We packed up a picnic of smoked salmon sandwiches and caught the metro to Botzaris where we entered the Parc des Buttes Chaumont. This is a large park in the north east of the city where Parisians like to go at weekends to relax and let the world go by. Part of it is being renovated so was inaccessible but it is indeed a beautiful park to walk around and sit in. There is a rotunda perched on a craggy hill and surrounded by a lake. The walk up to it is across a bridge but not too arduous. The view from there is spectacular. It is one of the few places from which you get an excellent view of Sacré Coeur.
We had lunch on one of the many seats along the pathways, choosing a sunny spot near a grassy bank and a little brook, probably like much else, constructed rather than natural . As we sat we watched people passing, as they walked their dogs or jogged along the path, but we didn't see the sight we were particularly watching for, which is a person pushing what appears to be a child stroller but is in fact a dog stroller! We have seen a couple of these devices but have not managed to photograph one yet.
Continuing the stroll we were diverted by a home constructed for "solitary bees" said to be strictly non-aggressive! Hermit bees dedicated to pacifism? What next will the Glory of France come up with?
After departing the park by a different exit we proceeded on the downhill streets eventually doing a sharp right which led us through what appeared to be Chinatown and then back via a canal and lock to Place de la République , where we noted each of the dated friezes around the base of the monument before taking the usual road home.
For our own future reference and research the Monument bronzes as noted in French Wikipedia are:
20 juin 1789 : Serment du Jeu de paume
14 juillet 1789 : Prise de la Bastille
4 août 1789 : Nuit du 4 août
14 juillet 1790 : Fête de la Fédération
11 juillet 1792 : Proclamation « la Patrie en danger»
20 septembre 1792 : Bataille de Valmy
21 septembre 1792 : Proclamation de l'abolition de la royauté
13 prairial an 2 : Bataille du 13 prairial an II
29 juillet 1830 : les Trois Glorieuses
4 mars 1848 : Décret d'abolition de l'esclavage
4 septembre 1870 Proclamation de la République
14 juillet 1880 : Fête nationale
We had lunch on one of the many seats along the pathways, choosing a sunny spot near a grassy bank and a little brook, probably like much else, constructed rather than natural . As we sat we watched people passing, as they walked their dogs or jogged along the path, but we didn't see the sight we were particularly watching for, which is a person pushing what appears to be a child stroller but is in fact a dog stroller! We have seen a couple of these devices but have not managed to photograph one yet.
Continuing the stroll we were diverted by a home constructed for "solitary bees" said to be strictly non-aggressive! Hermit bees dedicated to pacifism? What next will the Glory of France come up with?
After departing the park by a different exit we proceeded on the downhill streets eventually doing a sharp right which led us through what appeared to be Chinatown and then back via a canal and lock to Place de la République , where we noted each of the dated friezes around the base of the monument before taking the usual road home.
For our own future reference and research the Monument bronzes as noted in French Wikipedia are:
20 juin 1789 : Serment du Jeu de paume
14 juillet 1789 : Prise de la Bastille
4 août 1789 : Nuit du 4 août
14 juillet 1790 : Fête de la Fédération
11 juillet 1792 : Proclamation « la Patrie en danger»
20 septembre 1792 : Bataille de Valmy
21 septembre 1792 : Proclamation de l'abolition de la royauté
13 prairial an 2 : Bataille du 13 prairial an II
29 juillet 1830 : les Trois Glorieuses
4 mars 1848 : Décret d'abolition de l'esclavage
4 septembre 1870 Proclamation de la République
14 juillet 1880 : Fête nationale
Solitary bees? Amazing. But at Parc Monceau, I thought I spied conventional beehives on top of the mound of rocks, but there was no sign so I haven't confirmed that this is what the objects were.
ReplyDelete