This city has become a ghost town. Relatively speaking that is, and it still depends on what neighbourhood you're in. The Parisians have made their mass exodus out of the city starting the long-weekend of July 14th (Bastille/National Day) and slowly continue to trickle out to seaside destinations. What's left behind? Throngs of tourist in the centre and disgruntled workers who have to stay and form the skeleton staff of companies. Little shops shut down for the month, putting up signs in glib handwriting, "bonnes vacances". This might explain the lack of postings as offices and work in general grind to a halt, making my job search here in Paris almost impossible.
In an attempt to provide a balm for all those left behind, the City of Paris puts on "Paris Plages" in the summertime. Large stretches along the Seine and some canals are transformed into...a beach. The busy roads that run the stretches of the Seine are closed off, fine sand is trucked in, beach loungers are set up, and pétanque (french lawnbowling) pitts are cordoned off. The Seine-side beach comes equipped with a stretch of boardwalk, showers, changing stalls, news vendors on bikes and potted palm trees. It looks really beachy, non?
If for whatever reason you're a Parisian and can't take a portion of your standard 5-week holiday in August, the City of Paris graciously brings the beach to you. As kitschy as it may be, I'm pretty psyched about scoring my own lounger on the faux beach and watching the museum tourists scuttle across bridges from the Louvre, to Notre Dame and to the Musée d'Orsay. *sigh, oh Paris, this is so like you.
2 comments:
What do they do with the sand when it's all said and done?
My guess is they truck it back to where it came from.
Post a Comment