Ateliers d'Artistes in Paris

Thirty artists share studios on rue de Rivoli, the studios are open to the public, and we happen to be walking back right past, so we wander in.  In 1999, a group or artists broke through the cemented-over doorway of an abandoned building and moved in.  In 2000, the French government tried to evict them, but the press and Bertrand Delanoë, a candidate for mayor of Paris, became very interested in their "squart" (combination of "squat" and "art") and, when the Monsieur Delanoë was elected mayor, he legalized the squart and the artists have been working their ever since.

 Ateliers d'Artistes

Thoughts on life

The halls and stairways of the studios are painted and there are delightful views everywhere.

 Halls and stairways

 Artist's studios

We chat with one of the artists (an American) and admire his paintings of places that we have been (purely a coincidence) and, after more wandering through the studios, head back down the stairs to reenter the busy city streets.

Strolling along the Coulée verte René-Dumont

The Coulée verte René-Dumont is an elevated walkway built in 1988 on a former railway line through Paris (similar to the High Line in New York).  The path begins behind the Bastille Opera House and stretches 4.5 km (2.8 miles) to the Bois de Vincennes.  We walk down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, through the Tuileries and the courtyard of the Louvre and, then, along the Seine for a while, cutting over to Place de la Bastille after we pass Ile Saint-Louis.

 Gardens along the Champs-Élysées

 Jardin des Tuileries

 Along the Seine

Near the beginning of the Coulée verte, at the Gare de Lyon train station, there is an outdoor exhibition of photographs by Luigi Ghirri sponsored by the SNCF (French railway) and the Jeau de Paume museum.

 Coulée verte René-Dumont

 Luigi Gherri exhibition

We walk along the elevated walkway, an urban oasis above the streets, surrounded by the buildings of Paris, and enjoy the quiet and beauty of our stroll

 Along the Coulée verte René-Dumont

 At the end of the path, we descend to street and reenter city life.