| Paris-solo |
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| An unexpected oasis of calm and tranquility - a number of pictures of the gardens of the Chambre d'Hote at Asnieres |
| Corbieres residential district - near Defense |
| 'Total' Paris Headquarters, Defense |
| Cecilia Bobrie and her husband, owners of the Asnieres' B&B |
| My two days in Paris were pretty well filled. Asnieres was a good spot to stay - far enough removed from the hustle and bustle of central Paris (it was just the other side of the Peripherique) to offer a quiet residential location, but sufficiently well connected with an RER station just a few minutes walk away making Paris central no more than a 20 minute journey. Click here for more details One of my clients had his offices close to the Place de la Concorde, another was out at Versailles, but the majority were to be found around the modern commercial centre of La Defense. |
| As the weather was fine I decided to walk to Defense - a 30 minute stroll which took me through the next residential area of Corbieres. Apartments predominate around this area, as they do over most of Paris. In fact the Bobrie residence was rare being a large family house with private garden. Total, the French State oil company, was one planned visit, thankfully not the towering HQ in the photo, though. |
| I would be visiting one of the adjacent smaller offices at La Diamant. Other clients in Defense also occupied less vertigo-inducing buildings, which suited me perfectly. When Defense is at its most commercial, buldings are packed closely together and it can be extremely claustrophobic. Sunlight disappears at ground level and there is a permanent chill in the air - quite spooky at times. Rise above street level, though and you can escape into the sunlight where the buildings part and give way to piazzas, with bars and cafes dotted here and there to refresh the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of office workers who come here each day. |