Monday, May 08, 2006

Paris honey


Funny how you can still see remains of the past traditions in a big city like Paris. I already showed you the Montmartre vineyards where "real" wine is produced but I never posted a photo of the beehives in the Luxembourg Gardens (6th arrondissement). About 10 of them are used as a "school" to train future apiculturers apiculturists to harvest honey which is sold every year in the nearby Orangerie. These beehives are protected by a fence so that you cannot go too close to the bees.

26 comments:

  1. This is a perfect example of what I love about your site--beautiful photos and fun tidbits about Paris I never knew about. You make the city even more intriguing!

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  2. I like the beehives roof:), anyway that fence prevents parisians to know what is a bee sting and most important avoids the death of the bee:)

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  3. The fence is to spot the people, what is there to stop the bees?

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  4. I love your pictures. What kind of camera do you use? Or is the talent all in the photographer? :P

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  5. No kidding? I didn't know that! Yum, I can taste the honey from here!

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  6. Where is the Orangerie, I want to buy honey from Paris on my next visit in October! Merci, Eric!

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  7. C'est une tradition qui existe aussi à Levallois Perret, ville voisine de Paris 17éme (il suffit de traverser la Porte de Champerret). La mairie de Levallois vend tous les ans le miel de ses ruches (d'ailleurs sur le "blason" de Levallois figurent plusieurs abeilles).

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  8. Wow honey! I love honey! Love it on my coffee =)

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  9. Laurie has allready said what I was going to. Is it a fountain in middle of the photo?

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  10. Note that the "Jardin du Luxembourg" is not the only place where you can find beehives in Paris.
    You have them in several places, like the "Parc Georges Brassens".
    The most incredible place where you can find beehives is probably the roof of "Opéra Garnier"! You can even buy the "miel de l'Opéra" in a Fauchon shop.

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  11. Like in Levallois you will also find bees in Saint Denis (very close to Paris) and you can visit them on June 24th > http://www.cnac-gp.fr/Pompidou/Manifs.nsf/0/4F7EB99D7C9FC484C125710F00376626?OpenDocument&sessionM=2.122&L=1&form=Prochainement

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  12. Oui, il y a plein de fleurs à Paris, pourquoi n'y aurait-il pas de ruches ? Je sais qu'il y en a aussi sur le toit d'une des casernes de pompiers (je ne me souviens plus laquelle), et le miel récolté est distribué aux pompiers, pour leurs petit-déjeuners, lorsqu'ils sont de garde... :-)

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  13. What a cool picture and I love the discussion about honey in Paris. That would make a unique souvenir!

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  14. Je connaissais les vignes mais pas les rûches...moyen pour quelqu'un qui a vécu 7 ans à Paris...
    Et il est bon le miel ? (avec la pollution ambiante j'ai quand même un doute)

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  15. Here is a direct link to a video showing the beehives on the opéra and in the jardin du Luxembourg (one has to be patient for loading...):

    http://ipjmag.free.fr/spip/article.php3?id_article=61&video=IMG%2Fflv%2Fapiculture.flv#bdp

    Celtica, pollution in Paris is not worse than pesticides in some countryside. I didn't taste the parisian honey. I suppose it is a curiosity above all.

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  16. Uh! I didn't know about the beehives in the Luxembourg gardens... I will go to Orangerie and buy some parisian honey in my next trip to paris:-)

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  17. Haxo, you're right. Bees even seem to be more productive in cities where there is more floral diversity...

    http://www.unaf-apiculture.info/dossier_presse/royaume_abeille.htm

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  18. I wonder what flowers these bees use. It is fun to taste honey from different flowers.

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  19. How interesting!

    My personal favorite is lavender honey. Mmmmm. . .

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  20. apiculturers ????? Il y a des cas ou il vaut mieux prendre un dictionnaire!

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  21. Thank you for this photo! I was just reading about these beehives over the past weekend.

    j.

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  22. Haxo...regarding your comment, "The most incredible place where you can find beehives is probably the roof of "Opéra Garnier"! You can even buy the "miel de l'Opéra" in a Fauchon shop."

    I'm really amazed about this and will have to check it out. Maybe Eric can get a shot for us.

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