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Parc MontsourisParcMontsouris
Mousehill Parc (that's what Parc Montsouris/paʁk mõsuʁi/means) is thesecond-largest park within Paris itself (that is, excluding the two huge, external parksof the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes), after theButtes Chaumont park. It is a ratherhilly park that contains the highest point on the Left Bank, with an elevationof 76 metres above sea level. It was designed by Baron Haussmann, and, whileit is not well known to tourists, it has several distinctive features besides itshigh elevation. For example, it is almost bisected by a line of the RER (theexpress subway system), and another line, that of thePetite Ceinture also crosses thepark (both are quitewell hidden, however, with the latter being confined mostlyto a tunnel). And it is built on top of multiple underground stone quarries, which arequite common on the western side of the Left Bank. However, the park's major claim to fame is the modest installation you see picturedhere, near thehighest point in the park. This is the weather station operated by Météo France , thenationalweather service. Anyone who listens to the recorded weather reports ofMétéo France onthe telephone regularly has heard the latest weatherreadings from ”Mousehill Park“ a zillion times (”la températuresous abri au parc Montsouris est de dix degrés …”). Well, all thoseweather readings are taken right here, with this little group of weather devices,enclosed by a modest wire fence. Given the celebrity of this tiny patch of lawn,I thought it would make a nice, representative photo (especially since an overallphoto of the park is rather difficult to accomplish, given its terrain). I don't knowwho those people are inside the enclosure; it looked like a professional group (ofmeteorologists?) or something. Photographed on February 15, 2001. |