I've been to Paris many, many times. The first time I went was ca. 1998 on a school trip - it was also the first time I went to such a big city from our sleepy little town in Germany where I grew up. So it was exciting, that's for sure! I also have vivid memories of eating disgusting fries in the "Flunch" fast-food restaurant near Les Halles where the sparrows were flying in and out of the restaurant and sitting on the tables! That and our French teacher at the time telling us to avoid eye contact with "Arab men" on the metro "or else you wake up in a harem in Morocco" (don't get me wrong, she was a great teacher, but in retrospective maybe not exactly what you would call politically correct...).
But I survived the horrible food and was not abducted to Morocco and here I am, 20 years later, discovering a whole new side of Paris! As you can see from the photos, this new side is mainly green. I blame it on the baby but my main activity that week was walking. Walking, walking, walking through the entire city from park to park. We were super lucky because we had a hotel in the centre and the weather was excellent, not too hot and not too cold. Besides the obvious tourist attractions that I passed on my way (the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, etc.) I also discovered some new neighbourhoods and places that I liked a lot.
Those were my favourite spots and I'm sure I'll go back at some point:
1) Coulée Verte (between Bastille and Gare de Lyon) - Paris' answer to NYC's High Line, this is an old railway viaduct turned into a beautiful green walk and leading to a park. Just be aware that there is no accessible entrance right at Bastille but you have to walk a few hundred metres further down where you can find a lift (useful information if you have a pram).
2) Jardin des Rosiers Joseph Migneret (10, Rue des Rosiers, Paris 4e) - The Marais itself is already a lovely break from Paris' general craziness but this park is like an oasis of calm and green in the city. The entrance is a bit hidden but I entered via Rue des Rosiers. Grab some picnic lunch for example at the Monoprix supermarket in Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie and enjoy!
3) Champs du Mars (7e, Metro "Ecole Militaire") - Not exactly a secret as this is one of the most touristy spots of the whole of Paris BUT still totally worth it for the view of the Eiffel Tower! I got my bread and cheese on the way had a lovely lunch with Baby S. lying on his blanket in the grass. Surprisingly, if you dodge the groups of Spanish teenagers being loaded off the coaches you can find very nice spots in the shade - just be aware of dog poop!
Finally, I also managed to do a bit of knitting - my first project since baby arrived. It's going slowly but I'm progressing so by autumn it should be done for sure. It's another "Marigold" cardigan from the "Making" magazine that I knit once before. I bought the tweed yarn last summer in Estonia (the amazing wonderland that is Karnaluks!) and I'm glad I found a suitable project for it.
