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When
you will be finished being stunned by that lawn on the blue steel roof covered
with grass from the Palais Omnisports that grows on 45 °(not easy to maw!) you
can continue your loitering along the Bercy warehouses and the quai de Bercy, 2
miles long, more than 1 hour not counting the stops, from metro Porte-de-Bercy
to metro Porte Doree.
The
"Bois de Vincennes", it's in Paris, yes!! It has
always been the hunting property of the kings of France. After the French
revolution it became a military exercise area and the chateau de Vincennes
changed into a military barrackment. In the wood you could hear gunshots but no
birdsongs anymore. It’s only in 1860 that Napoleon III gave the bois de
Vincennes to Paris on the condition that the park would be public for the Paris
population.
Today
it is renowned for it's chateau, race course and zoo.
The lung of Paris stretches for 995 hectares, with a lot of walking paths,
lakes for canoeing, lawns to picnic and about 150.000 trees to shade your hot
days.
When the weather is even a little bit on the better side, the Parisians come
with their whole family to their “city”’ park with the result that all
lawns are packed with sunbathers or picnickers. But to jog or make a romantic
evening walk on the park is not advisable. Since the Bois de Boulogne is not
always reachable on certain hours, the bois de Vincennes works like a magnet on
the prostitutes.
Your walk leads you along the lac Daumesnil where you can rent rowing boats and
bicycles.
Left from the lake lies the Zoo, opened in 1934, and a rage from the start
because it was the first time wild animals roamed free. Nowadays more zoos do the same.
Here, each spacious cage is different, inspired by the animals' natural
environment, although the Giant Panda, the Okapi and company look somewhat
forlorn. A giant artificial mound houses monkeys, gazelles and goats.
Go and pick up the map of the nature paths and trails at town hall or in the
"PARC FLORAL". This will give you a better knowledge about this park
and enable you to do some very long walks. It is a favorite with Parisian
families who like to take the promenade along 35 hectares of greenery and
flowers , "valley of the flowers", pine wood", and "water
plant garden with its reeds and water-lilies and the "four season
garden" permitting the smelling of flowers all year round. This park is in fact a paradise for children.
Bibliography
--Vie et histoire des arrondissements de Paris, ed.Hervas
(1985-1988--Nouvelle Histoire de Paris, ed.Hachette--Le Pieton de Paris, by
L.P.Fargue, ed.Gallimard 1997--Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris, by
J.Hillairet, ed.Minuit --Guide du Routard 1998-1999 (Ed.Hachette)--Paris, 2000
d'histoire, by J.Favier, ed.Fayard 1997 --Paris 19eme siecle, l'immeuble et la
rue, by F.Loyer, ed.Hazan, 1994-
Le 12eme et ses secrets, J.Favier( ed.Natah 1996)—Les parcs de Paris, by
B.Favelier (ed.Plon 1996)
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