Everyday on my way to class I pass by an open part of the canal. This a part of Paris we have yet to explore so John and I decided it would be fun to check it out. Thanks to the good ol’ Internet, John and I found out about a guided boat tour that takes you from Bastille to the Parc de la Villette. The canal was built under Napoleon between 1802 and 1825 though different turning bridges and historical sites were built around the canal between 1785 and now. From the Place de la Bastille to Rue Faubourg du Temple the canal is underground. It is extremely narrow so only one boat can pass at a time. To ensure that a boat doesn’t begin their journey through the tunnel while another boat is already passing they use a traffic light system.
Once we finished travelling underground we saw that there are many historical sites surrounding the edges of the canal including: the Hospital Saint Louis, the Pont Tournant turning bridge, La Joconde and so much more!
The highlight of the trip was perhaps the fact that even thought the weather resembled a sauna, John and I were able to stay cool each time we passed through a lock or turning bridge (to be honest I still don’t know the difference). Each time we had to wait for water to leak through the lock so that our boat would rise enough to smoothly pass through at the same level. When the water rushed through the lock it sprayed the people in the front of the boat. At first I couldn’t help but freak out because of the unsanitary factor but I began to appreciate the cooling.
The picture below is of me covering my mouth and nose while waiting for the boat to rise. It kind of freaked me out that there was trash stuck to the turning bridge not to mention the fact that water that smelt so badly couldn't possibly be clean.
The two-hour trip was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. Make sure to check out the pictures here!
only you would freak about the unsanitary nature of water while on a boat tour.
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