Parc Floral de Paris

Our last touristic stop was the Parc Floral de Paris, one of Paris' four botantical gardens (read: major plant collections, thousands of species), pretty much adjacent to the Chateau de Vincennes and (so it said) in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes. We pique-niqued and walked around a good bit, although mindful of the need to get back to our apartment, pack and clean for the next morning's departure. Oh yes, after the Parc Floral, we walked back to the Decathlon near Rue Avron--last minute provisioning for some of our next travels--and then Metro'd back to our home Alexander Dumas station. Vicki figured her feet could recover in Menlo Park and DC.

Map of the great park

Floral sculpture

Even as the dog days approach, blooms everywhere

One of many, many pavilions

Pique-nique'ing by the lily pond

Thus

And marveling at the lotus pond

Approaching the giant bonsai center

Beautiful specimens

Thus

And thus

Hydrangeas

Superb signage throughout the 70 acres; we nevertheless
got temporarily lost...but getting lost here is a good thing

Astilbes

More sculpture

Fuchiae

Unidentified but interesting flowering plant

The Guignol was not in session

But the butterfly pavilion was...all in all, a beautiful and
intriguing place, the Parc Floral, that will be near the top
of our list of things to return to...next time

Saint-Chapelle de Vincennes

The royal chapel at Vincennes stands just a hundred meters across the yard from the chateau. It began during the later Gothic era--its architect was Pierre Montereau, of Saint-Chapelle fame in both Paris and St. Germain-en-Laye--but was not completed until the mid-16th century. It certainly bears close resemblance to the other two royal chapels, although larger and on a single floor.

View from the chateau

Side view

Nave view

Nave view from choir

Chancel windows; the originals were
destroyed in the Revolution

Other windows

Nice, if modern

Ceiling

Rose window above choir

Apart from the aesthetic and architectural
interest, what's notable about the Saint-
Chapelle at Vincennes is this, the tomb/
monument of Louis Antoine, Duke of
Enghien, aka by some as Louis XVIII; he
was captured in the Rhineland, tried on
trumped-up charges, executed by firing
squad in the chateau moat, and buried in
a plain grave in the moat; all at Napoleon's
behest; all the monarchs of Europe had been
willing to cut Napoleon some slack--he was
certainly better in their eyes than the
Revolution; but with this execution of the
last of the Bourbon/Conde line, their hearts
hardened, so to speak; in 1815, Louis XVIII's
remains were restored to the Saint-Chapelle

Le chateau de Vincennes

We had visited several of Paris' great parks over the preceding weeks and thought we might finish our stay with the largest of these, the Bois de Vincennes, on the edge of the city. Vincennes, now a suburb that appears as densely populated as the rest of Paris, is the home also of the Chateau de Vincennes, another royal chateau, one of the greatest of still-intact Medieval fortresses, featuring the highest donjon in all of Europe. Alas, we spent most of our time at the chateau and at the royal chapel, making only a brief excursion to the nearby Parc Floral. We'll have to see the rest of the Bois de Vincennes itself next time.

Main exterior wall and entry tower--17th century; the chateau is within these walls

Another side of the wall--about a kilometer all around

The entry tower, impressive enough by itself if not Medieval

Plan of the chateau

Helpful model; the Medieval chateau is the big walled structure center right

Thus; as I said, donjon is the tallest in Europe

Vertically

Along the battlements

The Chateau de Vincennes has the usual royal chateau history...first a royal hunting
lodge, then a royal fortress, then a prison, then a factory, then a warehouse...now a
historical site and military museum...some of the 18th century prisoners were
artistically-gifted

King's private personal chapel

Vaulting in one of the towers

Up closer on one of the capitals

Prisoner? empoyee? tourist?

Architectural ornament

During the centuries of royal residence and comings and
goings, the interior was entirely paneled; little remains but
nails that held the paneling to the stone walls

The Chateau is the site of much history: three French kings died there, and one
English king, Henry V (who was sieging and pressing his claim to be king of
France too); as a prison, it held the Marquis de Sade (I'm standing in his cell),
Enlightenment types Mirabeau and Cordorcet; Louis XVIII was executed there;
so was Mata Hari; and of course Germans killed people here as everywhere else

One of the Marquis de Sade's letters to his wife, written at Chateau de Vincennes:
"please forgive me, honey..."

One of Condorcet's books, ditto

Fascinating place...probably not high on most tourists' must-see
lists, but very easy to get to...at the eastern end of Metro line #1

Le bistrot du peintre

We'd walked past it a dozen or more times, always vowing to have a drink and a look around. It's one of several neighborhood cafe/bar/bistros we've seen, dating from the Belle Epoche, and, so far as we could tell, completely un-renovated or changed from that time. It was another glorious Paris evening, and we finally stopped for our drinks and look around. In the 11th, corner of Rue Charonne and Avenue Ledru Rollin. Established 1902. We had walked all the way from Notre Dame up through the Ile St. Louis, stopping twice for ice cream, and more or less final shopping, past the Bastille...not the first time for such a walk, either.