One of my favorite wanders in Paris is from the Seine out to La Villette following the Canal Saint Martin up to the Bassin de la Villette… then the other canals that cross parts of Paris that are still edgy.
Here’s the lede to my latest on Gadling.com, plus a link to read more… and a few pics!
You don’t have to be Moses to walk on water in Paris. Even a footloose freethinker can happily skip over the flowing Canal Saint Martin and its sources, the farther-flung Canal de l’Ourcq and Bassin de la Villette.
These unsung watercourses built or expanded by Napoleons I and III enter Paris on its northeastern edge at La Villette, site of the city’s former slaughterhouses. They curve torpidly across the edgy 19th, 10th, 11th and 4th arrondissements – in that order – until they reach the Seine at the Arsenal Marina.
I was tempted to write “spill” or “rush” but the fact is the canals flow slowly, through many locks. They’re the antithesis of in a hurry. At the right time of day the mood along their tree-lined banks matches the go-slow pace of the water.
Missed seeing the canals up to now? Keep reading
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