This is not
Saint Tropez, but there are some days, when you almost have the feeling.
We are in
the Port de l’Arsenal (Bassin de l’Arsenal), which got its name from an arsenal
which was located here between the 16th and 19th
centuries. The port was constructed during the 19th century where previously
was just a ditch to draw water to the moats of the Bastille fortress. The
Bastille was of course destroyed July 14th 1789 – and the following
days. Some of the stones of the Bastille and its defensive structures can be
found in the present walls of the basin.
Initially a
commercial port, connected to the Seine via a lock, it was converted into a
leisure port, a marina, in the 1980’s. It’s also the entrance to (or the exit
from) the Canal Saint Martin, via a tunnel… I already posted about the Canal
Saint Martin (here), about the Bassin de la Villette (here) … and of course about
the Bastille (here and here), so I will stop the “history” part here. :-)
You find a
mixture of yachts, transformed barges…
… and also
a park-like environment, with roses…
… lawns…
… and some
space for refreshments.
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