Running in October in Paris

Right bank - Far off the Pont Royal (Royal Bridge), Notre-Dame and the dome of the Institute of France

Garden of the Tuileries - Far off, the Louvre

The bridge of "la Concorde" then the place of "la Concorde" and its obelisk, with, far off, on the left, the "Hôtel de Crillon", the "Hôtel de la Marine" on the right and in the center, "La Madeleine"

The "esplanade des Invalides" - The "Hôtel des Invalides"

No matter what month we are, it is always a pleasure to run in Paris!
Come and do a tour, a nice visit while running with Paris Running Tour!

By running in the parks of Paris with Scott and Kelly

Kelly and Scott - Luxembourg gardens

8:59 AM - Kelly and Scott live in New York (USA) and usually run in the magnificent park of Central Park. Today, we discovered some of the superb parks of the center of Paris, the Luxembourg gardens, Tuileries gardens and the Palais Royal gardens.

The name of "Luxembourg" for the gardens and the Palace (the current Senate) comes from the Duke of Luxembourg, François de Piney who possessed a hotel in this place, in the 16th century. Marie of Medici, the Regent of France, acquired the hotel and built the current Palace in 1615.
Did you notice in the background of the above photo, a small dome far off? It is the Paris Observatory, the oldest observatory of the world still in function. It was created in 1667 by king Louis XIV.

The Paris Observatory in the continuation of the Luxembourg gardens

With the American "Center for Astrophysics", it is the most important research center in astrophysics and in astronomy of the world.
Very soon, the Observatory will open again its doors to the Public, from Thursday, 11 till Sunday, October 14th, 2012 on the occasion of the "fête de la Science".

Of the three parks, which is the most beautiful one? The Garden of the Luxembourg, the discreet Garden of the Palais Royal, or the Garden of the Tuileries, placed on the historic axis of Paris?
Impossible to say, they are splendid all three! 

Let us find the Garden of the Tuileries, a good place to run:

Scott and Kelly - the Tuileries gardens

and the small garden of the "Palais Royal", well isolated by the "Palais Royal" palace and the adjacent Galleries:

Scott and Kelly - Garden of the Palais Royal

On our road, when we discovered a part of Philippe Auguste's outer wall, a nice runner proposed to take a picture of us:

Paris Running Tour, Scott, Kelly - Philippe Auguste's outer wall (13th century)

Thanks to him. A good souvenir!

Good runs in Central Park then!
Merci Kelly ! Merci Scott !

The route of the tour :

A touristic half-marathon with Eva and Christian

Christian and Eva - Bridge of Sully

10:04 AM - Eva and Christian are fast marathon runners who live near Copenhagen (Denmark). They are also triathletes who have already participated in Iron Man Triathlons (swimming 3.8 km, bike 180 km, Running 42.195 kilometers or 26.2 miles).

On this Friday morning, without any performance objectives, we chose to quietly visit Paris while running, however on a good distance to be able to admire as much places as possible. 
We finally ran 21 km, the distance of a half-marathon.

Do you remember Lady Geneviève, the protector of Paris, whom we evoked recently during our Paris visit with Jennifer. You can see her to the left of the photo above, she looks to the east of Paris, the east where from came Attila and his Huns at the 5th century and Geneviève did not let them get into the City.

Of the bridge of Sully, we went place of the Trocadéro, to join the Palais de Chaillot, palace built on the hill of the same name for the 1937 World fair. It is one of the best points of view on the Eiffel Tower. 
"To deserve the view", we took a "small ascent" which leads to the (no so high) top of the hill... However with a small break to have a little bit different souvenir of the big tower:

Eva and Christian - Avenue of the President Wilson

Back to the east, in full Latin Quarter, here is the Sorbonne, the famous and very old university of which the history begins in the 13th century. The chapel of the Sorbonne which we see on the photo below was created during the 17th century.

Christian and Eva - Sorbonne Chapel

Along the way, following the river, we wondered if it was possible to swim in the Seine. Yes! Of course! On the occasion of the Triathlon of Paris! Look at these videos:

Your next triathlon in Paris, Eva and Christian?
Next edition: July 2013...

Merci Eva ! Merci Christian !

The route of the tour :

Center of Paris, right bank with Liz and Curt

Curt and Liz - The "Bourse de Paris"

9:12 AM - Curt and Liz are regular runners who live near Boston (USA). We left the Opera to make a big visit, more than 10 miles (16 km) to discover Paris center, on the Right bank side (a good training for the half marathon Curt prepares).

Not far from the Opera, we found the "Bourse de Paris". Ordered by Napoleon the 1st and created by Alexandre Théodore Brongniart, the building called Palais Brongniart (Brongniart Palace), served for a long time as stock exchange, the Paris Stock Exchange, before the transactions were dematerialized since the 1980s.
Remember:

Now everything is computerized!
The "Bourse de Paris" serves now as a conference, receptions, fashion shows, showroom or exhibitions center.

Later, we crossed "Le Marais" quarter (Marais=swamp), very quiet on this Sunday morning. No cars! The street belongs to the runners!

Curt and Liz - The Marais

Sunday morning, ideal moment to run in Paris! How many discoveries by running, the old Paris, the modern Paris, the fashion shops, the museums, the passages...

The Marais, the "Passage des Panoramas", The "Pont des Arts", The Pyramide of the Louvre
The first shop of a very fashionable shoes manufacturer, The Louvre, The river Seine

On our way, a couple of tourists asked Liz to photograph them. It fell well, Liz is, among others, a professional photographer!

Liz - Louvre and the Arc of the Carousel

Merci Liz ! Merci Curt !

The route of the tour :

Two running tours to discover Paris with Jennifer

Jennifer - Louis-Philippe's bridge

7:02 AM - Jennifer, of San Francisco, runs very regularly. We were able to discover the center of Paris by making two running tours early in the morning: the right bank, the left bank, the shores of the Seine and of course, the Parisian islands, the Island of "La Cité" and the Saint Louis Island.

On the photo above, we can see on the left, in the foreground, the Saint Louis Island then, at the bottom, the Island of "La Cité".

Did you know that Paris counted ten islands at the end of the XVIth century?

The river Seine - 1550

During our two races, we were able to...

• Find the Palace of the Legion of Honor:

Jennifer - "Palais de la Légion d'Honneur" Paris | "California Palace of the Legion of Honor" San Francisco

The museum "California Palace of the Legion of Honor" in San Francisco is a replica of the "Palais de la Légion d'Honneur" of Paris. The facade of the Palace in San Francisco is very visible and highlighted by the very beautiful "Lincoln Park".  We can admire the original Palace in Paris since a more narrow street, the "rue de Lille".

• greet Geneviève, noble Parisian Lady who made Attila and his Huns run away in the 5th century and since became the protector of Paris:

Jennifer - Geneviève "Eglise Saint Etienne du Mont", "Jardin du Luxembourg", "Pont de la Tournelle"

Geneviève is always represented with long plaits. Recent artistic style? No, it seems that effectively, during the Medieval period which begins in 5th century, the fashion was with long hair, frequently braided.  If you want to discover Geneviève's life, go on the "Mountain" of the same name in Paris and visit the "Panthéon", all her life is painted on walls there.

• visit the Paris of the Middle Ages by going through the "Marais":

Jennifer - "Rue François Miron" - "Rue des Barres"

Merci Jennifer !

The routes of the tours :

Place des Vosges with Anne and Niels

Anne et Niels - Place des Vosges

8:08 AM - It was a great pleasure to meet Anne and Niels from Denmark again. We had run together during a rather cold March, two tours in Paris, for the greater part on the left bank.

This time, in this warm day of August, we chose the right bank and followed the plan of the ancient Paris surrounding wall of King Louis XIII, path which constitutes largely what we name "Les Grand boulevards".

To join the Grand boulevards, we went through some of the numerous covered passages of Paris, in particular the "passage des Panoramas":

Anne and Niels - Passage des Panoramas

Deserted passage on a Sunday morning and thus usable by the runners!
The passage of the Panoramas is one of oldest covered passages of Paris, created in 1799 and doubtless inspired by the oriental souks... The name "panoramas" comes because the main entry was framed by two towers where were exposed panoramic landscapes representing big cities, panoramas.


On the Grand boulevards, we admired two big triumphal arches commissioned by king Louis XIV: the "Porte Saint-Martin" (1674) and the "Porte Saint-Denis" (1672).
Both arcs were built to the glory of Louis XIV and of his victories and replaced the fortified doors become useless, Charles V's wall being replaced by the Boulevard.

Anne et Niels - Porte Saint Denis

We then left the Boulevard to find the "Place des Vosges":

Anne et Niels - Place des Vosges

Look closer at the Louis XIII's statue. To replace the former bronze statue, melted during the Revolution, the sculptors chose the marble, indeed much heavier...
The statue threatening to collapse in its center, it was decided to place a trunk under the horse's belly. It gives a very strange look to this equipage, slowed down in its center by a tree trunk!

Merci Anne et Niels !

The route of the tour :

By way of the gallery Véro-Dodat with Erin and Jaymi

Erin and Jaymi - The Fountain of the Four Parts of the World

8:55 AM - With Erin from Miami (USA) and Jaymi from San Francisco (USA), we left the "Porte d'Orléans" at the south end of Paris to run toward the center of the city, cross the Louvre, then return by a parallel route.

Do you know the garden of the Great Explorers, the small long and narrow park, situated very close by the garden of the Luxembourg?

In its entrance, south side, we met the Fountain of the Four Parts of the World, as we can see it on the photo above, behind the pond. This bronze fountain, realized by several artists from 1867 till 1874, symbolizes the four Continents, Africa, America, Asia and Europe (Oceania not being represented).
We also name this fountain the Fountain Carpeaux, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux having sculptured the women who represent the continents.
We are in the axis of the meridian of Paris. In the background of the photo, we recognize the Paris Observatory, created in 1667.

By running northward, in the Latin Quarter, we crossed the Hotel of Abbots de Cluny, where resides, nowadays, the Museum of the Middle Ages:

Erin and Jaymi - Hotel of Cluny

It is at the Museum of the Middle Ages that we can admire the magnificent Tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn .

Of return southward, we entered the beautiful gallery Véro-Dodat, a passage created in 1826. For the amateurs of fashion, it is at the end of the gallery that one of the most famous mode shoemakers created his first shop. Shoes with very high heel, incompatible with the running...

Jaymi and Erin - Galerie Véro-Dodat

We went to finish our running by way of the beautiful Montsouris Park, of which the construction was decided by the baron Haussmann in 1860 to match in the South the Park of the Buttes Chaumont, the other big garden in the North of Paris.

Erin and Jaymi - Montsouris Park

Merci Erin ! Merci Jaymi !

The route of the tour: