A further look on "Parc de Belleville"

May latest post talked about the artist “Seth” and how he has decorated the belvedere of the “Parc de Belleville”. I thought it was worth to have a new look on this park, actually the highest park in Paris, if not the highest point. Anyhow, it offers possibly the best and largest views of Paris - from a natural point. It’s a rather new park, inaugurated in 1988.

Some centuries ago this was a slope of a hill where you could find vineyards, taverns.... During the 19^th century a gypsum quarry was opened. The area was later declared insalubrious, although some smaller buildings, giving a village feeling, remained until during the latter part of the 20^th century when some modern buildings appeared and the park was created.  

It’ now a large and popular park with trees which have had the time to grow…

… with a lot of space for enjoying the green (and the sun)…

… with a lot of flowers (including some rests of the old vineyards)…

… including some perennial, more or less “wild”.

There is an important playground and other space for kids and older…

… and some space for adults to exercise…

… (and often to dance during weekends).

Around the park I also found some people having fun, playing, dancing, juggling…

"Seth" performing

I already posted (see here) about “Seth” – his real name is Julien Malland - and about some of the illustrations he has made on the walls in Paris. I happened to be present when he made a new installation, this time at the “belvedere” on the top of the “Parc de Belleville”. (I will revert with another post about this park, opened as late as 1988 on a slope which previously was occupied by vineyards, a gypsum quarry…)

This is a place where you have one of the best views of Paris.

Some initiatives have already been taken to decorate this “belvedere”, which originally was just “naked”.

“Seth” had got the job to further decorate this “belvedere”. He was just back from Italy and on his way to Canada. Many walls to cover all over the world.

He was helped.

Here we can see the result. These are some of his typical personages, heads often looking into some better world… ? You are free to give your own interpretation, according to "Seth".

“Seth” had already about a year ago painted the walls on top of the kind of amphitheatre which you can find just below the “belvedere”.

(Apart from a nice view, the place offers also some places where you can get restored.)

In my previous post about “Seth” I showed a little bit of what he has produced worldwide. Here are some more examples of other works - in other countries -, large walls in different styles and also the cover of one of the cartoon books he has illustrated. His paintings are today sold by galleries at quite high prices. You can see his website here and his Facebook site here.  

Salsa

I already made a few posts on the Parc de Belleville, a rather recent park, hardly visited by tourists, but offering a very good view of Paris. When I passed the other day (May 22), there was a great dance event going on, salsa. Of course you have a moment of hesitation; should you start moving around also? I decided to just take some photos.

I wish you a nice weekend!

Belleville, Menilmontant ... something more

I have already made some posts about rue Belleville, rue Menilmontant and the adjacent parts of Paris which were incorporated in 1860, traditionally and area of workers and lower middle-class - often active in the different social movements during the latter part of the 19th and earlier parts of the 20th centuries.

Last Saturday I was invited to a varnishing (obviously wrong word: vernissage in French means - also - e.g. the opening of an exhibition) at the “Bellevilloise” (rue Boyer) by an artist friend (KEJ – see previous posts). The “Bellevilloise” was created as the first cooperate association in Paris in 1877. It counted 9000 members in the beginning of the 20th century and offered shops, restaurants, libraries, a chance for the members to meet and to get educated... After a few decades of decline, today the place is living again as a very active cultural centre.

Another example of early social initiatives in this area is the group of “buildings for workers” (rue d’Annam - see also top picture) which you can find close to the “Bellevilloise”. This complex was ready in 1906 and, as you can see on the inscription under the entrance arch, with the intention to offer “cheap accommodations with all kind of hygienic guarantees”. This is just an example of several similar complexes which were built in what were those days the outskirts of Paris.

On the way home, I made a stop at Parc de Belleville which offers one of the best views of Paris, a place from where you can capture the Pantheon, the Notre Dame and the Tour Montparnasse or the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais on the same photo.

Belleville (3)

This is the third Belleville episode. There will be at least one more.

One of the musts when you visit the Belleville area is to go to the park, Parc de Belleville, on the southern slope of the hill. The park is quite recent (1988) and perhaps not (at least yet) the most beautiful in Paris, but from the top of it you have a fabulous view of Paris, better than from Montmartre and from about the same altitude. Where there now is a park, used to be vineyards and gypsum quarries. On the very top of the hill, the highest point in Paris, you will find a cemetery. This used to be the place of a “telegraph”, rather some kind of wooden semaphore. It’s not here anymore; there is only a stone tablet in the honor of the inventor. It was installed during the Revolution (in 1793) and was part of the first optical telegraph system (preceded by smoke signals?). The first “line” was established between Lille and Paris (240 km = 150 miles) and in clear weather messages could be transmitted via 15 similar installations on top of hills. Soon there were more than 500 of these semaphores covering some 5000 km in France, serving basically for military messaging. Communications were also established to relatively distant places like Milan and Venice and the system spread over Europe. When weather conditions were at their best, it was possible to send messages with a speed of some 3000 km = 1850 miles/hour. The system was abolished some 60 years later.

I will update my photo-blog with some of the Belleville pictures, when the series is finished; maybe Monday.

I wish you all a nice weekend!