This is the place in Paris that the so-called “bobos”(hipsters) call their home: the Canal Saint-Martin. With a length of 4.5 kilometers, it meanders through 4 arrondissements. Its construction took place in the beginning of the 19th century. Nowadays, it is popular amongst the local population and tourists alike, thanks to the many bistrots, restaurants and cinema theatres. Unfortunately, it also attracts lots of refugees and homeless people as well.
After our visit to Père Lachaise, Lars and I took the metro to Stalingrad (which refers to the nearby place Stalingrad) and walked towards the Bassin de la Villette. We sat on a bench for a while and observed people and their canine companions, one of our favorite pastimes.
The Bassin itself is actually the biggest artificial lake of Paris: more than 600 meters long and 70 meters wide. In summer, this is the place to be!
At the end (or beginning, depending on your point of view) of this lake, you can see the Rotonde de la Villette, a monument constructed in the second half of the 18th century.
Lars and I wanted to do some more exploring, but it started to rain and we became hungry as well. We stopped at a lock (one of the nine in total along the canal) to take our last pictures and then went back to the metro.
In our next post, you will read how we realised one of our biggest dreams in Paris! Or should I say nightmare?
