Another Wandering Day

Does anyone know what the boards with holes are for?

If you live in 19 square metres, you go out. There can be little housecleaning to do. I have not mastered cooking in a closet. The lady next door, whose voice resonates through the wall, lives permanently in this accommodation. She seems to be constantly coming and going. I have a daily routine for this week. I wake up, read for a while, think about a blog topic, read some blogs, wash and dress and go out for my morning café crême.

Today, I decided to visit Le Parc Montsouris which is nearby. Baron Haussman, an administrator of the Second Empire, was responsible for demolishing much of Paris and rebuilding the city with distinctive apartments, boulevards and parks. He planned a major green space for each of the four corners of Paris.

The gardens were designed to give the citizens of Paris an opportunity to experience nature.

Haussman chose the garden designer Alphonse Alphand to create a garden in this area of the 14th arrondissement. Unfortunately, the selected site was an unused quarry filled with bones and traversed by two railway lines.

The RER B line still crosses the park.

I took my book and my Google maps and I reached my destination without a wrong turn.
The wide Haussmanian Boulevard leading to the Park is being used as a public walkway
with benches, planter boxes of herbs, and informational signs. There is one lane of traffic in either direction. Paris is creating so many outdoor opportunities for its apartment dwellers. Most of the walkers were retirees or mothers pushing small children.

There are fish, turtles, ducks and swans in the lake.

There was a large school group at the park. They seemed to be on a scavenger hunt. I enjoyed reading my book on a shady bench.

Some busy squirrel?

The park filled with joggers and picnickers at mid-day. I noticed a Pavillon restaurant beside the lake. Yesterday, I had lunch at the Luxembourg. I'm always disappointed there but I decided to give a try. Still disappointed!

The pavilion was built for an exposition in 1889.

Today's experience was quite different. When I arrived at the restaurant, there was only one nicely dressed older man at a table. When the host asked if I had a reservation, I wondered. After I was seated, the tables filled with men and women in dark business suits. This is definitely not a tourist pavilion. I was thankful to be wearing my Eileen Fisher tunic and my pearls. I know that sounds silly but....

I had a delicious lunch of roasted sea bass in shiitake sauce with basilic polenta. The Vittel water and a glass of Chablis were refreshing. Needless to say, I did not take a picture.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Parc Montsouris. I did an oral presentation on Haussman when I studied at the Sorbonne. Ooh! la! la! That just made a personal connection for me. M, my French professor, loaned me this book. Her husband took the photographs. I was not able to buy the book at the time but perhaps I'll try when I get home.

If you're looking for something a little lighter, try The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay. It's a fiction work about the rebuilding of Paris.

This was a fascinating book if you're interested in Paris, history or urban planning.

Time to go! It's 6:30 and I must go out for my evening stroll and glass of wine (with a small dish of popcorn!!!)