Article 2: 10 REASONS TO TRY PARIS IN THE SUMMER
1. MUSIC in the GARDENS
Until end of September, the Paris Summer Festival will be in the capital’s gardens, with varied programs, all in a convivial atmosphere. Symphonic music, electroacoustic, jazz, hip-hop, you name it, you’ll find it somewhere in the city.
www.quartierdete.com
Some examples:
–In June, many free concerts, and movies under the stars are offered at the Saint-Cloud Gardens and Park, www.dnsc.fr (Domaine national de Saint-Cloud). Metro=line 10, terminus at Boulogne Pont de Saint Cloud.
–At the Orangerie at the Park de Sceaux, are classical music concerts from Sunday 14 July to Sunday 19 September, 2007, http://festival.orangerie.free.fr Train=RER B (south)
–In the Parc Floral in the Bois de Vincennes, a series called Classique au Vert runs from August 4 to September 23, with concerts every Saturday and Sunday. €5 per adult, €2.50 kids and reduced rate.
www.classiqueauvert2007.com
(*We went to one of these concerts one weekend afternoon called ‘De Venise a Madrid”, which featured Emmanuel Rossiter, the famous classical guitarist, and the Quatuor Syntonia. We had a seat at the back of the roofed outdoor pavilion, which was packed. A wonderful concert, made even better as Rossfelder is an amazing entertainer, besides having ‘mains de velours’ (velvet hands), as the program describes his technique.)
2. PARIS-PLAGES (Paris Beaches) (July 20-August 19, 2007)
Sand along the River Seine
The 6th edition of Paris-Plages began on July 20 (although this year the weather has been rather cool and cloudy). For the first time, this year the event has extended all the way to La Villette (19th arrondissement, or district), which isn’t on the River Seine, but has a long narrow ‘bassin’ (pool) linking the Canal St. Martin and Canal de L’Ourcq. At some points, row-boats, kayaks, pedal boats and other small boats will be available. As in previous years, the main ‘sand beach’ areas are centrally located, one from the Louvre to the Pont de Sully (at the end of Ile St. Louis), and another along the Port (harbor) de la Gare, which is between Pont de Bercy and Pont de Tolbiac, roughly between Parc de Bercy and the new National Library of France-F. Mitterand.
The lower expressways are closed to traffic—many of the on/off ramps are blocked off (and made somewhat attractive) by small trees in pots—and seating areas have been set up, small cafes, “beaches”, changing areas, kiosks. The ‘beaches’ are very popular and, besides sitting and/or sunbathing on the beach, people like to just wander along right next to the river, stop for a drink, letting the kids ride their bikes. The colors are blue and white, for flags and pennants, tents, umbrellas, which makes the river’s edge look rather attractive. www.paris.fr
There are also 2 beaches in front of the Hotel de Ville (City Hall), where people come to play volley ball and kids can have fun with bucket and spade.
History: It has been said that in the early 17th century, on hot summer evenings, King Henri IV of France used to make his way to the Seine for a dip in the river, where he would bathe in the nude, along with his and other horses being washed. Soon his subjects followed suit. Since then, various people have braved the river, although frequently the pollution levels wouldn’t really make it desirable.
3. OPEN AIR CINEMA AT VILLETTE
At the Prairie du Triangle. Metro = Porte-de-Pantin
This has become a veritable institution here over the years. The film projection only begins at 10pm, but the evening begins long before when the spectators take over the lawn of La Villette (19th) to picnic and enjoy impromptu concerts.
This year the theme of the festival, “Premiere classe et strapontin”, focuses on the social successes and failures of society. Films run from Tues-Sun, 17 July-26 August. Free.
www.villette.com
4. PARIS JAZZ FESTIVAL (See my individual story on this, posted August 7, 2007 on the main page)
Paris jazz swings in the middle of the flowers. As in every year, the Paris Jazz Festival takes place at the Parc Floral in the Bois de Vincennes (12th) until July 29th. Winston Marsalis was the super star on the final day, but all in all it was a great line-up of world jazz players.
Mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. €5 p/p
Metro=Chateau de Vincennes, the end of Line 1.
www.parisjazzfestival2007.fr
5. PESTACLES FESTIVAL
Pestacles lifts the curtain for kids, also at the Parc Floral.
Organized by the Mairie de Paris, they advertise it as a ‘Tour of the World in 17 weeks’, as each week a country, or a state, or islands, or forests, are featured. For example, on August 1st there were stories by Mireille Mirej, and a concert by American Brass from Louisiana, USA. They offer animations, workshops, concerts, competitions.
Every Wednesday until September 26, from 10am.
€5/pp in to the park, www.paris.fr or www.pestacles2007.fr
6. YOUNG TALENT & BIG NAMES
Every summer, along the banks of the Seine, the festival organized on the edge/fringe of the Paris-Plages is the occasion to profit, for free, from concerts given by big names (this year Tete and Susheela Raman), but also to discover upcoming artists.
Quai des Celestins (4th) opposite Ile St Louis. Metro = Pont Marie (7)
7. VÉLIB (Velo Libre).
Based on the system in Amsterdam. Paris City Hall signed a contract with JC Decaux, the company that has had a monopoly on billboard advertising in the capital for the past 30 years. By the end of 2007, Decaux will provide 20,600 bikes all over Paris—every 1,000 feet, or at 1451 locations—at give-away prices: First ½ hour free, €1/day, €5/week, or €29 for a year subscription. Use with a credit card, to open the subscription. You can pick up a bike at one Velib station and drop it off at another. Bikes can also be taken on the trains. The Velib plan started mid-July. A few bugs to begin with but they are working on it. Available in English and Spanish by end of July. We saw many bikes in use, so it seems very popular already. People ride along the quais, stop to picnic, ride to museums, and along the streets. It was amazing to me how many people, including kids, were riding on the main streets of Paris, along with the traffic, and seemed to be doing fine.
www.velib.paris.fr
8. MUNICIPAL WI-FI
105 sites around Paris. Free connection from parks (35 sites), and in municipal locations such as libraries, museums, community centers. Listed by arrondissements.
Haven’t seen many people using it so far—just a couple in Place Hotel de Ville—but I haven’t been in to the libraries and the ‘mairie’ buildings (town hall, or city hall).
www.wifi.paris.fr
9. SWAN LAKE AT VERSAILLES
At the Neptune Basin. July 26, 27, 28. 8:30pm
01 30 83 78 89
www.chateauversailles-spectacles.fr
10. ‘LES SOLDES D’ÉTÉ’ (The Summer Sales)
These famous sales began on Wednesday 27 June and ran to Saturday August 4.
They are very evident all over the city, in all kinds of stores, advertised with red and white banners/placards/signs. Huge crowds flock to the very popular sales, because of large mark-downs. I went into the Bazaar Hotel de Ville, which is a huge 5-storey place with a basement too, which was teeming on all levels. Some real bargains, some 50% off or more.
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Article 1: MONTPARNASSE TOWER (‘Tour’)
33 Av. du Main
Daily Oct-March 10am-9pm, April-Sept 9am-11pm
Charge: €9.50 adults, €4 kids, €6 youth and students
http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/uk/panoramic-room/visit-paris-france.htm
A tall shining tower, somewhat incongruous among the more sedate and traditional buildings surrounding it, rises up opposite the entrance to the Gare (station) de Montparnasse—they share a common square that has one of Paris’s iconic musical carrousels, and various vendors.
This ‘tour’ is not as famous nor as visited as the Eiffel Tower, but it should be, as the 360º view out is glorious. There’s a separate entrance on the side of the building to the Panorama lifts, which whisk you up to floor 56—196 meters in 38 seconds. This floor has views out on all sides through special glass windows, with many pictures of Paris, and boards of explanations of what you’re seeing—reminiscent of the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago. It also has a café, a shop and a fancy restaurant. It’s worth watching the continuously-running video of the main sights of Paris, seen from the air and then zooming in.
Then walk up steps to the 59th floor, which is actually an open-air roof terrace. It’s set well back and is very well-protected with fences, so even those with vertigo should manage. The view out is wonderful, but even in summer it’s windy and a little chilly, so it will be cold in winter. There’s a clear view of many of the main sights of Paris and it’s especially interesting to see the irregular shapes of the city blocks here, many triangular, and many buildings with inner courtyards.
We look down on the Montparnasse cemetery, the final resting place of some of Paris’s famous residents, and try to imagine their lives here in the city before: Saint Saens, the musician; Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, the writers; Beaudelaire, the poet; and Alfred Dreyfus, of Suez Canal fame.
We’d never been up the tower before in all our visits to Paris and we can’t think why. We didn’t actively decide not to visit the tower, we just hadn’t really thought about it, as always the Paris view from the Eiffel Tower is touted, the Eiffel Tower being so famous in its own right. Failing the view from the Eiffel Tower, guidebooks encourage visitors to catch the view from the tower of Notre Dame Cathedral, another famously important landmark.
I’m glad we’ve rectified that omission!
(Click on the photos for larger images)
The Tower as seen from the station exit
The layout of the city blocks is fascinating from this height
The Invalides is where Napoleon is buried
Famous Notre Dame Cathedral
Rod looks out to the Eiffel Tower
The tower looks golden in the setting sun
