Canal Saint-Martin & Le Marais

We woke up to overcast skies and the Eiffel Tower engulfed in fog. Dave and I were spending our last day in Paris exploring the neighborhood of Le Marais. We actually started a bit north at Canal Saint-Martin, and worked our way down to the popular square of Place des Vosges. We were excited to see another side of the city that embodied old-world charm and medieval architecture.

Canal Saint-Martin was quiet and picturesque, yet a little rough around the edges. Cafés and coffee shops lined the waterway with footbridges covered in graffiti connecting each side. We stopped for breakfast in one café, grabbed a take-away coffee in another, and followed the canal south towards Le Marais.

The canal surprised us. It was the first time we felt like we escaped the crowds and fit in as a local. We loved strolling through the intermittent parks, and watching the locks adjust the water levels for drifting boats navigating to the Seine River. 

Le Marais was intertwined with historic and modern architecture. Beautiful apartment buildings with intricate moldings and wrought-iron balconies stood across the street from a more modern façade of clean lines and window shutters.

Place des Vosges was a lovely, and very symmetrical park. From the surrounding wall of brick buildings to the identical rows of trees and perfectly placed fountains, each side was a mirror image of the other.

Dave and I stopped to recharge at a juice bar, where we happily discovered a Pierre Hermé pâtisserie nearby. Along the way we browsed a few boutiques, and paused to watch a fantastic old-time string band with the cutest old lady dancing to their music. Once we arrived to macaron heaven, we grabbed a large bagful and found a quiet park to enjoy them in.

We ate dinner down the street from our hotel at Café Constant. Our entrées were steak frites, and chicken in butter sauce with mashed potatoes. For dessert, Dave had vanilla rice pudding, and I had an amazing profiterole with an ice cream center covered in hot chocolate sauce.

We wandered around the Eiffel Tower, taking in our last evening in Paris. Over the past week we slowly fell in love with this incredible city, but we were ready to get back home to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.