The sun goes down pretty early in January in France, so we didn't have a chance to come during the…read moreday. Thus, the greenway to the Southwest of the canals (Square Federick Lemaire) was closed (probably to keep people out during the night time). But the canal is well lit, and there were plenty of young and old men having a good time, smoking and drinking. On the eastern side of the canal, there are quite a few nice shops, and people were still shopping. On the western side is more industrial shops, with us walking past multiple home improvement shops focusing on flooring and tiles. We were not able see any of the locks in action, but were able to cross the bridges back and forth and take some nice pictures. it's definitely worth a stop if in the area, and i understand why it would be so beautiful in the spring for a leisurely walk in the daytime.

I've been trying to get to Canal Saint Martin since 2019 and every trip since has ended in…read moredisappointment. I was very determined not to let our visit to Canal Saint Martin go down the drain. I didn't want to take a riverboat cruise but simply grab a baguette sandwich and sit at one of the benches and enjoy the view. While Canal Saint Martin was very agréable, the Paris weather was not. Periods of rain made our picnic idea a soaking mess but we happened to catch a riverboat going up through the locks. Did you know ? Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon I in 1802 and construction took place until 1825, funded by a new tax on wine. The neighborhood was friendly and the views were stunning. We had a great time enjoying the sights even with the Paris rain. Best part of Canal Saint Martin is that it's free. There's no admission ticket or reservation to make. To get there via metro the 8 line takes you to République and from there it's a short walk.

Taking a Seine River boat tour is a MUST when visiting Paris so I planned to do just that a few…read moredays ago. I chose Vendettes du Point Neuf due to its proximity to the area where I was staying. It was easy to reach on the Metro as it's located on Point Neuf which is a tip of the Ile de la Cite island that Notre Dame is located on. In this case, I decided just to walk on. It was early May and I sensed that there would be plenty of room available and I was right. I arrived at 2:08 pm and immediately got on the 2:15 pm tour at a cost of 17€. I found out they have a tour boat that leaves every thirty minutes for the one hour tour. We left promptly on time sitting on top of the open air uncovered deck with great unobstructed views. The boat has a drink and snack bar on board in addition to water closets for the guests. The boat moves at about 10 miles an hour and circled the Ile de la Cite island with great views of Notre Dame and then proceed down the river passing the Orsay Museum and continuing all of the way down to the Eiffel Tower for more great views of it, There we turned around and proceeded back to the starting point arriving one hour after leaving. It was an enjoyable cruise. The weather was comfortably cool and the narrator on board did a good job of describing everything that we passed by. At the end he does stand at the exit hoping for a tip. I felt the cruise was well worth the cost and would recommend it depending on the weather.

5-star tour in French and English, a great way to see the city, day or night, but CAUTION: Count…read moreyour total before handing over your credit card! I paid the didn't-do-the-math tax and received an extra ticket. L'histoire: We arrived an hour early, nobody in line, we were the only 3 people in sight. At the ticket window I very clearly said "nous avons deux adultes, et elle a 12 ans" (we have two adults, and she's twelve). I thought the price sounded too high, but I didn't say anything. I was handed three connected tickets, but there was a fourth child ticket folded underneath. Obviously she clearly understood me, handing over the tickets like that, and I feel like a rube for overpaying. Lesson learned, a sucker's born every minute--today it was me.

Amazing store located in the 12th district of Paris…read more This fishing store is for bait caster / spin reel - lure / bait type anglers. I am fly angler and I stopped in because another store in Paris suggested I come here for my fishing license. As soon as I stepped in, the owner of the store greeted me and we spoke in broken French / English where he was able to find out that I needed a fishing license to fish in Paris. He said no problem and was able to get me the 2 day fishing license for most of France. He showed me where I can fish using that license and what type of angling is allowed while I was there (fly & non bait angling). I had no idea that there are seasonal rules in effect. I also picked up a spool of 8lb flurocarbon tippet for trout, bass, and carp angling. Very reasonable prices and he will give you a discount if you pay in Euros!

An absolutely lovely public park created in the 1600s in the 6th municipality…read more It's huge, just over 60 acres of lush green, water, fountains, sculptures, park benches, vegetation (floral, etc.) and more. There's an orchard, tons of trees, flowerbeds, and so on. A wonderful place to spend a relaxing afternoon having lunch and watching the activity around you. Tranquil and inviting.

The garden was so beautiful and vast. As we wandered through it and exited it for a short detour, I…read moredidn't even realize that the park we entered back into was the same park. It was THAT big. At one side of the park, there were tennis courts that were filled with plenty of people walking about during the middle of a work day. And there were sand pits too with little kiddos running around. And as you continue walking, there was a palace looking structure with a fountain out front. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The shrubbery and flowers in the area were so pretty even in the fall. There were chairs aplenty so taking a moment to enjoy the scenery was such a Parisian thing to do. Walking throughout the park, there were interesting statues everywhere. We even stumbled upon a miniature Statute of Liberty that was gifted from the United States to France. If you have some time, take a quick walk through the garden. It's really pretty and clean.

This is the way to live! Fresh air, plenty of exercise and an abundance of art. I'm a huge fan of…read moreclassical sculpture and this was a magical part of my trip to Paris. Most of the sculptures are either Biblical or Greco-Roman themed. There's seating around a giant fountain, a playground for little ones and a few places to buy food.

Unlike the gated Jardin du Luxembourg, it would be hard to miss Jardin des Tuileries for a…read morefirst-time visitor to Paris because it's smack dab in the middle between two iconic destinations, the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. The question is whether you'd want to come back as a more seasoned Francophile tourist. Despite being constantly overcrowded, the answer is definitely yes. This has been the definitive green space that has epitomized classic garden architecture since the 16th century. The fountains, geometric layout, the Musee de l'Orangerie, and ornate statues by the likes of Rodin and Maillol give it the traditional French style we come to expect in Paris. It's also an unquestionable hub for social activity with playgrounds and sailboats on the Grand Bassin. Unfortunately, Jamie W and I weren't here during one of the seasonal events like the summer Fête des Tuileries when a carnival midway is set up, or Paris Fashion Week when runways are built and celebrities flock in frocks, or the Christmas market. The most prominent landmark when we visited was the Paris Cauldron, the mammoth epicentral sphere built for the 2024 Paris Olympics (Photo 6). RELATED - Exploring Paris? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/8duZBo1xLB

A wonderful quiet but vibrant city park that is very well maintained, clean, and has security…read morepatrolling the area. There are lots of events in the huge park so there is something for everyone, even shoppers - a large mall is also connected to the parking garage. I had a chance to fish the canal using my fly rod and caught one fish on a fly I bought from the local fly shop.

This is a really interesting modern park with unique designs and a futuristic layout! It's a…read moremassive cultural center with a science museum, a dance center, concert venues, and the like. There's over 25 buildings, promenades, covered walkways, bridges, and landscaped gardens. I love the raised promenades that give a fantastic view of the park. The mirrored "geode" globe is pretty cool too; I believe it's a cinema. The play sculptures for the children are really cool. The dragon's slide is legendary. It's like two stories tall and you slide down the dragon's tongue. It's really fun and fast too! I think the sign said it was only for children up to 14 years ago (but I don't speak/read French yet, so maybe not), but there were plenty of adults having a-go, so I did too. It was totally worth it! The Jardin des Dunes (Dunes Garden) looked absolutely amazing too, but unfortunately it was closed for some reason. The ground looked like it was built up in wave formation with tons of mini hills and tunnels leading through them. It looked like it would be a lot of fun to run around in there. There was also the Jardin des Miroirs (Mirror Garden) which looked like it was probably cool in its time, but it looked like needed a little TLC. I wouldn't recommend the park on a first visit to Paris as there's so many top rate sights here, but if it's a repeat trip and you want to see more local attractions, this park is pretty cool and unique! We came for the Villette Sonique, a free music festival that was held here in the park, which was an excellent reason to come and check it out!