| The twelfth arrondissement is situated on the Right | | | | long elevated park constructed on an abandoned |
| Bank of the Seine River in eastern Paris. It is home to | | | | Nineteenth Century railway viaduct, running from the |
| one of Paris's largest parks, the Bois de Vincennes | | | | Bastille Opera almost to the Bois de Vincennes. The |
| which is described below. Its land area is about 6.3 | | | | Promenade is said to be only elevated park in the |
| square miles (16.3 square kilometers) counting the park. | | | | world. Some portions are enclosed and others are |
| If you exclude the Bois de Vincennes the land area is | | | | open and provide great views. There are pedestrian |
| less than 2.5 square miles (about 6.4 square | | | | and cyclist routes and arcades with arts and crafts |
| kilometers). The population is approximately one | | | | workshops. The Promenade was featured in the 2004 |
| hundred thirty seven thousand inhabitants, and the area | | | | movie, Before Sunset. |
| is home to over one hundred twelve thousand jobs, | | | | The Cimetiere de Picpus (Picpus Cemetery) is the only |
| mostly in the Bercy area near the Seine. | | | | private cemetery in the city sitting on land seized from |
| The Place de la Bastille was the site of the infamous | | | | a convent during the French Revolution. It is a few |
| Bastille prison, destroyed in the early days of the | | | | minutes from the Place de la Nation, site of a 1794 |
| French Revolution. The square is shared by the fourth, | | | | guillotine in 1794 that dispatched up to fifty people a |
| eleventh, and twelfth arrondissements. Nothing of the | | | | day. After Robespierre was beheaded the violence |
| old prison remains, except the memories. At the center | | | | stopped. Among the cemetery's dead are the Marquis |
| of the square is the Colonne de Juillet (July Column) a | | | | de La Fayette, who died a natural death, his wife, and |
| 154 foot (fifty meter) column commemorating the 1830 | | | | her sister and mother who died in the terror. |
| Revolution in which King Charles X was overthrown in | | | | The Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (Paris-Bercy All |
| favor of his cousin Louis-Phillippe. | | | | Sports Palace) is an indoor sports arena hosting a |
| The Bastille was built in the late Fourteenth Century to | | | | wide variety of sports including Basketball, Boxing, |
| help defend Paris and was converted into a prison, | | | | Gymnastics, and Show Jumping. It also hosts popular |
| mostly for political prisoners, in the Seventeenth | | | | concerts with the likes of Britney Spears, Celine Dion, |
| Century. At the time of its destruction the Bastille was | | | | Madonna, and many, many more. The Palace seats up |
| composed of eight eighty foot (twenty-four meter) | | | | to eighteen thousand spectators. |
| towers and an armory. By that time the cachots | | | | The Bois de Vincennes (Vincennes Woods) is an |
| (dungeons) had been abandoned and the prison was | | | | English-garden type park covering over 3.8 square |
| not considered the worst in the city. When it was | | | | miles (a little less than 10 square kilometers). This |
| stormed on July 14, 1789 the jail contained seven | | | | Parisian gem is almost three times as big as New |
| inmates: four counterfeiters, two madmen, and a | | | | York's Central Park and four times as big as London's |
| young aristocrat on the outs with his father. During the | | | | Hyde Park. The Bois de Vincennes was once a royal |
| storming ninety-eight attackers and one defender died. | | | | hunting preserve, and was transformed into a military |
| Others died afterwards, including the governor. During | | | | exercise area after the French Revolution. Napoleon III |
| excavation for the Paris Metro the remains of one | | | | made it a public park in 1860. Be sure to see the |
| tower surfaced and are on display in a nearby park. | | | | Chateau de Vincennes, once a royal castle, and later a |
| The Bastille square is often used in political | | | | porcelain factory, a state prison holding the Marquis de |
| demonstrations, and the area is full of night life, in | | | | Sade among others, and even an arms factory. The |
| particular to the northeast. | | | | famous spy Mata-Hari was executed here. The |
| L'Opera de la Bastille (Bastille Opera) is now the home | | | | Chateau de Vincennes also served as the military |
| of the Opera National de Paris. It was supposed to | | | | headquarters of the Chief of General Staff in 1940 |
| replace the old Paris Opera House (Palais Garnier) | | | | during the unsuccessful defense of France against the |
| described in our companion article I Love Touring Paris | | | | German invasion of 1940. The Bois de Vincennes is |
| - The Ninth Arrondissement but such was not to be | | | | also boasts a small zoo and four lakes. |
| the case. Given the city's size and cultural importance it | | | | Of course you don't want to be in Paris without |
| seems that Paris can support two (actually more) | | | | sampling fine French wine and food. In my article I |
| opera houses. Interestingly enough the winner of the | | | | Love French Wine and Food - A Midi Syrah I |
| international competition was an unknown architect | | | | reviewed such a wine and suggested a sample menu: |
| from Uruguay. Every one of the Bastille Opera's nearly | | | | Start with Garbure (Cabbage Soup with Poultry). For |
| three thousand seats has an unrestricted view of the | | | | your second course savor Cassoulet Toulousain (Bean |
| stage. On the other hand many say that the acoustics | | | | and Pork Stew). And as dessert indulge yourself with |
| are disappointing at best. The building, replacing a train | | | | Violette de Toulouse (Violet Flower Crystallized in |
| station, was inaugurated on the two-hundredth | | | | Sugar). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward) will be |
| anniversary of the storming of the Bastille but its first | | | | happy to suggest appropriate wines to accompany |
| opera performance was almost a year later. | | | | each course. |
| The Promenade Plantee is a 2.5 mile (4.5 kilometer) | | | | |