Monday 28 July 2008

Paris plage pleasure


The kids and I headed out in this heat to where else? The beach, of course. Paris turns into a tropical sandy destination for four weeks this Summer, ending on August 21st. It's all happening along the quai of the Seine just below Hotel de Ville. Along with stretching out on lounge chairs at various points, there were activities including fencing, ping pong, petanque and the largest foosball table I've ever seen, enabling 20-24 people to play at a time. We ended up playing on a traditional four person table, and it was quite fun to play on the banks of the Seine.

Of course we were scorching hot, but we didn't melt due to the many sprinklers and misting stations. If you check the schedule, you might even be able to take a dip in the temporary public pool just to the East of Hotel de Ville.

My favorite part of our day was, of course, enjoying a light lunch overlooking the Seine in the shade of the gorgeous trees that line the quais. There was a cool breeze, we were right next to the Seine looking at the lovely view of Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis. As my friend Denise said about her recent trip to Paris, "they do everything right here." Indeed, it's nice to spend a day amid palm trees and sand, and have a cool refreshing drink on the banks of the Seine.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been following your blog all year and have really enjoyed it. I found it while researching in preparation for my own family's year in Paris. We have just arrived and I'll be using alot of your posts as inspiration for things to do with my own kids.

Would you be willing to share some more information? In particular, I'm interested in the French women's group you became invovled with. I speak French, so am looking for ways to meet and get involved with French people (not just expats) once school starts. Also - what is the name of the book on the Louvre for kids?

Hope you have had a safe trip home.

APG

swiss miss said...

Hey APG,
Thanks for the comment. I totally enjoyed the blog and the connection to people. One of the great groups I joined was the AVF or the Accueil de Villes Francaises. They are a sort of welcome wagon for people who have moved into a French city,for both native French people and foreigners. They have cooking groups, conversation groups, movie viewing groups, and more. It was a great organization. I'll look into the name of the book. Email me at dryanna@fuse.net and I can answer any more questions you may have.
Bon courage! I'm envious of your year ahead.
Dianna