FRANCE-BEACH/PARIS Grey skies don't deter locals and tourists as Paris' urban beach opens

Record ID: 149347

  • Title: FRANCE-BEACH/PARIS Grey skies don't deter locals and tourists as Paris' urban beach opens
  • Date: 20th July 2015
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 20, 2015) (REUTERS) PARIS PLAGES FESTIVAL SIGN, READING (FRENCH): "PARIS BEACH 20TH JULY-16TH AUGUST" BEACH ON BANKS OF RIVER SEINE, BEACH UMBRELLAS AND DECK CHAIRS WOMAN READING ON DECK CHAIR BEACH ON BANKS OF RIVER SEINE TODDLER PLAYING WITH SAND (SOUNDBITE) (French) BEACH GO-ER AND PARISIAN, ERIC FITOUSSI, SAYING: "I was looking forward the opening.
  • Embargoed: 4th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3Y4ZHBP6QJJ8J62VR6ZV4Y9PX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Cool, cloudy weather didn't discourage local and tourists from going to the opening of the French capital's urban beach, Paris Plages, on Monday (July 20).
    Paris Plages, on the bank of river Seine is a rendezvous for Parisians and tourists who happen to be in the city during the summer and want to enjoy sandy pop-up beaches fitted out with palm trees, deck chairs and beach umbrellas.
    Parisian Eric Fitoussi, 48, lives just two minutes away from this artificial beach. This year, as every summer, before his holidays, he came to "Paris Plages".
    "I was looking forward the opening. I absolutely wanted to show the opening of Paris Plages to my two-year-old daughter and play with sand with her, build some sand castles with her. It was very important for us. We are going on holidays in three days. This is a way for us to move the holidays a bit forward," Fitoussi said.
    The beach features dozens of free events, such as concerts, cultural events, games, classes, like Tai-Chi or dance workshops.
    The urban beach concept has become known world-wide and many tourists visiting Paris in the summer don't miss a stop by Paris Plages before leaving the French capital.
    "When we were planning our vacation, I was reading about what was going on in Paris and read about Paris Plages and we were very excited to come. We were really disappointed that it started today, because we leave tomorrow, so we really made a point about coming down here just so my daughter can play in the sand and just enjoy being in Paris," said American tourist Barbara Fogarty, 47, from Seattle, who spent two weeks in Paris with her daughter.
    Parisian student Maiwenn Mira, 22, did not know about the opening -- she discovered the event by accident and decided to spend some time in the sand.
    "It is the perfect weather because there are much fewer people, so it is more calm and relaxing, and I find it very enjoyable to be able to sit down, to read a book, to be by the Seine. So that's it. This weather is favourable for relaxation," she said.
    The idea of setting up a urban beach at the heart of a capital has been copied by other cities in Europe, like Madrid and Berlin.
    Paris Plages will last till the 16th of August.
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