Walkin' Around Paris

One of our favorite things to do in Paris is to take off and explore.  We love walking around and checking out architecture, different neighborhoods, and people!  We have a set of cards that help us explore - one side has a map of an area with a path marked on it, the other side has a description of what you will see on the walk.  The thing that is great about the cards is that they take you to areas you never would have found on your own!

A few weekends ago we grabbed a card and walked around the Viaduc des Arts.  It is near the Bastille area of Paris, and it is basically a garden/park that has been constructed on top of an old, raised train track.  Once on top of the old tracks, you can barely even tell you are in a city!  We loved it because it felt like a little escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. 

The park is on top of this structure!

Last week, we took another card and set out to explore Chateau de Vincennes.  It is on the far east side of Paris and used to be a hunting lodge for royalty.  Several French kings were born and married there.  It dates from the 14th century!  I loved it because there were hardly any tourists there.

This is the bridge to get across the moat.

VERY old doors.

We are standing in the moat to get this shot!

The chapel.

Beautiful!

The back of the sanctuary.

I absolutely loved this window.

After our walk through the chateau and chapel, we checked out a park nearby.  Unfortunately, our visit was cut short because I was stung/bitten by something several times on the backside!  Let's just say it was a pretty uncomfortable metro ride home!