DAY THIRTY FIVE

The Metro Reuilly-Diderot - and the Postal building on a corner on my way to the Viaduct - the streets were not as busy as the ones in the Marais where I stay.... and somehow there were a different "feeling" in the neighbourhood .... not so many tourists - and older people walking with trolleys to get their food

The above the area where the Viaduct is.... the photo in the middle I got from a site "europeforvisitors.com" I want to give credit to them for the photo.... I never thought to take one like this.... I was so mesmerized by the concept.... sorry - but luckily I found a photo to give you an idea of what it looks like....

A window of one of the shops..... organic type of design jewellery.... there were amazing things but I came to see the garden.... and up the stairs and there it was......

Today I went in search of the Viaduct.... this was a train "bridge" to simplify the idea and when it wasn't needed anymore the city changed it to atelliers for artists and craftsmen to have a shop or a workplace.... it was in another part of the city I have not been before, and I was walking through the arondissemont with new appreciation of the French way of doing.... there was an option to flatten the railroad facility, but no, they chose the other option..... the magic thing for me was that they actually made the whole length of the railroad facility into a garden....so the shops are at the bottom into the arches there were before, and the garden, a landscaped beautiful garden was at the top, only metres from the busy Diderot boulevard..... amazing.... when you looked down at the sides you might find a quartyard of an apartment block, or the busy road down below.

All sorts of people frequent this park.... on top of a building and even though there were people sleeping on benches, nobody was bothering anybody.... and old and young was enjoying the sun in a beautiful space

I was not so intriqued with the shops as I was with the garden...although there was a small shop which looked like they were trading in beads and things made from beads and when I asked the lady said some of the merchandise comes from south africa..... my heart felt warm and I immediately told her of The Homestead in Cape Town which runs a project like this, and got her information to send to the people there....

Green, the end of the Viaduct came to a park... beautifully green and lots of people sitting on the grass and children playing games

I walked to the end of the viaduct and took the stairs up and walked back with this park untill it came to another big park..... I think it was the end of the viaduct.... this park was situated on the spot where earlier in history where the old castle Reuilly was - stayed Merovingian kings....- a bad translation (thank you google) but nevertheless....you will get the idea.

Tried to sit in the park but the benches were shaped very funny and lifted up my legs and it was really not very comfortable, so instead I took off to see if I could find my way back.... I found it.... asked once if I was on the right way, and was politely told by a mom pushing a baby carriage that I should just carry on.... - found the marche Aligre again and walked through and also had a look at the "flee market things" but there was nothing mentionable.... they were already packing up and perhaps the treasures were already packed away.

Building on the left.... interesting idea.... the market at Marche Aligre and another garden - Square Trousseau in Boulevard St Antoine

Here and there I had a look at things in shops...walked in and out as I thought I saw something interesting, but did not buy anything.... and eventually got to Place de Vosges again and then the Marais and the small little shops which fascinates me.... and before I knew I saw the St Paul church.... the one with the Delacroix picture that I still have to have a look at.... and I went to Monoprix where I bought some things for when my friend is coming....

The Place des Vosges...the trees are green and the water fountains are full of water....along the way I saw a Guerlain shop and then before I knew it I was back in my own neighbourhood.... this is St Paul Church.... guarding the neighbourhood

And then back home - my studio always feels like a safe haven from the unknown ( or not so unknown now) surroundings.... there is a lot to be said about the Cite studios - but in all I think it gives you what you need to feel safe and anchored in a huge restless city.... and then it is up to you to make of it what you can.... or want.

a flower shop along the way..... I tried to zoom in and got the small chair at the back garden....

E and I (my Finnish friend) had a glass of Bubbly at a park on the Seine..... my fridge is not so "cool" but at least it was not too bad....next time I will put it in the deep freeze of the fridge... - as she correctly said I don't think I will set the fridge to another setting - then it might not work at all.

We had to move park - the one on the back of the Notre Dame on the very point closes at 19h00 and the one just behind the Notre Dame - where I like to sit and walk, closes 19h30 so we had a safari glass of bubbly and some strawberries