Cool Paris

Alisa Gould-Simon wrote something about it for Gridskipper : 

The hottest trend in Parisian garden design is the vertical garden — walls of plants arranged like living tapestries that provide green space without taking up square footage. And the maestro of the vertical garden is French green-haired botanist Patrick Blanc, whose copyrighted murs végétaux are revolutionizing urban gardens worldwide (and inspiring plenty of knock-offs on his home turf). Blanc’s gardens are ingenious works of art, planted without soil on a durable frame of PVC, metal, and non-biodegradable felt, with a built-in pump watering system that allows them to thrive for years. 

The Club Med Champs Elysées, corner of the Champs Elysées 70  Rue Pierre Charron has such a vertical garden. It  contains plants meant to represent the five continents, to help set the mood for … would-be travelers planning their organized voyages around the planet. It’s all part of the group’s effort to go upscale, creating a space that also incorporates modern design and a multitude of screens projecting images of faraway locales in a space it calls “an embassy of dreams.” Blanc’s wall is lit at night and visible from the exterior.

Others are Parking des Ternes,38 Avenue des Ternes,75017 Paris – Hôtel Pershing Hall, 49,Rue Pierre Charron, 75008 Paris ( it’s nice to have a drink at the bar next to the vertical garden)- Musée du Quai Branly,55 Quai Branly,75007 Paris - Fondation Cartier,261, Boulevard Raspail 75014 Paris , the wall at the entrance was plantede a decade ago - Bhv Homme,36, rue de la Verrerie 75004 Paris , the wall was meant to make a narrow street more lively and it looks like a painting to me.

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While strolling along the beautiful Seine, don’t forget to pass by the love trees at Quai des Tuileries. A lot of lovers before you have carved their names in it. For some of us a nice romantic idea ?! 

See some beautiful pictures of it on the site of Ivan Terestchenko Photography blog.

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A city in the country atmosphere: that’s Paris too, because the city is actually an amalgamation of many villages around a central nucleus. For a complete change of scene, this unusual walk in “la Butte aux Cailles” area is just the ticket. Be prepared for a few surprises !  Duration: 2 – 3 h

Don a comfortable pair of walking shoes, because the narrow paved street are quite steep. This is a fascinating walk even in winter; la Butte aux Cailles has a timeless charm and authenticity which gives you a different take on Paris. Start at the Porte d’ Italie metro station in the 13th Arr. ; leave the station by “August Blanqui” exit. The green-painted railings intertwine like lianas, as if to underline the rural character of this walk. They are the work of Hector Guimard, a champion of the art nouveau, who embellished most of Paris’ metro stations.

Walk across the square tot the Rue Bobillot, turn right into the Rue Paulin Méry and follow Rue Gérard: you are now in the heart of “la Butte”. There is a big contrast between the hustle of the Place and the tranquility of these  narrow streets.

The Rue Jonas on the right, leads to the Rue des Cinq-Diamants, further along on the right you’ll find Passage Barrault, a  narrow street lined with charming little houses. In the rue Barrault is a group of houses known as ” La Petite Russie”, they were built in the 20′s by a taxi company whose drivers were mainly Russian exiles. On the ground floor is a garage, upstairs the family’s living accomodation. Nowadays you need to be pretty comfortable off to afford one of these little houses with a garage – a rare luxury in Paris.

Turn right into Rue Daviel. Welcome to “La petite Alsace”, a cluster of some forty half-timbered houses built around a gardened courtyard in 1913. Next to it is the Villa Daviel, a charming cul-de-sac with brick houses, each with a small front garden. Cross over the Rue Barrault and walk down Rue Michal, another street lined with “dolls” houses osme in pure art-deco style. Walk up Rue de  l’Espérance to the Place de la Commune de Paris with its cast-iran fountain Wallace ( drinking water flows from it) .

Follow the Rue de la Butte aux Cailles to the Place Paul Verlaine. The art-nouveau buildings on the side of the square is one of the first swimmingpools to be built in Paris. The decoration outside but also inside has been preserved. At the end of the road cross the Rue Bobillot, follow the Rue Vandrezanne ant then the Passage. Where Rue du Moulin des Près crosses the Rue de Tolbiac on the right you see the Square des Peupliers, a triangle surrounded with small houses and gardens.

If you still have the energy return to Place d’Italie and go for a stroll in the largest Chinatown in Europe, between Av de Choisy an Av d’Ivry, home not only to Chinese but also to people from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, etc. Parisians come here for the countless Asian restaurants and exotic product on sale at the large Tang Frères supermarket.

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As the long-time world capital of fashion, you can never claim to have “seen” Paris because it is never the same two days running. We visit contemporary museums, galleries and some highly original shops. Duration: 4 or 5 hours.

The Palais de Tokyo, temple of contemporary creativity, is the ideal starting-point for everyone interested in art and the avant-garde. This interdisciplinary centre showcases art and design, fashion and films, literature and city culture and attracts artists from all over Europe. As the works on show sometimes require some explanation, “mediators” are on hand to help you make sense of them. Work by a variety of artists is also on display in the museum’s trendy restaurant, Tokyo-eat, which serves dishes from all around the world. The bookshop is a gold mine for lovers of art books.

Now you need to take the metro to Saint-Paul station where our journey continues in the historical Marais, one of the most attractive and surprising parts of Paris, which partly covers two Arr. (3th – 4th). The walk begins at the splendid Hôtel de Sully, a renaissance-style building which is now home to the state organization for the preservation of monuments. Contemporary art exhibitions are also mounted here. The garden of the Hôtel de Sully leads to the stunning Place des Vosges, a square with pink facades, rows of arches and a park in the middle.

Cross over the square and turn left into the Rue des Francs-Bourgeois for a little retail therapy. On the right you see the Hôtel Carnavelet, the former home of Madame de Sévigné is now a historical museum. On the left at the corner with Rue Pavée is the Hôtel de Lamoignon, further along the street you can admire more beautiful buildings.
Now you find yourself in the Rue Vieille-du-Temple. Awash with restaurants, cafés, boutiques and bookshops, this is one of the liveliest streets in the area.

Follow the Rue Vieille-du-Temple northwards, you are now int ‘le haut Marais’. On the right you see the park of the Hôtel Salé, now the Picasso museum where you absolutely must go and see the rich collection of works by the Spanish master.
The most prestigious galleries are near by (Yvon Lambert – Emmanuel Perrotin – Thaddaeus Ropac – Dominique Fiat). To plan your visit pop into one of the galleries and ask for a free map of all the exhibition centres and monthly programme.

Shopping in the Rue Charlot is a real experience ! You’ve probably never seen so many orgininal shops in one place ( design, bookshops, shoe design, gourmet.) The covered Marché des Enfants Rouges is a paradise for gourmet shopping.

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