Pleasure-boating really took off here in 1983, when the Paris Arsenal marina was set up on the Saint-Martin Canal.
In addition, with the increasing number of cycle paths in Paris, it is now possible to travel by bike between the Seine and the Ourcq canal by following the route of the Saint-Martin Canal from the Bastille.
This involves taking the Boulevard Henri IV, crossing the place de la Bastille, taking the boulevards Richard-Lenoir and Jules-Ferry, then cycling alongside the above-ground section of the Saint-Martin Canal along the Quai de Jemmapes and the Quai de Valmy.
From the Rotonde de la Villette, the route continues along the Quai de la Loire and the Quai de la Marne, from where you can ride directly onto the Canal de l’Ourcq cycle paths.

The first cycle paths, created on the Canal de l’Ourcq towpath in 1978, were a resounding success. A new phase of cycle routes are currently being laid out along the Canal de l’Ourcq, extending the existing route as far as the Jablines leisure park and along the Saint-Denis Canal towards the Stade de France.
These routes link up with Parisian cycle tracks, enabling the region’s inhabitants to explore a very special natural environment.

My organic address book doesn’t have any entries in the vicinity of the hotel – Paris’ 16^th arrondissement. Environmentally-friendly and organic products are more easily found in the Marais or Bastille districts, which are more “hippie chic”!

Here are some of my favourites:

- Les Nouveaux Robinson, a supermarket chain which markets organic and other green products (clothes, bedding, decorations, paintings, garden accessories, etc). There are currently three stores in the Greater Paris region, in Neuilly, Montreuil and Boulogne. And if getting there is likely to be a problem for you, Les Nouveaux Robinson also offers an online shopping service.

- Les Biocoop,  is another organic supermarket chain. In business since 1986, there is now an extensive network of stores across the whole of France, with a current total of over 286 outlets.

There are networks too, such as AMAPs (Associations for Preserving Traditional Agriculture). This is a partnership between a producer and a group of consumers who order directly from the farmer. Basically, it’s a great way of enjoying fresh, organic produce and helping farmers too. There are AMAPs all over the country, including Greater Paris, of course !