My Paris ‘to do’ list on this trip includes re-shooting some Paris locations that I had previously shot on film or Velvia. One of those locations is Sceaux, 15 mins on the RER in Bourg La Reine. I originally discovered Sceaux through Annabel Simms’ excellent book ‘An Hour from Paris‘.
Some nice light crossing the Seine on the way to the St Michel RER station…
Sceaux is home to a pretty little chateau that houses the Musee de Ile de la France, an extensive park with fountains and a Grand Canal. It lies between 3 RER stations (Sceaux, Robinson and Parc de Sceaux), so it is easy to arrive at one station, walk to the chateau and grounds, and leave by one of the other stations.
As I walk through the ornate main gates, I’m wondering about the huge white marquee. That seems to be where I remember the chateau being. Yes, the entire front, rear and sides of the chateau are under a white marquee. Apparently the chateau needs restoration of the façade and a new security system, according to the billboard. At least the fountains of the Grand Cascades are operating (only Wednesdays and Sundays). The gardens of the Orangerie are spectacular, and were designed by André Le Nôtre, famous for his landscape designs for the Chateau de Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte, among others. The Parc de Sceaux is huge, and well-used by the well-heeled locals that live in the area. It is also famous for being large enough to host Madonna’s concert in 1987, where she played to 131,000 people.
