August 01, 2007

Around Place de la Bastille - ter

I’m once more coming back to what you find around Place de la Bastille.

There is also a small port, called Port de l’Arsenal. Here was for some centuries the city limit, with fortifications and also an arsenal, where all kinds of weapons and ammunition were kept. This was then more or less a place for fishing, but it was slowly modified to become some kind of temporary port (when there was enough water) until Napoleon (again him) decided to make a real small port here (1806).

It was more particularly intended to be part of a canal system, making the connection between the Seine (there is a lock) and Canal Saint Martin, ready in 1825, partly rebuilt and covered between 1860 and 1906 and again recently modified (I may revert to this canal with another post – one day). Today the canal is covered about half way (dotted line); it's a tunnel, but the rest of it is very nice to visit - or travel on.

On the top photo, you can see the beginning of the tunnel, just below the “July Column” on Place de la Bastille. Via Canal Saint Martin you can reach other canals, but today this Paris part of the canal system is purely for pleasure; you can make a tourist boat tour on Canal Saint Martin leaving from here.

Some twenty years ago, the port was transformed to receive yachts. It’s possible to hire a place, but I guess that the waiting list may be long.
One side of the port has also been transformed into a park with a small restaurant or café. Paris is getting better every day!

The originals of some of these photos can be found on my other blog "Peter - photos".

17 comments:

Keshi said...

Interesting history behind it too.

Keshi.

Olivier said...

voila un de mes endroits preferes de Paris, quand je vais me ballader à Paris, souvent je viens ici pour me reposer avec un Livre. A l'epoque où je vivais dans le Quartier, c'etait un endroit assez louche, mais maintenant c'est Paris-Saint Tropez.

Mona said...

ROSES!!!

I love them! & then who doesnt :D

& Peter you just won an inspirational bloggers award at my blog!

hpy said...

Trop rapide, Olivier! Comme d'hab'

GMG said...

I see that you also like the Canal St. Martin. It's a beautiful part of Paris and is getting much more (deserved) attention nowadays. One day, I'll post some pics I took in February 2006; maybe not too far away...

Anonymous said...

Another interesting post. I hope you have a splendid August.

Brookville Daily Photo-Theme Day

Cergie said...

En général, je me laisse guider quand je visite alors je ne retiens pas tes explications d'itinéraires
Tu dis qu'il n'y a pas beaucoup d'eau en général, c'est bien comme ça, ça ne cache pas des trucs horrible dedans
Je dis ça parce que ma belle soeur habitait le long du canal St Martinqui est vidé périodiquement pour entretien et on trouve de drole de trucs dedans
C'est pas comme la mer, on peut vider
(Quoique la mer restitue parfois de drôles de choses dans les filets de pêcheur... Aucun rapport avec ton post d'aujourd'hui, mais j'ai un peu la cervelle à l'envers ce midi
Il y a 28 ans, je contemplais ma fille pour la première fois à la clinique dans son petit berceau)

DeepBlueSea said...

Hej Peter!

I haven't visited your blog for a while.... as usual it's full of fascinating information about Paris and beyond.
I returned to Melbourne last week after 2 months in Gothenburg, mainly working but also for a bit of holiday.
Now I don't know where I should be!

All the best, Ha det gott,
M

Peter said...

mona:
I feel extremely honoured, especailly coming from YOU!

gmg:
Let's see who comes first about Canal St. Martin! (I have nothing on stock, so it will probably be you.)

cergie:
Bon anniversaire à ta fille!

nameless4now:
Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed Gothenburg, my birthplace!

Mélisse said...

C'est un endroit où j'aime à me promener (en bretonne qui se respecte il faut toujours que je sois près de l'eau !), et puis voir les gens prendre l'apéritif sur leur péniche, ça donne toujours un petit air de vacances à la balade...

DeepBlueSea said...

Hej igen Peter,

That's right, it's Vasagatan, taken at the corner of Haga Kyrkogata, looking east towards Vasaplatsen.

Since you're interested in transportation, and since you come from Gothenburg, a city with trams, I wonder if you have experienced the trams of Lisbon.

It's more like the Liseberg fun park than any normal tram! There is a photo on my blog.

I asked the young woman driving how old the tram was and she replied about 200 years. I'm sure she was mistaken but there steel parts with dates from the early 1900s.

The rides up and down the hills of Lisbon are as scenic as they are terrifying...

Neva said...

a lovely thought...scenic as well as terrifying...thanks but no thanks! congratulations on mona's award for you....obviously you deserve it! love the roses....I'm not so good with rose but love to see them!

Peter said...

nameless4now:
I will answer on your blog, but yes, I know the Lisbon trams, exiting and wonderful. I hope they will "never" be replaced.

Ash said...

Interesting history and images. I love how the first one is framed!

marie6 said...

My husband would love this place as it's full of boats, I enjoyed going through all your pics! Congratulations on your award.

Anonymous said...

"Paris is getting better everyday" It certainly looks that way from your blog, Peter. I'm going to have to come and check. However I always felt Paris was a more "liveable" city than London for example. In Paris I always felt encouraged to move around and explore.

black feline said...

how nice to run away in one of those sailing boats...:)