyed that these people did not center themselves on the Promenade. It could'a been a contender.)
Planted in 1988 and opened in 1993, it is a well maintained urban garden that goes on and on for at least 3 miles until one reaches the Bois de Vincennes in the SE corner of Paris.
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The Bois is a very large park, three times the size of Central Park. Originally a hunting preserve for the kings of France, it became a public park under Napolean III in 1860. It is a park in the English landscape manner.
It's filled with lakes, sports grounds, playgrounds, biking trails, flower gardens, meditation, bird watching, lots of woods and getting lost places.
Getting lost is the thing we managed to do - two or three times, depending on who's counting. We tried shortcuts through the woods to get out of the hot sun, and came out 90 to 180 degrees off from the direction we meant to be heading. Thanks to a rare "You Are Here" sign, we finally emerged near the Chateau de Vincennes, not far from which we found a pleasant Brasserie for a delightful Sunday lunch and a nearby Metro station to take us home, proving once again that all is well that ends that way.
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