Friday, July 19, 2019

PARIS BY WHEELCHAIR -- Part 8

PROGRESS MADE, BUT MANY CHALLENGES REMAIN




Jardin des Tuileries is a lush, formal garden in central Paris immediately west of the sprawling, enthralling Musee Louvre.

The main access points -- Place du Carrousel to the east, next to the Louvre, and Place de la Concorde to the west, near the ancient Egyptian Obelisk – are accessible.

The pathways are sand and gravel, not paved, but generally wheelchair accessible.
Beware, on windy days, the dust kicks up something fierce.

Beware even more – most entry/exit points to Tuileries along Rue Rivoli or the Seine consist of a number of steps that create a barrier for wheelers.

The 50+ acre gardens, full of statues, ponds and cafes, feature fully-accessible toilets near Concorde.

That western edge of the once royal, now open to the public garden also hosts a pair of worthy museums.

The Orangerie Museum’s collection includes Monet's impressionist masterpiece, his Nympheas (Water Lilies) series.

The Jeu de Paume National Galleries next door feature contemporary art, photography and film.

For people with disabilities, plan on a long walk and roll up long ramps of hard packed sand/gravel to get up to the museums elevated about one story above ground level at Place Concorde.

Once up the long ramps, access is easy within the pair of museums that are gems let overshadowed by the massiveness of the nearby Louvre and D’Orsay across the Seine.

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