In just the last few weeks, it has turned really warm and sunny here. Almost like summer in the northwest. It makes you feel guilty for sitting around indoors, and you start to think of all the things you could be doing outside. One of my favorite things to do outside is to enjoy the little spots of wilderness plopped in the middle of a big bustling city. I love being near big bodies of water, and lots of green. So I have narrowed down what I consider the best outdoorsy spots that I've been to in Paris.
Coming in at 5 and 4, (really it's a tie, since they're very similar), are the Jardin de Tuileries, and the Jardin de Luxembourg. The Tuileries are right at the heart of Paris behind the Louvre running all the way to Place de Concorde. Lots of sand and statues, there are some chairs and benches for good people watching. The best parts are the fountains where you can watch kids push little boats around. The Jardin de Luxembourg has the same, but more chairs, and usually more people when I've been there. Located at the edge of the 5th arrondissement, it's a nice stop when you're out and about. Also you can feel surrounded by power, since the senate meets in the palace just in front of it.
Coming in at number 3, is the great Bois de Vincennes. Definitely the biggest on my list, it has lots of fun, but a little less on charm. I actually knew about it years ago studying here, when some friends and I visited the Chateau de Vincennes, and walked around the park a little then. I didn't realized when I arrived in Nogent last fall that the back of the park ends just a couple minutes from where I'm living now. It's biggest draw for me are the miles (or kilometers?) of trails through nicely kept forest and fields. My normal run is down and around the big lake and back. It's common to see people walking their dogs, riding horses, playing with their kids, biking, kicking a futball, or running as well. And the birds in the lake are funny.
Until this week, Parc de Monceau was my favorite park in all of France. It got bumped to number 2, but hasn't lost any of its cuteness and charm for me. While it may be lacking in large green space, it has a certain little personality about it where you feel just like a cool parisian hanging out. Maybe a preppy parisian, but that doesn't make a big difference. It's located in an upper class neighborhood between the 17th and the 8th just off the Arc de Triomphe. There are usually a lot of kids playing and old people sitting on benches, and it just looks so idyllic.
On Wednesday this week, Paul and I met in Paris to hang out at a park I had never been to before, Buttes Chaumont. He had been when younger, but not for years. One reason for that is that it's tucked away in the northeast of Paris in the 19th arrondissement. Meeting up at the metro was no easy feat either, as it's on a little known line, 7bis. Which means, the other 7. So it takes a couple transfers to get to, but it was worth it. Now even though Wednesday was the first really gorgeous 80 degree sunny day of the year, but the park is really pretty, and fun. Plenty of trails and places to wonder, at least two waterfalls that I saw, and lots of open green space to lie in the sun. There are even cool bridges and a little butte with a roman looking thing on top. All to say, I will definitely be going back.
In general, when it comes to parks, I'm pretty easy to please. Some of my favorite travel memories are when we would go find the nearest park and hang out and read. And living in Seattle has spoiled me with how much of the outdoors the city is surrounded in. So look forward to seeing these spots when you come visit Paris!
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| fountain at the Jardin de Tuileries |
Coming in at 5 and 4, (really it's a tie, since they're very similar), are the Jardin de Tuileries, and the Jardin de Luxembourg. The Tuileries are right at the heart of Paris behind the Louvre running all the way to Place de Concorde. Lots of sand and statues, there are some chairs and benches for good people watching. The best parts are the fountains where you can watch kids push little boats around. The Jardin de Luxembourg has the same, but more chairs, and usually more people when I've been there. Located at the edge of the 5th arrondissement, it's a nice stop when you're out and about. Also you can feel surrounded by power, since the senate meets in the palace just in front of it.
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| view down the main drag at the Tullieries |
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| parisians enjoying the sun at the Jardin de Luxembourg |
Coming in at number 3, is the great Bois de Vincennes. Definitely the biggest on my list, it has lots of fun, but a little less on charm. I actually knew about it years ago studying here, when some friends and I visited the Chateau de Vincennes, and walked around the park a little then. I didn't realized when I arrived in Nogent last fall that the back of the park ends just a couple minutes from where I'm living now. It's biggest draw for me are the miles (or kilometers?) of trails through nicely kept forest and fields. My normal run is down and around the big lake and back. It's common to see people walking their dogs, riding horses, playing with their kids, biking, kicking a futball, or running as well. And the birds in the lake are funny.
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| part of the lake in fall |
Until this week, Parc de Monceau was my favorite park in all of France. It got bumped to number 2, but hasn't lost any of its cuteness and charm for me. While it may be lacking in large green space, it has a certain little personality about it where you feel just like a cool parisian hanging out. Maybe a preppy parisian, but that doesn't make a big difference. It's located in an upper class neighborhood between the 17th and the 8th just off the Arc de Triomphe. There are usually a lot of kids playing and old people sitting on benches, and it just looks so idyllic.
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| check out this cool pond! |
On Wednesday this week, Paul and I met in Paris to hang out at a park I had never been to before, Buttes Chaumont. He had been when younger, but not for years. One reason for that is that it's tucked away in the northeast of Paris in the 19th arrondissement. Meeting up at the metro was no easy feat either, as it's on a little known line, 7bis. Which means, the other 7. So it takes a couple transfers to get to, but it was worth it. Now even though Wednesday was the first really gorgeous 80 degree sunny day of the year, but the park is really pretty, and fun. Plenty of trails and places to wonder, at least two waterfalls that I saw, and lots of open green space to lie in the sun. There are even cool bridges and a little butte with a roman looking thing on top. All to say, I will definitely be going back.
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| waterfall! we went down underneath where it comes down too |
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| the cool roman looking thing |
In general, when it comes to parks, I'm pretty easy to please. Some of my favorite travel memories are when we would go find the nearest park and hang out and read. And living in Seattle has spoiled me with how much of the outdoors the city is surrounded in. So look forward to seeing these spots when you come visit Paris!
and you haven't even seen them all yet ...
ReplyDeleteI was at #2-5 wasn't I?; I'll have to come back to see #1 !
ReplyDeletei don't think you walked around in Vincennes either. there's a lot more to it then we saw driving by. i'll have a whole new list of parks to go to when you're here next! : )
ReplyDelete