The Marais

One of the former palaces that has an entrance to the Place des Voges from its rear garden is now used by the French government for offices.

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The Place des Voges was built for royalty and other VIPs as a series of identical facade palaces around a central square. Now the square has shops, restaurants, and apartments.

Through alley entrances we caught glimpses of courtyards leading to apartments and hotels. A glass doorway offered a view of a staircase leading upstairs to apartments.

When we visit these places, so much older than we are used to here in the US, we have to remember we are not visiting a museum, This is a modern city as well, with all kinds of family life going on. Here, in the central park area in the Place des Voges, a father and his three boys are playing soccer.

I love seeinig architecture as art. Here, in the Place des Voges covered sidewalks, the ceiling itself is notable.

Art for sale in galleries

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We came across a shop that specialized in Russian goods with the nesting dolls of all kinds and other elaborate items.

We also found a shop that sells absinthe.

Narrow streets and alley ways provide a glimpse of how many people now live and have lived for centuries in Paris. At the end of the street (also small pic below) is a horse trough, remnants of earlier days. The are to the right of Lisa, behind the black wrought iron fencing is a courtyard with a small memorial to a Jewish family who had lived on this street and were taken off to concentration camps by the Nazis during World War II.

At one time this area of Paris was surrounded by a wall. The remnant of that city wall can be seen in several areas, including as the side facade of this apartment building.