My Mum has an engineer’s fascination with structural things (aqueducts, locks, boats, etc). As far as I can tell it is a trait she inherited from my grandfather. So on a trip to Paris last December it was with much anticipation (from her at least) that we took a walk along the Canal St Martin.
Ordered by Napoleon 1 to supply Paris with fresh water and to help avoid the spread of disease, the canal was dug from 1802 to 1825. As well as supplying water to the Parisians, it was used to transport food, building materials and other such things. By 1960, traffic along the canal had all but disappeared. Plans were made to fill the canal in to make way for a new highway, however luckily the canal escaped this fate. Today, the canal is used mostly to transport tourists but it still boasts several operating locks. It was these locks that my Mum was so keen to see in action. We had a lovely albeit treacherous (on account of the icy* streets) walk along the Canal, however much to Mum’s dismay we did not see any of the locks functioning in all their old-world glory.
While in Paris last week, Nicko and I decided to take a stroll along the Canal St Martin. The fascination with structures being somewhat lost on me, I had forgotten all about the locks. Nonetheless I was keen to retrace the journey with Nicko (there are some lovely shops along the canal you see). As luck would have it, boat-loads (excuse the pun) of people were travelling up the canal providing Nick and I with the opportunity to marvel at a working lock.
Despite my initial cynicism (‘yeah, yeah Mum locks are amazing, I get it, can we talk about something else now’), it WAS actually amazing. We watched the boat coming in, the gates of the lock opening, the water rushing in to fill the lock, the gates re-opening once the water levelled and then the boat continuing on its journey – an engineering marvel, simple yet effective. Anyway Mum, these pictures are for you. The final one is of a family of ducklings we also spotted.
*It had snowed the previous day and Paris seemed as capable of dealing with the snow as London.
So glad you saw the locks in action. They certainly fascinate me. Eventhough I didn't see them working on the Canal St Martin, I remember with much fondness our walk along the canal..I did love the bridges, though.
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