Paris

We had some trepidation about entering the marina in Paris without a bow thruster. We had visited the Arsenal Marina during our five day trip to Paris in 2009 a year before we bought Anja and remembered it as full of boats moored very close together. We had booked our spot there before we left Sydney and David emailed a week before our arrival to inform the capitaine that we would be less manoeuverable than usual so might need assistance. In the event we had been allocated an excellent position at the end of the marina and were able to pull in and tie up without too much difficulty. We felt quite at home because straight opposite we saw Sundancer II, a yacht from our Cruising Club in Australia.

The Arsenal Marina is very well positioned in Paris between the Place de la Bastille and the Seine River. There is a metro station at each end which made their trip from the airport much easier. Our daughter Wendy, son in law Dave and 9 month old grand-daughter Mary met us there the day after we arrived, and we spent several enjoyable days exploring a few Paris highlights. The very cold and damp weather was a shock for our visitors but the central heating on Anja kept us warm at night.

Since we arrived in France we have been aware of the Presidential elections. The first round involved ten candidates, reduced to two for a run- off two weeks later, the Sunday of our stay at the marina. We had seen the voting tents being erected in the square outside the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) in the centre of Paris. Now we found that we were going to be very close to the action, as the supporters of the favoured candidate, Francois Hollande, were gathering in the Place de la Bastille. The election results would become public around 8pm and by five o'clock the streets were being closed down and the gendarmes gathering. The results were quite tight but by 8.30, it was clear that Hollande would win and more and more supporters poured into the Place, many climbing the monument  for a better view. The party continued well into the night. It had clearly been arranged beforehand as there were sound systems, music and singers as well as many speeches. It was actually difficult to get out of the marina because all gates were locked and guards with dogs and police launches were on patrol.

 St. Martin tunnelHollande's win

There are several Canals that go through Paris, joining up with the Seine at both ends of the system. We decided that we would enjoy seeing Paris from the water so obtained permission to leave the Arsenal Marina via the Canal St Martin, later turning into the Canal St Denis which in turn joins the Seine to the North of the City. The trip begins with a tunnel 2 kilometres long under the Place de la Bastille and roads leading from it. The tunnel is not lit but there are regular gratings above which provide some light. Once we had negotiated the tunnel we were faced with several double locks placed only a few hundred metres apart, lifting the level some 45 metres to the Villette Basin, then the Canal St Denis drops the level again more slowly until it reaches the Seine. We met a couple of long term eclusiers (lock keepers) who are leaving because the locks are being automated and their work enjoyment was from meeting people from all over the world.

Along the Canal St Martin we admired many fine Paris houses and old buildings. The Canal St Denis passes through a mainly industrial landscape and we came across several shanty towns which looked quite permanent.

 Canal St. Denis

Once we turned into the Seine we struggled against the fast flowing current (from the floods), especially through the bridges where the current seemed to pick up as it met the pylons. Many spots along the River were flooded. We travelled some 20 kilometres up the Seine at a very slow pace before we reached the highlights of the trip, starting with the Eiffel Tower and continuing with a view from the river of the many famous buildings and bridges along the Seine, including the Notre Dame Cathedral, Quai d' Orsay, the Tuilleries and the Pont Neuf. The current past the Ile de la Cite became even faster as the River narrowed, so Anja was battling to maintain any forward momentum. We estimated the current at about 16km/hr and at maximum power we were doing 2km/hr- well below the minimum speed limit. We had plenty of time to enjoy the sights at less than walking pace. We greatly enjoyed this part of the trip though we found that we were sharing the view with many "Bateau Mouches" showing their passengers the same sights and speeding in both directions every 30 seconds or so.

Seine in flood 

It was getting quite late as we left the city area and turned into the Marne River to tie up adjacent to the lock, closed by now. We found the pontoon where it was marked but all the bollards were under water. We had our first experience of tying to underwater bollards, yet another new skill to be learned by the crew. The level of the Marne was a metre or more above the usual level. It too was running very fast with the barrages significantly lowered to allow the impressive volumes of water to pass. There were plenty of branches and trees floating down.

 Fighting the current

Statue of Liberty

One of many beautiful bridges