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Post by spindrift on Jun 15, 2009 10:05:49 GMT
Kerouac - last year friends of mine sailed their yacht from Kent to France and entered a canal that eventually led them to Paris where they were able to anchor, near the Place de la Concorde, for a week. (I was so envious of them being able to stay on the water in the centre of Paris). They then continued down various canals to emerge near Marseilles. (They are now sailing around the Ionian islands).
My question is: would they have used the Canal St. Martin?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2009 12:49:46 GMT
Yes, if they travelled through Paris to get to the Seine, it was on the canal Saint Martin. But they may have taken another canal that emptied into the Seine or the Marne up or downriver and come into Paris on the Seine itself.
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Post by spindrift on Jun 15, 2009 17:23:53 GMT
I will ask them.
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Post by bellarosa on Jul 10, 2009 4:24:07 GMT
Thanks, kerouac, for posting these lovely photos. I've always wanted to go around the Canal St. Martin, but never made the time in the past 7 trips we've taken to Paris. I am definitely planning to see this when we go in October!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2010 17:55:10 GMT
I know that our Canadian contingent will not be the least bit impressed, but here is what the Canal Saint Martin looks like today. And final sad proof that Christmas is finished once and for all...
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 9, 2010 18:39:21 GMT
Glace on the canal?! Oh no ~~ that seems so wrong, somehow. Still, you got some incredibly beautiful, moody pictures from it. Doesn't there exist in Europe (and elsewhere in the world, for all I know) a type of trashy romantic photo novel, somewhat in a comic book format? With your imagination, you could elevate that genre to real literature using your photographs and a good plotline. This last bunch of pictures would be a good place to start! What time of day were the pictures taken? I can't stop looking at them, they are so beautiful and evocative.
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Post by fumobici on Jan 9, 2010 18:44:49 GMT
Wow, how long since the canal has frozen over, even if only in places? And... judging by the look of that ice, this warning seems superfluous.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2010 19:06:01 GMT
Obviously, the warning is premature, but in 1983 the canals froze and I actually saw people walking across the canal (I expected them to drop through the ice at any moment, but they didn't.).
Bixa, those photos were taken a little before 9 a.m. this morning.
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Post by imec on Jan 9, 2010 20:28:42 GMT
Very impressed actually! Never believed it could look like that as I traveled it's length through Paris on July 14th.
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Post by greyghost1 on Jan 9, 2010 21:07:20 GMT
Brrrr that looks cold but waht wonderful noir-type photos. Thanks for braving the weather to take them.
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Post by imec on Jan 10, 2010 4:06:10 GMT
k, #10 is worthy of a coffee table book - timeless - absolutely stunning!
(and #3 is right there with it)
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Post by traveler63 on Jan 10, 2010 6:15:31 GMT
I concur with Imec really stunning pictures, and who would have believed. Is this something that happens often?
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Post by spindrift on Jan 10, 2010 13:20:16 GMT
Great pictures - and I love the one of the abandoned Christmas tree. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2010 15:38:56 GMT
I have looked at these a dozen times K. They are really quite beautiful. Thank you.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2010 16:08:11 GMT
We get to see this only about once every 12 years or so. I'm glad everybody liked the photos because I froze my butt off taking them.
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Post by lagatta on Jan 10, 2010 18:38:10 GMT
Yes, it looks horribly cold. More St-Petersburg than Paris (I was going to say Leningrad, but that does date me).
Kerouac, hope you were able to have something nice and warming afterwards, whether hot chocolate or café-cognac.
I can't imagine Parisians have adequate boots for such weather. One does see many Parisian girls wearing high boots, but that is more for style - they don't have soles for the icy pavements, especially slippery paving stones.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2010 20:16:03 GMT
May explain why nary a soul in sight! I see one solitary figure in one of the shots. Positively haunting to look at. When I read back that these were taken at around 9a.m.I couldn't believe it.
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Post by suzanne on Jan 10, 2010 20:18:30 GMT
I sure hope things improve for our visit next month. I am hoping to do that Bistro cruise on Saturday.
At any rate your pictures are wonderful. I feel fortunate to be able to see them.
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Post by fumobici on Jan 10, 2010 22:50:58 GMT
Good point about the deserted streets and the likely lack of appropriate footwear in style obsessed Paris lagatta. Can you imagine some chic Parisian (even the men!) actually wearing practical winter shoes? Me either.
Love it or hate it, we in the NW US make almost no concessions to style that might compromise foul weather functionality. Swaddled in Gore-Tex and wool and walking in real hiking shoes, we have no style but stay secure, dry and warm.
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Post by cristina on Jan 10, 2010 23:05:17 GMT
We get to see this only about once every 12 years or so. I'm glad everybody liked the photos because I froze my butt off taking them. Thanks for taking one for the team, K. Your photos are fantastic and really capture the Canal's mood beautifully.
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Post by lagatta on Jan 11, 2010 1:45:25 GMT
fumobici, actually there are many European shoes and boots that are very practical for a normal European winter. My current favourites are German: Josef Seibel, though I've had lovely Italian booties with good soles in years past. They do make walking and mountain shoes too, but nobody would wear them in Paris - usually they are absolutely not needed. But there are certainly practical shoes worn by Parisians.
I wore my Josef Seibel boots well into December this year - they aren't as clunky as hiking boots so they are actually much more practical on a bicycle. They are leather and leather-lined, with a nice gum sole and a bit of a chunky heel. I don't want to ruin them with the salt here, even on mild days.
People in Vancouver have the same style as people in Seattle and Portland. I don't think it is a lack of style - it is a specific outdoorsy look. It is as expensive as European clothes or those that might be worn in Montréal, NYC or Boston.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2010 6:19:07 GMT
I was actually wearing Doc Martens to go out.
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Post by lagatta on Jan 12, 2010 1:47:35 GMT
I did wear my Josef Seibel booties today for a long walk, but the streets and pavements were bare and there were no puddles. I did wipe them off carefully to make sure there was no damage from errant street salt. They are so comfy for walking. It was about 0c and the sun came out. Will be a bit colder tomorrow.
Suppose Docs have a good grip? That is what is most important - one can wear warm socks even if boots are not lined with sheepskin or high-tech materials. Père-Lachaise and Buttes-Chaumont are very treacherous in the wintertime - and when I was there it was a normal coldish damp Parisian winter (the tropics for me), not anything like the photos.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2011 22:16:33 GMT
I was out and about this evening for another reason, but it led me to decide to walk up the canal as evening was settling over the city. I wanted to see the various cafés and restaurants on a spring evening, as well as the people drinking and/or picnicking along the water.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2011 22:22:19 GMT
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Post by mich64 on May 11, 2011 14:27:05 GMT
I found your new pictures at the Canal very interesting. It was nice to see young adults sitting in groups enjoying each others company. A casual time of the day, everyone taking time to relax and enjoy the early evening. Really nice photos of everyday life Kerouac. Cheers, Mich
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Post by imec on May 11, 2011 14:40:37 GMT
Fantastic K! This brought back wonderful memories. My ride up the canal was one of my favorite days in Paris - next time I will walk it. Thanks!
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2011 17:13:29 GMT
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Post by mich64 on May 11, 2011 18:18:45 GMT
What a wonderful evening you must have had. Can you tell me where abouts along the Canal is the fire station? I would love to surprise my husband with this on our trip in September. Cheers, Mich
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2011 18:22:33 GMT
The fire station is just below Stalingrad on quai de Valmy, right at the end of rue La Fayette.
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