Paris, Day Six: La Petit Ceinture

Today we ventured out to the 15th arrondissement, the veritable suburbs of Paris, to walk on la Petit Ceinture, a nineteenth century railroad track that once supported a rail line circling the city. It was built to supply the Theirs wall, the last of Paris’ encircling fortifications, and it later carried passengers in addition to freight, effectively becoming the first Metro of Paris. When the current Metro went online in 1900, the Petit Ceinture was phased out. Today, it comprises several sections of greenway walking paths (like the Highline in New York).

Stepping out of the Metro into the urban suburbs (oxymoron?) we find something altogether different from the city center. Everything is less hip, historical and artsy. It’s all more functional - meant to be used rather than looked upon appreciatively. Here is where work happens. Not tourism. Still, there are big, beautiful parks for residents to visit and enjoy. We ascend the metro and walk a few blocks to ascend again to the railroad grade.

Nature and graffiti artists vie for dominance up here. It’s a perfect day to walk, and we’re not the only ones who think so. It’s not too far - a mile, perhaps - until we hit a fence preventing us from going further, so we sit on a bench and divvy up our baguette and fromage. Bennett and I observe as the kids climb part of the fence to check out what Griffin calls “an insect shrine” on the other side.

We’re near the Parc Andre Citroen, one of the newest and largest parks in Paris located on the site of the former Citroen factory. Rowan, desiring space from the group, informs us all that it’s time for independent exploration, which seems fine, though in this big empty space we become like magnets for one another coming together eventually. Griffin, Rowan and I race on high(ish) obstacle course (they gave me a head start) before we all head for the exit.

Rowan decides she wants to stay and see more of the park. The rest of us want to leave, and so after handing Rowan a Metro ticket for the way home, we do. Griffin also splits off from the group, exiting a few stops before ours on the second leg of our Metro journey back to l’appartement. Both of them make it back - Griffin, in fact, beats us home since we stop at the nearby market to acquire the makings of dinner.

Rowan makes pasta with pesto, and I sauté some broccoli. This is the third night now in which the kids have taken a leading role in the preparation of the evening meal. C’est très bon.