According to CNN, a beach has been created for the month along the Seine. They trucked in sand, have planted palm trees, and installed a pool among other things.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe....ap/index.html

It opened yesterday and wondered where it was.

Along the Seine, in Paris.

Sorry I couldn't resist

7am to midnight, between Pont Henri IV and quai des Tuileries.

www.paris.fr (the English language version doesn't keep up with all the news items in the French version).

Actually, Lori, just to confuse the issue, a google search turns up a Paris Plage at Le Touquet...

Le Touquet and surrounding area has long been called the Paris Plage because, at a certain point in history, it was all the rage for the Parisians to decamp there for weekends and summer. It's also been very popular with Brits for a long time. There are the most incredible houses in that area - I like just driving around admiring them!

They already had la "Paris Plage" last summer. I'm not sure that was the fisrt time. One end is by L'Ile-Saint-Louis (Pont Henri IV)where I had my hotel. There were even beach volley courts set up at Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. A new thing this year(as they were saying on the radio) was a swimming pool set near L'Ile-Saint-Louis, only 1 meter deep and maily for children. I will check it out this August again.

I took a look at the CNN URL tmh posted; it says this is the 3rd summer.

We were just in Paris and were sad that the beach was opening up the day after we left.

We read some signs about it, and it sounded like fun. It's along the right bank, and will have a sandy beach area, a deck area, and a green (grass?) area, and all sorts of activities, all of which are free, including a climbing wall, underwater maze, pool, etc.

The Parisians are really excited about it- what a great idea!

They're lucky to have the space. Richard Rogers once had all sorts of 'concept' ideas about turning the Embankment in London into a park, but we don't find it quite so easy to close main roads.

Mind you there was a 'beach' in London once:
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/MOL...ure.asp?id=510

It would never be allowed now, of course - there would be all sorts of health and safety concerns about the tides.

or

http://www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk.../beach_2.shtml

My friend's Parisian friend told him that Paris Plage just began. Sounds interesting allright.