Paris: Wandering in the 20e

© 2010, Peter Marshall

Paris has a number of ‘garden villages’ and one that I’ve visited several times is close to the eastern edge of the 20e, close to the Porte de Bagnolet on a small hill, reached on foot  from the south by a long flight of steps made of rather rustic concrete. It’s really just a couple of tightly packed streets tightly packed with small villa type houses, which undoubtedly have a certain charm and period detail.

© 2010, Peter Marshall

This small area was developed by a cooperative called La Campagne à Paris (the countryside in Paris) from 1907-1926 with around 90 closely packed houses with differing designs, from different architects, except for the more vernacular that just had builders, with small and often flower-filled front gardens (though some are now converted to give access to garages in what were presumably built as their wine cellars.) It comes as a surprise to find such an essentially car-free cobbled rural street in Paris.

© 2010, Peter Marshall

Beyond it is an area more typical of the outer areas of Paris, mainly distinguished by a whole rash of streets named after people killed in aeronautical accidents.

© 2010, Peter Marshall

© 2010, Peter Marshall

We continued our stroll westwards walking through some familiar alleys and streets, including some we had visited following Willy Ronis’s favourite trail a couple of years ago. There was an alternative big photographic event taking place at ‘La Bellevilloise’ all weekend, but I just didn’t have the time to visit it.

© 2010, Peter Marshall

On the Rue des Pyrenees the Bistrot / Brasserie where we had a fine lunch two years earlier had changed considerably – so much that it took us a few minutes to be sure it was really the same place. It was still a café and we were hungry, so we went in and had a meal, but it was rather a disappointment.

UPDATE:

PARIS PHOTO SUPPLEMENT is now on MY LONDON DIARY

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