Paris Beach
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Paris Plages
I will come back with some more news from the south of France, but I wanted first to say a few words about the Paris « event » of yesterday, the yearly opening of “Paris Plages”.
The banks of the Seine should normally look like this and to a large extent they still do, but some 35 years ago, it was decided that part of the banks had to be sacrificed; room for the dense traffic was needed.
Today this decision is regretted by many, but since some years car and motor bike traffic is often stopped during weekends, opening space for biking, roller skating, walking…
Since five years another initiative has been taken. During a month, when most Parisians are elsewhere, the car traffic is again stopped and the banks are transformed into beaches. This year “Paris Plages” opened yesterday and will remain until August 19th.
I made a tour just after the opening; the weather was (again) not excellent and the crowd was not yet there. A nice summer afternoon and evening it looks different! As you can see from my pictures a lot of activities are proposed, of course including sunbathing and swimming (not in the Seine), concerts are given in the evening…
The banks of the Seine should normally look like this and to a large extent they still do, but some 35 years ago, it was decided that part of the banks had to be sacrificed; room for the dense traffic was needed.Today this decision is regretted by many, but since some years car and motor bike traffic is often stopped during weekends, opening space for biking, roller skating, walking…
Since five years another initiative has been taken. During a month, when most Parisians are elsewhere, the car traffic is again stopped and the banks are transformed into beaches. This year “Paris Plages” opened yesterday and will remain until August 19th.
I made a tour just after the opening; the weather was (again) not excellent and the crowd was not yet there. A nice summer afternoon and evening it looks different! As you can see from my pictures a lot of activities are proposed, of course including sunbathing and swimming (not in the Seine), concerts are given in the evening…
Maybe all of you may not be aware that you can travel along the Seine by some kind of metro service, “hop on hop off”!! 
The originals of some of the above photos can be found on my other blog "Peter - photos".
22 comments:
Trying to please all the people all the time is simply impossible. But when the weather is fine and the tourists are in town (while the natives are gone) the Paris Beaches of August might be satisfactory enough for many. I hope so.
Peter, Tonight I saw the beaches on the news, and loved it wishing I were there instead of here! I love the barges on the Seine and one of my fantasies is to live on one of them for awhile. One of my favorite books about Paris, and I have shelves of them, is about someone living on one of the barges. Your post brings back many fond memories. thanks!
Peter, do you know what do they do with all this sand when the feast is over? (je fais ma maline, je l'ai entendu à la radio...)
Mieux qu'à la télé! (Je parle des informations.)
I remembered it so well Peter...the activities...pple watching etc...love the Paris buzz...thank you.
Comme dit hpy, presque plus besoin de regarder les infos sur TF1 le soir, il y a toutes les informations voulues chez vous, et de belles photos en plus. Je vais peut-être venir à Paris à la fin du mois d'août mais il n'y aura plus de plages. Tant pis. Bises
I think the value of the human landscape is much healthier and nicer than the same scene mixed with automobiles.
I realize one comes before the other but that was the mistake when they let cars replace people.
My observation would ruin a city planner's breakfast but those people are the same idiots who created one-way streets.
Thank you for taking the time to visit my place. It is always nice to see familiar names.
Cars can be a problem sometimes, I've noticed it when trying to take photos in the city. There is always a car or few in the photo! It's nerve wrecking.
But to drive a car somewhere else than in a city, is a pleasure. To the centre of the cities cars shouldn't be allowed to come. The centre is for people.
Happy holidays on the beach, Peter!
Lovely pictures!!
What a wonderful city, Peter! You are a very lucky men! Great pictures as always and a very informative post! Have a nice weekend!
Paris is a beautif city, but after reading your post I know and love Paris more. Thanks for these beautiful photos.
P.S.
I think that WUB is for you. Please, visit my blog and think about it.
Have wonderful weekend!
This is a nice thing to give people a bit of a holiday feeling. We have two artificial beaches here in Cologne and some real ones along the Rhine. Strange coincidence: just today I took a photo of one of them when we were on tour. I hope I can show it tomorrow together with some information. Your information is always great and I must write a big "THANK YOU" for that. You are doing a great job.
I love how you include so much-an inspiration to us all!!...Lovley photos....lots of BLUE!
what an unusual arrangement..but i guess it's better than nothing...an ideal place for outing with loved ones..who know? this black cat might escape there some day..soon..lol
Tu as bien rapidement quitté les bords du Rhône, il me semble !
Force est de constater que le vrai parisien que tu es devenu ne peut se passer des bords de Seine bien longtemps...
Tout à fait d'accord avec tes observations / le dommage du sacrifice pour satisfaire les dictats de l'automobile. Tout du moins, cela fait apprécier d'auatnt plus les jours sans voitures
La Seine aux bâteaux et les berges aux piétons !
PS : je constate la présence du BLEU sur presque toutes tes photos auj
Un drapeau, une toile de parasol, un djinn, un tishirt, un matelas de transat etc...
(Sauf le ciel)
Tu aurais pu faire tes encadrements en bleu !
PPS : bon dimanche, Peter
Much enjoyed...always thought this was such a great idea. Who dreamt it up/ (or does you text mention that...sorry if inattentive)
Lovely photos! It must be a really great place for spending my summer - sitting below the beautiful blue shaded area, watching people roaming around, listening and watching to the concert... How enjoying is that!! :D
Must be really enjoying indeed. :)
Malheureusement le ciel n'est pas favorable aux bords de Seine cet été!Mais quand il pleut j'ai toujours entendu dire :"On fait comme les Parisiens, on passe à travers les gouttes!" Et c'est ce que tu fais en véritable parisien maintenant Peter.
alice:
Non, je ne sais pas!
delphinium:
Si tu viens à Paris, on peut se voir?
krystyna:
I will now immediately go to your blog!
chuckerron:
I think it came officially via the Paris mayor. Who gave him the idea, I don't know.
All others, thanks for your comments!
Paris plage with this weird summer weather, looks odd...
Anyhow, the pictures are great, and the batobus was a great idea some years ago!
black feline:
I would love to see the black cat escape in the direction of Paris!!
Alors, j'ai entendu à la radio que le sable était ensuite utilisé pour le manège de la Garde républicaine.(21 tonnes? mais je ne suis pas sûre de ma mémoire sur ce point...
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