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Benches provide respite on walk along Coulee Verté -
Water feature on elevated walkway in Paris -
Stairway leading to elevated walkway -
View of street scene from Coulee Verté -
Looking down at a Paris street from the elevated walkway -
Elevated walkway takes a winding route through a part of Paris -
Charming scene along the Coulee Verté
Third in a series – My travel story picks up from the last installment with a fast train ride.
The trip from Reims to Paris was only about 50 minutes, so it was early afternoon when the train entered the busy Paris Gare de l’Est (East station). I hopped off and navigated down to the Paris Metro subway boarding area for the next leg of the day’s travel.
At the Metro, I noticed a short line of folks at a ticket vending machine where travelers, apparently locals, were bypassing the machines and using their smartphones to pass through ticket turnstiles.
Unlike the locals, we Metro novices nervously surveyed Metro system maps mounted to the walls. After checking my own smartphone maps and translator apps, I observed several of my fellow Metro novices obtain a ticket, but only after awkward attempts. I made several awkward attempts myself, and eventually purchased and printed out my own Metro ticket.
I had bought a short trip ticket - 15 minutes - on the number 5 line to the Place de la Bastille (Bastille Plaza). Site of the old Bastille Prison, the plaza is located near an elevated walking trail (an abandoned railway on a raised bridge-like structure) known as the Coulee Verté René-Dumont. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Paris so spending time outside, walking a trail, seemed like a great plan.
But first, I needed some lunch. A quick Yelp search on my phone resulted in the name and address of a nearby brasserie (casual place). The online menu displayed reasonable prices, so after a five minute walk, I was seated at an outside table at L’Hirondelle Brasserie, 42 Bd Henri IV, 75004, Paris, France.
As I had the day before in Reins, I ordered a hamburger. And just like the day before in Reims, my burger was excellent. It was just so easy to go straight to burgers on the menu when I wasn’t in the mood to try something new. I did eventually take a break from burgers later in the trip.
After lunch, I made my way across Bastille Plaza to the walking trail, taking my time, enjoying the walk since it was pleasant to observe locals here and there visiting with friends and enjoying the sunshine. Next time I’m in Paris, I’ll plan for an hour or so on a Bastille Plaza bench to people-watch.
I had been looking forward to visiting this somewhat-rare type of public park development. The Coulee Verté is similar, but older than, the popular “High Line” elevated walking trail in New York City. I’ve visited and trekked the High Line walking trail (1.5 miles length) on several occasions over the past few years. The Coulee Verté, about 30 feet above the ground, rewards visitors with a unique and spectacular view of the surrounding city.
I had to search a bit for the several flights of stairs leading up to the trailhead of the walking path. An elevator was also available. I was immediately impressed by the beautiful plantings that appeared very well established and healthy. There were flowering plants here and there along the way. The views from the elevated trail of the mostly classically-designed residential buildings were spectacular. Although the walking trail was not overly crowded, it was well-used during the time I visited.
Despite the three-mile length, the walk was not at all difficult. There were many benches along the way and several exits led back down to ground level. I walked the entire length and rested a bit on a ground level bench located at the end of the trail. The Coulee Verté was one of my favorite discoveries on this trip.
Next time, I’ll share some of my other experiences in Paris. Stay tuned.
See all the articles in the series of Beyond Bunches Bend
