Other discoveries of Paris with Sarah
At Paris Running Tours, we are really happy to see runners coming back to run with us. Sarah from Great Britain is one of our faithful visitors. In this month of March, we meet again for the 5th time, and it is with great joy! Each time, we create a different route. This time, we had chosen to move away from the center of Paris to join the magnificent Bois de Boulogne and its superb lakes (the wood belongs to Paris). The “Bois de Boulogne” as we know it corresponds to one of the many developments in Paris realised by Baron Haussmann, commissioned by Napoleon III. Here, for the “Lac inférieur” (Lower Lake) that we can admire in the picture above, Napoleon III’s idea was to draw inspiration from the Serpentine River in Hyde Park. This artificial river could not be built as desired, the engineer in charge having forgotten a six-meters vertical drop that would flood the lower part and dry the upper part! To rectify this error, an “upper” lake and a “lower” lake were created, the smaller one (“Lac supérieur”) discharging through a waterfall into the larger one (“Lac inférieur”). Two beautiful artificial lakes. To reach the Bois de Boulogne, we took the avenue Foch: Avenue Foch is the widest avenue in Paris. It starts at the Arc de Triomphe and ends at the Bois de Boulogne. Marathon runners know it well, it’s the finish of the Paris Marathon! It is also a creation of Baron Haussmann, wanted by the Emperor Napoleon III to give a direct access to the Bois de Boulogne. Initially called “Avenue de l’Impératrice” (the Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III), then Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, it was named Avenue Foch after the First World War. Avenue Foch is one of the most expensive avenues in Paris (see the French version of the Monopoly…). It was for a long time a very popular walk where the high society liked to show itself. Look at the small postcards above (by clicking you can enlarge the picture). Nowadays we can see a lot of runners… The avenue is very quiet on this Tuesday morning… At the end of avenue Foch, we can discover one of the last two Guimard covered edicles (we talked about it with Lysa, here): On the way back, we met one of the best-known authors in France, Jean de La Fontaine. All French or francophone children learn the Fables of La Fontaine at school. Here is the famous fable of the Crow and the Fox: [tabs slidertype=”top tabs”] [tabcontainer] [tabtext]Le Corbeau et le Renard (French)[/tabtext] [tabtext]The Crow and the Fox (Anglais)[/tabtext] [/tabcontainer] [tabcontent] [tab] Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché, Tenait en son bec un fromage. Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché, Lui tint à peu près ce langage : « Hé ! bonjour Monsieur du Corbeau. Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau ! Sans mentir, si votre ramage Se rapporte à votre plumage, Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois. » À ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ; Et pour montrer sa belle voix, Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie. Le Renard s’en saisit, et dit : « Mon bon Monsieur, Apprenez que tout flatteur Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute. Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute. » Le Corbeau, honteux et confus, Jura, mais un peu tard, qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus. [/tab] [tab] Master Crow perched on a tree, Was holding a cheese in his beak. Master Fox attracted by the smell Said something like this: “Well, Hello Mister Crow! How pretty you are! How beautiful you seem to me! I’m not lying, if your voice Is like your plumage, You are the phoenix of all the inhabitants of these woods.” At these words, the Crow is overjoyed. And in order to show off his beautiful voice, He opens his beak wide, lets his prey fall The Fox grabs it, and says: “My good man, Learn that every flatterer Lives at the expense of the one who listens to him. This lesson, without doubt, is well worth a cheese.” The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed, Swore, but a little late, that he would not be taken again. [/tab] [/tabcontent] [/tabs] Thank you Sarah for this new beautiful stroll, see you soon! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
From the square of the United States to the Palais Royal with Eather and Chris
Chris and Heather – “Place des Etats Unis” (Place of the US) – Memorial to the American volunteers 10:02 AM – With Heather and Chris, runners living in Virginia (USA), we left the “place Charles de Gaulle-Etoile” to join the “Palais Royal” and its magnificent garden. Along the way, we crossed the “place des Etats-Unis”(square of the United States). Do you know the story of this name? Originally, this square was called the “Place of Bitche” (a city of Lorraine, France). The ambassador of the United States came to settle down there in 1881. Impossible to reside in a square named Bitche, “Bitch” being a rather vulgar English slang word. Paris agreed to rename the place “Place of the United States” (the “place de Bitche” being now situated in the 19th district of Paris). The new name is well appropriate for the location, numerous points of this place are indeed connected to the United States of America, the statue of La Fayette and Washington shaking hands, the public garden Thomas Jefferson in the center, the statue of the American dentist Horace Wells who participated in the discovery of the anesthesia, the monument to the American Volunteers (photo above), etc. This monument pays tribute to the American volunteers enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and who succumbed by fighting during the World War I. Among them, the poet Alan Seeger. We followed our route and enjoyed our first beautiful point of view of the Eiffel Tower, the avenue of President Wilson: Heather and Chris – Avenue of the President Wilson Avenue of President Wilson, a reference to the United States again. This avenue leads itself to the “Place d’Iéna” in the middle of which appears a George Washington’s equestrian statue! Heather and Chris – Eiffel tower New stop, in the front of the Eiffel Tower this time. Notice the ball between the first one and the second floor. It is an huge tennis ball! Indeed, it is the period of “Roland Garros” tennis tournament. Having enjoyed the banks of the Seine and its numerous magnificent sites, we paused in the Louvre. Look at the Marly Courtyard: Heather and Chris – The Louvre – the Marly courtyard (The flash did not work!) In this blog, we spoke about the famous horses of Marly during a Paris visit with Mary. After leaving the museum, we found the sun again within the magnificent garden of the Palais Royal (many roses!): Merci Chris ! Merci Heather ! The route of the tour :
Under the sign of the French-American friendship with Cori
Cori – Pont des Arts and Louvre 7:10 AM – Cori from New York City (USA), came to Paris for a short stay of three days. Cori however wished to make a long tour in Paris, in spite of the small drizzle we had this morning. We thus made a long loop and crossed Paris since the Arc de Triomphe up to Notre-Dame by way of the Eiffel Tower. We placed our route under the sign of the French-American friendship by beginning the tour with the square of the United States in the 16th district of Paris. We can find a monument there dedicated to this good alliance. It calls back the support of France for the young America, a handshake between Lafayette and Washington : Cori – Square of the United States A little later, we discovered the Eiffel Tower, the head in clouds: Cori – Tour Eiffel Before following the Seine, in particular to cross the Pont des Arts, we met the Quai Branly Museum : Cori – Quai Branly museum The Quai Branly Museum, the museum of the Arts and Civilizations is very recent, it was opened in 2006. Do those who made the race of the 20 km of Paris at the end of 1990s remember that the place was during a few years the place of withdrawal of the race bibs? Merci Cori ! The route of the tour :