“Sur la Route… du… Canal Saint Martin”…

“Sur… la route…

Des… Quais”…

On… the road…

To… the quays…

What a day… it has been…

Venturing…

Discovering…

Exploring…

Catching the Métro all the way to… “République”…

We walked to the Canal Saint Martin… in the “dixième arrondissement”…

“Juste en façe”… were the quaint steel pedestrian bridges with their steep steps… bridging one side of the Canal St. Martin… the “Quai de Valmy”… to the opposite side the “Quai de Jemmapes”…

Crossing one of the more imposing bridges… we came across an authentic brasserie… “La Marine”… which reminded us of “La Closerie des Lilas”…

A traditional café… with a lot of character…

We had our usual… morning “croissant et express”…

While admiring the boats… promising “croisières promenades sur les canaux parisiens“… sailing down the canal and navigating… its many locks or “écluses“…

An amazing feature… of the Canal St. Martin…

“Après ça”… we continued “à pied sur la route”… where we stumbled upon the most delightful cluster of brasseries… cafés… bars… pizzerias… mushrooming along both sides of the Canal… (which was reminiscent… albeit on a smaller scale… of the TriBeCa district in New York)… where young Parisians are coming up with…

The… exciting…

The… new…

The… dynamic…

In modern restaurant concepts and businesses… which are a delight to behold and enjoy…

We… loved…

The exotic “Le Petit Cambodge”… the charming bistro “La Cantine de Quentin”… the excellent Thai cuisine of “Mme. Shawn”… the succulent “viande du monde… (the hippest meat and fries in Paris)… “Bang!”… among many others…

At last we opted for… the quintessentially irresistible pizzeria…  “Maria Luisa”… with grey décor high and low chairs and tables as well as… a darling olive tree… giving a warm “accueil”… a welcoming feel to the place…

The pizzas were beyond delicious… the “Diavolo”… hot “piquant” Milano pepperoni on top of the mouthwateringly melting cheese… a rocket salad as accompaniment… took the prize for being “almost” perfection…

Finishing off with the perfect “Tiramisu”…we meandered down the… sometimes… hauntingly romantic embankment…

Walking reluctantly back to the nearest “Métro”… during which time the heavens opened up a gush of pouring rain…  where we got soaked to the bone…

We got off at our métro station…

Drenched but… “si heureux”… oh… so happy…

For… having spent…

An… enchanting day…

“Sur… la… route…

Des…

Quais”…

a.