Took a boat from the jetty opposite Musee d'Orsay along the Seine and into the Canal Saint Martin and the first of its multiple lock gates. Views along the river are always great, but I'd never been along the canal. Great commentary added to this wonderfully interesting trip. The covered sections of the canal and the history behind this were fascinating. The later sections of the boat ride (I took the 1 way trip) were through parts of Paris I hadn't visited before, so a few hours after getting off of the boat led to more happy wandering and exploring. I would recommend this trip.
We did a circuit of Lac Daumesnil with its two islands of Bercy and Reuilly. The two islands are joined by a bridge but the only access point is via Ille de Reuilly. There are boats for hire at one end of the lake. Le Grand Pagode was closed for visiting. We stopped at an old-fashioned restaurant on Ille due Reilly for drinks - Chalet des Iles Daumesil - which was quite pleasant and also enjoyed the Temple Romantique de Ille due Reilly which has a grotto underneath. It was a pleasant and interesting walk. I gather that this lake may also be considered part of the Bois de Vincennes.
We pass through here often on the way to Marche Joinville, (see review), we love this open spance of water it adds to the beauty of the canal, it is very popular with hire and rowing boats, especially on the weekends.
Built by Napoleon to provide some water and to link up some rivers. It spawned a huge amount of industrial development in this area to take advantage of the water transport. Now it is a recreation space.
We have some fond memories of the Grand Bassin Octogonal at the Luxembourg gardens. This Paris trip was our third (previous: 2003 & 2005) so have some lovely pictures comparing from previous visits in the same place right next to the Bassin. You can see Concorde and some parts of the Eiffel Tower too.
The lake has plenty of chairs to sit and the fountains are nice in the lake too.