Parisians have found a way to get relief from the summer heat by building an artificial beach along the River Seine.
The 2.5km sandy beach along the river's right bank is full of palm trees, beach chairs and umbrellas, and has become a regular part of summer life in Paris since its inauguration in 2002.
However, this year the beach has been extended to include the left bank as well. The area now also sports a kilometer-long beach between a new year-round swimming pool and a pedestrian walkway over the Seine.
This year the Paris beach has taken Tahiti as its theme, with visitors invited to take part in dance classes and shows in traditional Polynesian huts built along the river.
The month-long event, which is completely free, is expected to attract about 4 million visitors.
Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said that the Paris beach is for people who can't afford to take a vacation at a real beach.
This year about 2,500 tons of sand were brought to the riverside, along with 68 palm trees stretching eight meters high. The whole project cost 2.2 million euros (NT$91.26 million) and took 1,500 workers to set up.
The idea has proved so successful that it has been copied in other French cities, as well as Berlin and Tokyo.
Visitors to the Paris beach can also play about 20 sports, such as volleyball and frisbee, while other games have been set up for children.
Although no swimming is allowed in the Seine, water fountains and a bathing spot have been set up along the beach. (afp)
巴黎人找到了炎夏避暑的良方︰在塞納河畔打造人工沙灘。
塞納河右岸蜿蜒著二點五公里長的沙灘，處處是棕櫚樹、沙灘椅與遮陽傘，自二○○二年啟用以來，已經成了巴黎夏季日常生活的一部分。
不過，今年沙灘也延伸到了左岸。目前，塞納河左岸也在全年開放的新游泳池與人行步道之間，打造了一公里長的沙灘。
今年巴黎沙灘以大溪地為主題，傳統波里尼西亞小木屋沿著河畔而築，遊客並受邀參加其中的舞蹈課程與表演。
為期一個月的活動完全免費，預計吸引四百萬左右的人潮。
巴黎市長德拉諾耶表示，巴黎沙灘是給沒有錢到真正沙灘度假的人們。
今年大約有兩千五百噸的沙子被運往河畔，沿岸還有六十八棵八公尺高的棕櫚樹。整個計畫耗資兩百二十萬歐元（新台幣九千一百二十六萬元），動用一千五百名工人興建。
這個點子相當成功，法國其他城市、柏林與東京也爭相模仿。
巴黎沙灘的遊客也可玩二十種左右的運動，像是排球與飛盤，也有孩童遊戲專區。
雖然塞納河禁止游泳，但沙灘沿岸設立了噴泉與淋浴區。
（法新社╱翻譯︰賴美君）
A: Hard rock band Guns N’ Roses is touring Taiwan tomorrow. What about pop diva Lady Gaga? B: Unfortunately, Singapore has once again exclusively secured Gaga’s concerts in Asia, just like Taylor Swift’s exclusive Asian shows last year. A: The Singaporean government reportedly paid up to US$2.2 million to secure Swift’s shows. B: And the shows did boost its economy and tourism. A: But I’m angry about this approach, so I’m not going to Gaga’s shows this time. A: 硬式搖滾天團槍與玫瑰明天即將來台，流行天后女神卡卡呢？ B: 真可惜，新加坡再度取得卡卡亞洲巡演的獨家主辦權，就像去年泰勒絲的亞洲獨家演出一樣。 A: 據報導新加坡政府付出高達220萬美元，取得泰勒絲的亞洲獨家主辦權。 B: 而她的秀也的確提振了該國的經濟和旅遊業。 A: 但我對此還是很不爽，所以不去新加坡看卡卡了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
After the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the Vatican’s papal conclave on May 8 elected a new leader for the Catholic Church. Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, who chose to be called Leo XIV, became the 267th pope, spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. But what exactly does a pope do? Here is a rundown of his main responsibilities. CATHOLIC LEADER The word pope comes from the Greek “pappas,” meaning “father, patriarch,” which is why believers call him the Holy Father. He is considered the successor of St Peter, to whom Jesus Christ is said to have entrusted
If you could nominate any toys for the Toy Hall of Fame, what would they be? Iconic playthings like yo-yos, toy cars, or video games seem like obvious __1__. Classic toys such as jacks, playing cards, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Uno have brought endless joy to generations. Overall, there are countless toys that __2__ in the Toy Hall of Fame. The National Toy Hall of Fame was __3__ in 1998 at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Toy Hall of Fame aims to __4__ items that have been cherished for generations, and several
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang However, not every toy has its moment. Some fans were __8__ that simple classics like balloons—a universal symbol of celebrations—haven’t made the cut yet. With their lightweight charms and transformative puffs of air, balloons have __9__ millions for decades and will have to wait at least another year for a chance to be inducted. As the Toy Hall of Fame continues to celebrate toys that __10__ creativity and joy, we can only wonder which treasures will earn a spot next. Will the widely adored balloon finally take its place in 2025? Only time will tell, but one thing is
RSS