On a sunny fall Saturday we rode our velib bikes up to the Bassin de la Villette - the starting point of the Canal St. Martin. The Canal was built by Napoleon I in 1802-1825 to bring fresh water into the Seine from bodies of water to the north of Paris. The Bassin is located in the north of Paris past the Gare de l'est. The canal passes under many footbridges and several "draw bridges" where the road passing over the canal shifts to the side rather than rising to permit the boats to pass. A major portion of the canal between the Place de la Republic and the Place de la Bastile is covered over so many people are not even aware of the canal beneath them. But the boats continue to pass through the very long tunnel until they reach the Seine. I have always been fascinated to watch the locks operate to adjust the water levels but have never taken the 2.5 hours needed to actually view the canal from the perspective of a boat...until now!
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| Entering the 4.5km Canal at the Bassin de la Villette in NE Paris |
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| Sur la passerelle |
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| A lock on our way down to meet the Seine |
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| Route of the canal St. Martin cruise into the Seine |
October 26, 2103
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