~Canal St. Martin and the Marais~

The Canal St. Martin begins at the Port d' Arsenal near the Bastille and runs northeast to the Parc de La Villette on the edge of the city~4.5km.  It's been on my list since our first trip in 2006.  It is supposed to be a lovely, quiet and picturesque walk through a neighborhood not yet overrun with tourists. Boat cruises are also available.  Since it is more of a destination than an on the way to place, it has been pushed down on the "to do" list each time.

There are 9 locks located on the canal created for barge travel which has all but disappeared.

The quais on each side of the canal, Quai de Valmy and Quai de Jemmapes, are closed to traffic on Sundays creating a quiet peaceful pedistrian walkway.  The first part of the canal has been covered, creating the Boulevard Richard Lenoir. Two cruise companies, Canauxrama and Paris Canals, provide the boat tours of the canal.

There are several steel bridges over the canal, like in the photo above, and also swing bridges to allow for passing boat traffic.  The waterway is tree-lined with benches, boutiques, shops, bars and restaurants.  About 1/2 way up, on the Quai Valmy side of the canal, there is a large (4.5 acres) park, Jardin Villemin, in the 10e arrondissement.

The Fodor's Paris guidebook has a walking tour of Canal St. Martin.  (This guidebook is one of my favorites.)

I am always looking for ways to get off the beaten path and Canal St. Martin sounds perfect.  For Paris4 it is very close to the top of the list.

~The Marais~

The first couple times we visited Paris we stayed on the Left Bank and rarely ventured over to the Right except to go to the Louvre.  We did find our way (quite circuitously) to Place des Vosges, ate dinner and people watched.  This is a beautiful square and is a gathering and play place for the French...especially later in the day.  That was the extent of our Marais touring.

Last year our apartment was on the Right Bank so our explorations were primarily on that side of the river. We finally went to see the Musee Carnavalet (it has been on the list since 2006 as well).  What a wonderful museum!  This should not be missed if you love everything French.  It is located in 2 mansions and all of the exhibits relate to Paris history. The garden is quite beautiful and romantic.  Afterwards we walked and walked ending in the Square du Temple.

On the upcoming trip we intend to delve a little further into the Marais.  Hotel de Soubise is first on the list.  It is the National Archives and is supposed to be quite lavious inside.  The exterior is quite austere.  Next, Musee Cognacq-Jay.  This is the mansion and private collection of the owners of the La Samaratine dept store, Theodore-Ernest Cognacq and his wife Marie-Louise Jay and it is another free museum.  Village St. Paul is always mentioned in the tour guides, so it is on the list too.  A hidden collection of connecting courtyards with shops, restaurants and a medieval wall.

The Marais has a large Jewish population and I want to find the Schwarz Deli.  Pozzetto is supposed to have fantastic gelato.          I'm always up for that!