A surprising Parisian discovery

Today, while Eliza was off drawing the city of Paris with her class, my parents and I decided to undertake a new part of Paris. One of our favorite things to do during our time here is to find the off-the-beaten-path stops. My mom, an avid forum reader on fodors.com, is always searching for these new adventures online. This morning, she happened upon the perfect bet: a stroll along la promenade plantee, an old rail line that has been transformed into an urban garden. (I appologize for the lack of the accent on that first "e" of "plantee"). Extending nearly 4.5 km, all the way to le peripherique- the perimeter of Paris, the promenade plantee was created to save money for the city. It was cheaper to create the park than to demolish the old railroad tracks. In effect, the promenade plantee is a long, boardwalk-like garden oasis from the rush of the city.

After a leisurely breakfast (of melon and poppy-seed muffins- which Eliza and I had been sorely missing recently) and some research on the promenade, we eagerly headed out into the city to embark on our long metro ride to le 12e arrondissement. Even though the sky looked like this:

Upon our arrival at l'opera Bastille, we navigated our way to the start of the garden pathway. Part of the old rail line, extending from the old Gare Bastille station, was elevated, built on a viaduct. Beneath this first part of the now promenade plantee are countless art galleries built into the space under the beautiful brick arches of the viaduct. Along this part of the promenade are multiple staircases leading to the promenade plantee. We excitedly climbed up the stairs and were astonished at what we saw.

The promenade was lovely. Strolling along the path with the Parisian runners, walkers, businessmen and women, nannies, children, etc, was so pleasant. From on top of the viaduct, we were immersed in a gorgeous, tree-lined garden getaway. We could hear the sounds of the city but were removed from the shuffle and hubbub of the streets.

One of my favorite aspects of Paris are the rooftops. The chimneys, the slate roofs, the sky-light windows, the gardens. From the promenade plantee, the rooftops were accentuated. It was just delightful to admire the chimney stacks from behind a beautiful rose bush or flowering tree in the middle of a city as big and busy as Paris.

We continued walking along the path for quite some time. There was so much variation in what we saw. The promenade plantee drops to street level and one point and eventually drops below the level of the streets.

There were bridges.

There were ponds.

There were beautiful views of Parisian boulevards and tiny glances at quaint bistros and cafes.

There was graffiti.

There were staircases.

There were strollers being pushed.

There was Madeline ivy. You know, the vines that cover the old little house that was covered in vines in which 12 little girls ate in two straight lines? It happens to be my one of my other favorite things about Paris.

There were old couples strolling along, picnic in hand (who also happened to very incredibly sweet and concerned when an American family looked a little confused as to where to go to continue on the promenade when it crossed over a street and pointed them in the right direction and watched from their spot on a bridge to make sure that said family continued on the right path).

Finally, after walking for quite some time and seeing so much, we reached the end, indicated by the rushing cars of le peripherique. We waited for bus 29, hopped on, and headed back into the city towards rue de Grenelle with pleased looks- our new adventure had been a success! I look forward to our next visit to the promenade plantee.