« One day, one discovery »: a trip to discover the little treasures of the neighbourhood and beyond to get the sunshine in 2021… Outside inside! D-12

On Saturday in the early afternoon, taking advantage of a ray of sunshine, go for a walk around the Parc Montsouris and fall under the spell of the urban furniture in full harmony with nature.

Discover buildings from another time, a watchman’s hut here and there…

… a sort of pagoda over there.

Then go out on Boulevard Jourdan, stroll to a bookstore, look for…

… and finally, faced with abundance, not knowing which paperback to choose. It doesn’t matter, we’ll come back!

Continue on rue d’Arcueil, rue Bobillot and at the end of a good little walk, arrive in front of the famous swimming pool of the Butte aux Cailles which, in its pure art-deco style, invites us to come and « take the waters », as they used to say in the old days.

So, imagine arriving in a seaside resort in the Auvergne, the Pyrenees, the Alps or the coast?

Take advantage of the Christmas decorations in the neighbourhood, here Father Christmas likes blue…

Let yourself be bewitched by the monochrome shades of big blue knots that adorn the fir trees.

S’approcher de la fontaine à eau où les habitants du quartier viennent se ravitailler…

…pure water that has been coming out of the artesian well for more than a century…

… thus creating a place of conviviality for the neighbours in the neighbourhood.

Spot the first works of street art in the neighbourhood on the corner of Rue du Moulin des Près.

Come closer to warm up to the warm colours of an interior.

To be touched by the simple decoration

Go quietly towards the Rue de la Butte aux Cailles.

To note that the chairs in many breweries are condemned to be stacked inside because of Covid. Here the Mélicasse is between desolation and « we don’t give up », because we have to try to survive thanks to take-away sales.

Seeing that everything is clean and waiting for the dreamed time when we can come in again for a drink, a bite to eat and show our smiles.

…strongly recommend that the only sign is the one marked « Open ». And if it’s « Closed », it doesn’t matter, we’ll go somewhere else!

Stop in front of garlands that enchant a little more this enchanted district

Hoping one day to hear the song of the Mockingbird again.

Falling in ecstasy in front of the window of an optician who loves colours.

Do not tire of the harmony of colours.

Turn and switch to black and white as you glance down the street where passers-by come and go on the pavements .

Note that life continues on the streets despite the constraints and the approaching curfew.

Look again at the front of the optician’s shop because it brings a touch of colour to this world that has become a little sad.

Imagine the texture and softness of brightly coloured pouches.

Meet other passers-by who are beginning to think about going home.

Rendre son salut au grand Jacques qui nous prendrait sans doute pour des doux dingues avec nos masques.

Glimpse the warm tones escaping through the windows of a building in the Boiton Passage.

Realizing that something has changed on the « pebble » side…

…and notice that the restaurant has been transformed during the time of confinement into a fresh produce shop.

Dream a little longer in front of the Christmas windows.

Get out of the dreariness for a moment…

Facing the Bobillot -Tolbiac bus stop, think that it is really time to go home.

Consider the façade of a shop for a few more minutes and enjoy a gradation of colours again…

…and dream about the softness of the material… before returning home, warm in the 14th.

Par Nathalie et Jean-Yves

Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)