This really only concerns people who visit Paris in July and August and who are looking for something a bit unusual to do on Saturday or Sunday. Lots of you know about the cruises on the Canal Saint Martin, but now there are weekend cruises from Place Stalingrad along the Canal de l'Ourcq for just 1€ on Saturday or 2€ on Sunday. They run from noon to about 7pm.

The cruises are organized by the suburban department of Seine-Saint Denis, which is trying to improve its reputation, and I think that this is a wonderful way to do it. You can go from Stalingrad to the Parc de la Villette to Pantin to Bobigny. Every stop is near a metro station that can take you back if you get bored.

Anyway, I took the cruise last weekend and made this report about it: http://tinyurl.com/d9jkxkx

Great! We'll try to do this when we're there in September. Thanks.

Sorry, it stops at the end of August! Try again next year.

Oh, well, it's not as though we can't amuse ourselves in Paris!

"Why would you go there? I heard that it is terrible?" Sounds more than vaguely familiar for sure <G>>

Once again you have managed to entertain us with wonderful picture and your memorable prose/wit. I am so glad that I saw this and I hope we will be treated to many more such offerings as the months go by.

Best regards.

Once again, a wonderful view of something few of us get to enjoy! Thanks for sharing.

Love this!

Thanks for another interesting post, Kerouac!

We'll be in Paris later this month, and will try this little diversion.

It looks like we can take the cruise from the arsenal marina, is that correct? And if I want to end up in St. Denis to go to the Cathedral anyway, might this be an alternate way to get there?

Leburta

At any time of year walking along the footpath along this stretch of canal is neat - but to take a boat for a lousy euro - incroyable - formidable - extraordinaire as my French friends often seem to exclaim about such a great great deal!

Merci pour posting Monsieur Kerouac!

Leburta, there are boats that go from the Arsenal marina to Stalingrad or La Villette (or beyond), but they are not at all the same deal -- or the same price. At the moment, the Canauxrama cruises inside Paris start at 16€ for an adult, so this amazing deal proposed by the department of Seine-Saint Denis is something totally different -- even though it uses basically the same boats.

I'm sure I can look on a map to find it, but can you give me a hint as to where Place Stalingrad along the Canal de l'Ourcq is so I can get my bearings?

Metro Stalingrad or Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement.

Kerouac: another hit! You keep amazing me with your generosity in giving of your time and talent to educate us Paris lovers about all sides of the place we love! Thank you again, though just a thank you seems rather pale in comparison to the colorful photo essays you provide.

I think we drive through some of this area, as we were driven from CDG to the Ile St. Louis last fall.

What is the non-reduced fare for the ride on other days or during other months?

There are no tourist boats on the Canal de l'Ourcq outside of July-August except for the Canauxrama tours, which are very good but which only operate if enough people have reserved: http://www.canauxrama.com/e_saint-denis.htm

Actually, this is the link I wanted to post: http://www.canauxrama.com/e_index.html

Really amazing trip, even if it only covered the graffiti, but it shows so much more. I hope they extend the boat trip more than just July and August in the future.

Well, I think next trip to Paris may just be a "Kerouac" trip: a quick excursion or two into the center of the city with most of our time spent in the ring on both sides of the peripherique. Spring 2011, we took the bus up to Stalingrad and worked our way back. No trip this spring owing to health issues, but next time . . . . (there will be a next time because the health _is_ better)

Thanks, again, for a lovely visit to Paris, K.

great dialogue, there is a lifting bridge as shown in Magdeburg in a dock area near the Elbe. It is left "neither up nor down" and was very difficult to get two bikes over in 2011.