coldwar27

I'm glad to hear about the Paris obsessing now.

50 more days........

sandypaws3

http://tourisme.voila.fr/villes/pari...jrega/za01.htm

Here is a photo of the Jardin du Regard de la Lanterne. I didn't find it on les pages jaunes.

Best,
Sandy

zeppo2

I nearly fell over laughing, Beatchick. I've also got Cheap Eats in Paris by my bed, and Eugene Atget's Hidden Paris in my office. It's getting bad.

SalB

That's it; that's the park in the photos at http://photos.pagesjaunes.fr/ when you type in 3 rue Thierry.

There are three views of it. The park looks fine. My objection was to the high rises around it. I'd rather go to the Luxembourg or the Tuileries. I'd actually love to go to the zoo at Vincennes but my husband isn't wild about the idea of going to a zoo while in Paris. We have the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Parks, the Living Desert and the LA Zoo in easy driving distance. We have enough zoos to make him happy at home . . . perhaps in the house too!!

Keren

91 more days...

Beatchick

I feel a nice, fuzzy kinship growing with you people!! Ah, the glow of an obsession with Paris!!

However, I must say that I'm very jealous of you people who are actually close enough to going that you can ACTUALLY COUNT THE DAYS! (weep weep) No, no, feel no pity for me. I'm just happy for you lucky folks (Keren & ColdWar27).

Zeppo2, you should see my Amazon wishlist!! I wonder if I have the latter book you mentioned on my wishlist?

elle

Count me among the obsessed. . . and I'm counting down, too (about six weeks--why does February have to have an extra day in it? Damn this leap year!)

In the weeks leading up to a trip, I read so many books about a destination that I feel as if I can quote them by heart.

BTW, Cite Floral in the 13eme is not public.

Keren

Beatchick, I don't know if I'm obsessed about Paris, it's just that I've "discovered" it 4 months ago (had been there twice before, in 94 and 95 for 4 days each time, was disappointed with it, but kept wanting to come back, for some reason). Then I found this forum and somehow fell in love with the idea of touring France as often as I can. So now I'm saving like crazy to be able to go to Paris again in May and then to Lyon and the Alps in September. Great thread!

zeppo2

Beatchick: Maybe we should start a thread where we post our Amazon wish lists I fell in love with Eugene Atget's b/w photos of Paris in the early 1900's when I found a book on his work in Zurich. Amazon doesn't have the best book, which is arranged by arrondisment, though. When I go to Paris I like to locate spots where he took pictures and then take present day photos to compare.

RonZ

Zeppo...have you see "Paris Then and Now"? Old photos placed next to current ones with interesting text. Another for London.

zeppo2

RonZ: just picked up Paris: then and now at Costco about two weeks ago. They didn't have the London book at my Costco, but I'll have to pick it up at Amazon. I thought the text was suprisingly detailed for a coffee table book, and loved the juxtoposition of old/new Paris.

Michel_Paris

You mean it's not normal to have my Michelin Paris blue guide at work?

I also like Henri Cartier-Bresson's pictures.

Bientôt Paris...

Margaretlb

Eight months before I return but at least I'll be there for three weeks. Obsession, I know all about that. Three guide books and museum guides from past trips on the nightstand; Another giude book in each bathroom; old issues of Paris Notes (with hilighter close by)in the parlor; several maps here and there and a Plan du Paris in my attache case and another gere next to the computer. Let's not even mention my office. I guess you'd say that Paris is always on my mind.

Christina

well, I've been in the Cite Floreale (just last summer) and I'm the public, and I know others who have, also, so don't know about it being private. Perhaps I am forgetting, or it wasn't obvious, but when I was there, I don't recall any limitations to walking those streets. If there is a gate to those streets (which have regular Parisian street signs, rue des Orchidees, Glycines, Iris, etc) that is normally locked, I don't recall, but maybe it's open a lot because nothing special had to be done to walk that area when I was there. I've also seen it recommended for sightseeing in various articles. Maybe I just got lucky, I don't know, but if it is private property, I think it's open quite a lot so you can walk through with no problem, and I thought there was a bar/restaurant in there, also (on rue des Orchidees). It's just a small "quartier", but is comprised of normal city streets (although small), and I don't think it's private. I found a page about it with some cute photos that give an idea what it's like:
http://perso.club-internet.fr/shost/...te_florale.htm

I think the Cite des Fleurs in the 17th is private, but that's kind of the back "alley" running behind the back yards of private houses and not a regular street.

I wouldn't probably recommend Cite Florale as a must-see for someone, but I was speculating that might be similar to what the original reference to rue des Fetes is like. It is a pleasant area to walk around for someone looking for new things to do, along with nearby Parc Montsouris. I would think it a better bet than 13 rue des Fetes in searching for this type of thing as that one really seems doubtful.

RonZ

Here's a map which appears to show the gardens mentioned in the original post. Click on Paris street maps and then scroll down to Place des Fetes.

http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/Pla_q/f_pla.htm

anotherjudy

I have one copy of my Michelin Paris Plan at the office (a London map also). My home copies are in the den where I can pick them up every evening. I think this is perfectly normal!
I arrive in Paris in 49 days. Can't wait!!

Ronda

Great info! Thanks

Ronda

I just remembered, when I was in Paris in September 2001 (yes 9/11) the city was having some sort of garden festival and the gardens were all being spruced up and open to the public. If you are really interested in private gardens, this might be the ticket for you.