There’s always something to discover in Paris. Is this a scene from an Egyptian antiquities exhibit? No, it’s a window display in a Christian Loubutin boutique!
Nearby, the forecourt of the Paris City Hall has been overtaken by a garden of wildflowers, with a photography exhibition featuring the gardeners and guardians of all of the Paris parks and gardens. It is difficult to overstate the importance of all of the public gardens to the residents of Paris – they are in effect their backyards, and summer weekends are largely spent outdoors lolling or picnicing in the nearest park.
I’m tracking towards the Promenade Plantee, which is similar to New York’s High Line – it’s what you do when a historic rail line is decommissioned and part of the supporting structure is heritage listed. So the Promenade Plantee now runs along the top of the train viaduct – 5km of walking trail, which is well-used by walkers and joggers. 1.5km into the trail is the Jardin du Reilly, which is popular for sunbathers on a sunny day in Paris.
At ground level is the Viaduc des Arts. These are built into the old archways of the railway line, and are full of shops selling musical instruments, and artisans selling everything from books to this glass artist.
