Travel Tips

A lot of changes are being made to this area. It used to be a scary place full of crack dealers but not anymore.

On either side of the Bassin there are MK2 cinemaplexes (sp?). It's cute because in their ad they say "if you don't like what we're showing here just go across to the other side" and there is a boat that will take you to see what's playing on the other side.

Both sides have cafes so even if you don't want to go to the movies it is a nice place to waste some time and people watch. Off the beaten path.

For film buffs, this walkway was named for Yves Montand and Simone Signoret.

A depot vente is like an antique store. I like this one because of the roof garden. You drop off you stuff, they provide you with a place and if it is sold they take a commission. Like an ebay where you can really see the stuff.

A nice place to jog, there is a place to rent boats and on weekends you'll see the neighborhood people playing boules and even fishing in the canal.

Ever since I've been in Paris the bridges and locks along the Canal Saint Martin and Bassin de la Villette have fascinated me. It's not only the function they serve but the way they were designed with so much attention to detail.

I've seen them all many times and I never get bored. In my Paris tips under off the beaten path you can see some photos of the lock just below the Bassin filling up to let a boat go through. There are also some photos in my Canal Saint Martin things to do tip.

The canuaxrama boat at quai. I haven't done this cruise myself because I much prefer standing alongside the canal waiting for it to come by so the bridges will move.

Mystery solved

Thanks to this site: http://home.archi-guide.com/ I found this site http://assoc.wanadoo.fr/an2000/ and apparently it is just some weird thing that was done to celebrate Y2K.

Hmmm, did my tax dollars pay for this? I'm checking into who the artists were. (Perhaps the mayor's sister-in-law's cousins?)