About two-thirds down one of the wealthiest streets in Paris stood an impressive mansion. Behind it stretched a large garden where ancient chestnut trees grew so tall their branches reached over the walls, scattering delicate pink and white blossoms each spring onto the stone vases that decorated an ornate iron gate dating back centuries.
Despite its striking beauty, with geraniums spilling from decorative vases, their scarlet blooms swaying in the breeze, this grand entrance had been abandoned years ago. The mansion's owners had closed off this section, which once led to a sizeable kitchen garden. A developer had bought that land, planning to build a new street and make a fortune. But the project fell through, and now the property sat neglected, rented cheaply to market gardeners for a mere five hundred francs a year.
