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For the past few summers, the banks of the Seine in Paris have been transformed into a beach-- Paris Plage. This offers Parisians and tourists a rather surprising plot twist when strolling along the river.
For several weeks, the roads along the Seine are closed, and a "beach" is created. Tons of sand are crated in, potted palm trees are placed, beach chairs and umbrellas are arranged. The typical Paris dress code is reduced substantially.
This year, the plage visits Paris for a month, from 21 July to 21 August 2008. Don't forget your bathing suit! Leave a Comment
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Paris-plage is an initiative of the Paris municipality to bring the beach to the Parisians who cannot or are too lazy to go to the sea, to go there or simply want to get tanned. This enterprise suggest turning the proverb if the mountain will not go to Mahomet, let Mahomet go to the mountain into if the Parisians don't go to the beach, the beach goes to the Parisians! So, it was decided to provide a beach along the Seine.
Paris-plage has been existing since 2002 and it has proved very successful. My parents and I saw also artists who were building sculptures of sand, as the last photo shows.
The only disadvantage is that people are not allowed to bathe in the river. Leave a Comment
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For many years it was the case that Paris virtually shut down during August. I guess in the days before air-conditioning it made alot of sense. Nowadays, it is still the case that many smaller, usually family-run, restaurants and shops close for the duration of August (or sometimes July, or sometimes both). The same is also true of many theatres and similar places.
It must be a mark of how well Paris does as a tourist destination, as elsewhere in Europe August is the month when such businesses make a good deal of their annual turnover.
It is a mark of how much the city 'empties out', that for the fast few years (since 2002) a two mile stretch of the right bank of the Seine is converted to a beach. I've not been, but thousands of tons of sand, palm trees and a swimming pool seem to have been an enormous hit - and now a tradition that Paris will expect to see every year.
The beach area is normally a dual carriageway, and closing it for a month (last week in July and first three in August) at any other time of the year would cause mayhem and gridlock. Leave a Comment
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Paris Plage:
Since 2002, the City of Paris has turned the banks of the Seine into a summertime "beach oasis." Mid-July through August, over 2,000 tons of white sand is brought onto the banks from Ile St. Louis to the Jardin des Tuileries for this temporary beach party. August is typically the month when most Parisians hit the road for their summer travels. Chatelet is a good metro stop to get off at to get to the plage. Those who are stuck in the city can be found lounging under the big umbrellas and enjoying free concerts and family activities at Paris Plage. If you really want to fit in, don a wide-brimmed hat and grab your sarong!
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Near the Notre Dame during the months July and August one of the streets along the Seine is transformmed into a beach. If the sun is shinning you can tan your skin but unfortunatly not swim in the Seine.
Too dangerous ?? or too much pollution ?? Leave a Comment
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on July 2, 2008
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