There is a new PHOTOS page; Re-posting (without pictures) "Our 'In-Seine' Walk Down the St. Martin Canal"

[Re-posting without the pictures; pictures are now in a new Photos page - on the right side of the blog page]

Our apartment in the 10th Arrondisement is a 2-minute walk to Canal St. Martin, a tributary to the Seine River, and the only other above-ground flowing water that I know of in Paris. We had done some grocery shopping in the morning along with buying a few items at un boucherie (a butcher shop), and we went for a walk in the afternoon.

The canal has a system of locks in it to control the flow of water down to the Seine, and to make it navigable for the tourist boats. Most canals that I've ever seen and been on are above ground, of course, but Canal St. Martin has a section that is "underground." It's not technically underground; it has just been covered over, and I wanted to see it.

The parks department was out replanting some of the areas, while other areas were bushy and quite grown. The circular area with the covering in the center of the flowers is a light and air vent for the canal below. Darlene was nice enough to stop and sit down next to some small purple flowers so I could take a picture.

One game we like to play at home in the summer time, especially when we're having a barbeque, is bocce. The French have a similar game called boules. The balls are metal and there are different weights. I don't understand all the strategies involved, but we stopped for a while and watched this group of men play. Unlike bocce, all the players on each side are at one end and they take turns flipping the heavy ball with an underhand motion. It appeared that one player on a team is the marksman -- the one we saw could hit the opponent's ball every time. Another player was the finesse player, rolling the ball to within a few inches of the target ball.

As we walked in one part of the park-like area, we saw mice running around; there was some sort of red pellet food or bait in the area. There were lots of scampering critters, and one of them paused long enough to pose for a picture.

The Metro is an extremely convenient way to get around Paris. The old signs are elegant and representative of a by-gone era. This is a stop along line 5, the line that is closest to our apartment.

Place de la Bastille is the area where the French Revolution reached its climax on July 14, 1789. The old prison is gone, but the area is very popular, especially around Bastille day (July 14). We'll be here this year as the 225th anniversary is celebrated in fine fashion. The July Column in the center is dedicated to people and events of July 27-29, 1830. A golden Mercury at the top is facing west, and the French flags waving in the wind show the pride of the people. To the east of the column is the new opera house, Opera Bastille, formulated out of a request by President Francois Miterrand to have a "place for the people" rather than just the rich!


As in Amsterdam, there are some who live in boats wither in the canal or tied up in the Seine River. Some are quite ingenious, and others look weary and tired.

We finally made it to the Seine River after a 2.5 mile walk. The closest bridge was Pont D'Austerlitz, built between 1804 and 1806. We took a couple pictures with Notre Dame Cathedral in the background, and then two selfies from the middle of the bridge.

The only problem with walking downhill for 2.5 miles is that you then have to walk uphill 2.5 miles to go home. But it was a great day, and we got to see a part of Paris that we'd never seen before.

Until the next time, Darlene and I wish you "bonjournne."

Au revoir!

Stuart