Cruising in Paris: the RIver Seine
May 16th 2006 23:00
Bonjour tout le monde !
(Hello everyone)
I think I’ve had enough of ghost stories for one week and I’m sure you have too. Let’s move on, shall we? Today, we’re going to look at something alive, vibrant and really the centre of activity and the life blood of Paris: la Seine. (Or the River Seine).
The Seine is a river in the northern part of France, which flows in a north-westerly direction through Paris and Rouen before disappearing into the English Channel. It is quite long, with a length of about 776 kilometres.
There is so much to see and do around the River Seine. Most of Paris’ main attractions and be found on or near its banks. (Like the Eiffel Tour and Notre Dame, both found nearby.) However, one of the best things to do in Paris is to take a cruise down la Seine. I would say it is a must and can you imagine the jealously of your friends when you say you went cruising in Paris? I know my friends would be jealous…
Bateaux Mouches runs the biggest tour company on La Seine. They depart from and return to Pont de l’Alma (“Pont” means “bridge” in English) and cruise passed many famous landmarks, including la Tour Eiffel, the Statue of Liberty and several inland islands. The boats have live narration (not recordings, I believe) to guide you through the views on either side of the Seine. They also conduct the commentary in both French and English. (A relief to some readers I’m sure.)
The River Seine through Paris (link to original picture beside)
Night time cruises are also available so you can marvel at the pretty lights of the city as they twinkle and reflect of the River. It’s definitely worth a look. Their website is http://www.bateauxmouches.com
Also, depending on the time of year you’re in Paris, you can be greeted with another spectacle: Paris Plage. Now, those who know their French will know that “plage” means “beach” and those who know Paris know there are no beaches in Paris. (well, no beaches in the Australian sense of the word). It only started in 2002, so it’s relatively new. This attraction is only open for a month over summer and for that month; the main arterial road along the bank of the Seine is closed off and turned into a beach!
Now, it seems pretty stupid to me to close off a road and cause traffic mayhem all because of a beach. But this is no ordinary beach. They have deck chairs, a wooden beach, a grass beach and of course, lots of sand! They ship the sand in and arrange umbrellas and other “beach-y” items around so those who can’t leave Paris for the summer can still feel like they’re on holiday. You can’t swim in the Seine, but they have a large swimming pool to compensate for that. There are bicycle tracks, beach volleyball courts and a whole range of attractions to choose from!! An article from the BBC estimates Paris Plage costs about 2 million euros to create and all the money comes from sponsors. Amazing hey? Might be a little extravagant, but I think it’s worth it!!
Ok. That’s all for today and remember: it all starts tomorrow…
See you then
À demain
Melinda
| 72 |
| Vote |
