Return from Paris to Nice

July 27, 2015 by DavidS 3 Comments

Today, I returned from the rainy and coolish Paris for the hot and sunny Côte d’Azur. I remembered reading about a colourful street near the Gare de Lyon (from where the TGV train to Nice was departing). However, I wasn’t sure where it was; I just knew that it was near the train station in. So, instead of taking the Metro all the way to the Gare de Lyon Metro stop, I got off the train at Bastille and walked to the station with the hope that I would find it. Along the way, I discovered Rue Cremieux, the colourful street that I had hoped to see.

I learned that the street was named after Adolphe Cremieux (Nimes, April 30, 1796 – Paris, February 10, 1880), lawyer and politician, member of the Government of National Defence. He was also the author of a famous decree of 1870 which gave French nationality to Jews in Algeria.

Rue Cremieux has been a pedestrian street since 1993 and is paved and lined with small houses with three floors and colorful facades.

Rue Crémieux, Paris, France – colourful buildings, July 27, 2015

Rue Crémieux, Paris, France – colourful buildings, July 27, 2015

A great day to be a cat on Rue Crémieux, Paris, France – July 27, 2015

Only 2 minutes up the street, I arrived at Gare de Lyon.

Paris-Gare de Lyon is one of the six large mainline railway stations in Paris, France. It handles about 90,000,000 passengers every year, making it the third busiest station of France and one of the busiest of Europe.

The Paris-Gare de Lyon was built for the World Exposition of 1900 and the architecture used in the construction of this train station is a classic example of the architecture of that time period. The station has been modernized to accommodate the high-speed TGV trains that whisk travellers throughout France.

Gare de Lyon as seen from Rue Traversière, Paris, France – July 27, 2015

Entrance to Hall 1 of the Gare de Lyon, Paris, France – July 27, 2015

Hall 1 of the Gare de Lyon, Paris, France – July 27, 2015

TGV train inside the Gare de Lyon, Paris, France – July 27, 2015

Hall 1 of the Gare de Lyon, Paris, France – July 27, 2015

 

From Rail Europe:

There is one word to describe TGV. Fast! The world speed record holder, it zips from city to city at up to 322 kph (201 mph). With Paris as its hub, this high-speed French network interconnects throughout Europe making it an attractive alternative to the plane.

If we had to find another word to describe the TGV, it would have to be “often”. Because every day 450 trains crisscross the network, offering you a wide choice of journey times.

The TGV is France’s technological gem, constantly improving comfort and performance while also keeping sight of the planet’s well-being.  In fact, eco-mobility is at the heart of the TGV experience. From the aerodynamic design of the lines to the manufacturing of the trains, each step is carefully researched to minimize the impact on the environment. Even our drivers are trained to ‘drive economically’ (power off when going downhill, adapting the speed to rail grip-reducing electricity consumption by a third). It continues throughout, with light fixtures that use low-energy light bulbs, air conditioning that adapts to the number of travelers, waste that is compacted and waste water that is recycled.