Viaduc des arts

The weather moderated Saturday, and we felt like a walk. Our stay in Paris was down to two weeks, and we were beginning to feel anxiety about seeing everything we originally had wanted to see. So we decided to walk from the apartment through Place de la Nation and along the Boulevard Diderot to the Avenue Daumesnil, along which runs, for a mile, the Viaduc des Arts. This is the underside of the Promenade des Plantes, which we walked a bit back in June. It's all part of a disused 1860s elevated railway, redesigned and up-cycled at the same time the Place de la Bastille was re-developed and the Opera Bastille was built. From there we would walk to Bercy for a look at the federal complex there, and then, near there, see Frank Gehry's Cinematheque Francaise, cross the river to the national library and then loop back to the Metro and a ride home. The heat hadn't moderated all that much, actually, and we were tired and hot puppies by the end of it. (I can never use the term "viaduct" without thinking of the classic Groucho/Chico "why a duck?" sketch from The Cocoanuts: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4493024/the_cocoanuts_why_a_duck/; you have to watch about half of the extract here to get to "why a duck?", but the puns along way are well worth the wait).

The Viaduc des arts from Boulevard Diderot--looking toward
Bercy and then Vincennes; there are some 64 vaults, ranging in
size from 100 to more than 400 square meters--big shoppes,
cafes, etc.

Looking the other way toward Place de la Bastille

There are many high-end retails shops, cafes, and a few
restaurants; what really interested was the high-end artisan
shops--here, metal work

Thus

Here in a pretty incredible furniture-making
shop; there is also an umbrella/parasol shop,
making of musical instruments, restoration of
books and art works, jewelry, and much
more

Along the Avenue Daumesnil, other side, all
kinds of beautiful Belle Epoche buildings

Thus

And thus

Near Gare de Lyon, another bit of French flair--a simple
arch or something squared-off would be unthinkable

OK, maybe it is thinkable; here now in the federal district,
which reminded me a bit of  L'Enfant Plaza in DC

Still dramatic if only in size; this, and the previous, are parts
of the Ministry of Finance

Approaching Parc de Bercy

The Cinematheque Francaise

Thus

Sculpture in the Parc de Bercy, along the Seine

On the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge, crossing over to the
four open-book towers that encompass the Francois Mitterand
national library

Floating piscines used to be quite common--this, Vicki says,
is the last of them in Paris

Now on the Left Bank--fitting he should have a street so
close to the Cinematheque Francaise

I was cooking Thai the next night and needed a few
concombres; a street merchant was selling absolutely the
largest cukes we have ever seen; so we bought a couple

Finally, we arrived at our station for the ride back home,
a little more of Paris traversed and explored