Belleville et Canal St Martin - Paris

We decided to be adventurous on this trip to Paris. To eschew the obvious and well trampled neighborhoods for those more unknown and less visited. Thus our treks into Belleville and Canal St Martin.

Belleville is where Edith Piaf was born. Very edgy immigrant working class Paris. Great views and rolling hills. Residents of Belleville were considered some of the most rebellious, resisting fiercely during the "Paris Commune" of 1871, when the Versailles Army came to reconquer the city.

Canal St Martin is nearly deserted in the winter. Somewhat melancholy and cold. During the summer when the trees shade the banks of the canal, it is a thriving area with a multitude of cafes and students napping on the grass.