dimanche 29 juillet 2012
Palm trees, fine sand,
sun-loungers and parasols…No you are not dreaming, you are not in Cannes but
still in central Paris. Summer time means another “Paris plage” (Paris Beach) experience
for Parisians and tourists alike. It’s a free summer event that transforms
several spots in Paris into full-fledged beaches for a whole month!
The first Paris Plage was
organized on the banks of the Seine River in 2002 by the mayor of Paris,
Bertrand Delanoë. He wanted to give Parisians who were unable to go on a holiday
to the seaside the opportunity to experience the beach right in their own city.
This event which was initially criticized by some as costly and frivolous, has
become a permanent fixture in the Parisian summertime scene. From sunning in
the sand to swimming in pools suspended over the Seine, kayaking, or enjoying
free evening concerts, Paris Plage attracts people of all ages, shapes and
sizes and it offers activities that both kids and adults will enjoy. It has proved
to be so successful that a new Paris Plage was opened at a location outside the
city center, at the Bassin de la Vilette, in 2007, and the general idea of
urban beaches has been copied by cities throughout Europe such as Berlin,
Brussels, Budapest, Prague…
This year, the 11th edition of
Paris Plages is held. For 4 weeks during the height of the summer season, you
can build sand castles, work on your tan at the deckchairs, and enjoy games of
Pétanque. The beaches are open from 8 am to midnight each day, and they are
completely free to visit!
Because the two different locations both have some unique activities, we’ll highlight the Plage on the riverbank and the Plage at the Bassin de la Vilette below.
Paris Plage from the Louvre
to Pont de Sully
The original Paris Plage is located on the right bank of the Seine River. Starting July 20th 2012, the Georges Pompidou road is closed to traffic and turned into a pedestrianized zone from roughly the Louvre Museum to the Pont de Sully.
Stretching almost 1 kilometer, the area right next to the river will feature real sand, deckchairs, and spots where you can play Pétanque. The beach will also feature water spouts where you can cool off, as well as a real swimming pool. All these things are completely free, so you can save your money for ice cream and drinks!
Photo by Amanda
The Paris Plage will also feature
free performances to keep you entertained throughout the day. In front of the
Hôtel de Ville, there’s a square where a concert stage is set up for Paris
Plage. Performances are held during the first week of the event, and they are
completely free.
Paris Plage at the Bassin de
la Villette
The Paris Plage at the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th Arrondissement will stretch from the Rotonde de Ledoux to the Rue de Crimée. For water sports enthusiasts, the beach of choice will be here. The Bassin de la Villette is the largest artificial lake in Paris, so it lends itself perfectly for boating. In the real water sports complex, you will have the chance to try out row boats, kayaks, pedal boats and even small sailboats at no charge until 9:00 p.m., with instructors on the scene to help ensure a safe experience. And after boating, a cold drink on one of the beach's waterside cafes will be in order. So, you won’t even have to pack your own lunch.
So if you are planning to be in
Paris between late July and mid-August, join in the summer festivities and make
the most of the beach at your inner city doorstep! All you need now to complete
this easy, breezy summer feeling is a beach towel, a bottle of chilled rosé or a
classic French picnic, and the summery sound of your favorite CD. What more
could one want?!
dimanche 22 juillet 2012
It's been a couple of months since I didn't post anything at all. The godmother of this blog was a bit upset with this situation and she blamed me, rightly, of being too lazy. So here is the final part of "Be a real Parisian". There is certainly still a lot to tell, but that will only be completed by epilogues.
It's well known all around the world that the French have some difficulty speaking foreign languages, starting of course with English. But, be aware that unlike the rest of his countrymen, the Parisian speaks very good English.
It's well known all around the world that the French have some difficulty speaking foreign languages, starting of course with English. But, be aware that unlike the rest of his countrymen, the Parisian speaks very good English.
City of multiple exchanges and French favorite destination for British, the Parisian has mechanically found a benefit to it. Since several decades, he managed to create a language where the French language is marked by a considerable number of borrowings from English. This ubiquitous use of Anglicisms is Franglais!
With his friends, he talks about his "spirit", his "timing" or his "management". Il squeeze, il check, il switche... The company employees will speak in general better in English than the others with a broader knowledge of appropriate terms. They will manage their "planning" to "meetings", create "slides" or make a "feedback" on their work...
Thus, professional terms quickly become second nature: the Parisian is "corporate". Moreover, he knows that French language has its limits. Clearly, there is no word in French for "spirit". So when he says that "il est en speed car il a squeezé un gros meeting entre le lunch avec son boss et le conf call avec le CEO (he is really stressed because he forgot an important appointment at lunch time with his boss...) , he is not or no more aware of the Anglo-Saxon influence which is in his sentence. Such is the price of knowledge. This knowledge is also acquired at work, by traveling or just flipping through magazines. Most editorials are based in Paris, one can not be surprised to see flourish in the press the sections such as "fashion", "people" or "shopping".
To the Parisian, English is secretly cooler than French. That language also seems simpler. The use of English is therefore a tool for recognition of his peers. He doesn't hesitate to use words which are in tune with the times, an Anglicism taken to an extreme which sometimes leads to a speech that is both complex and meaningless. Parisians instantly understand the examples cited above. So, only a few provincial will decipher this special language. Often, the provincial laugh. Such is the price of ignorance. But, faced with criticism, the Parisian can react in two ways:
- Either he admits: "I know, that's incredible, I can't help myself..."
- or, with a modern magnificent, he replies: "Oh là là, don't be backward-looking but move with the times..."
Thus attacked, The Parisian is a victim of its own knowledge. It goes without saying that the faux amis don't disturb him at all. And if you are bilingual French-English, it will be necessary to quickly learn Franglais in Paris. Trilingualism is within sight. C'est vraiment hard d'être parisien!
A tip: Paris is one of the most touristic city of the world. But, unlike Americans (or other tourists) who often do the mistake, know once and for all that Parisians don't speak or very bad or they will not dare to speak English. However, this will not prevent our Quebec cousins to think, with this Franglais, that we will end up looking like Americanized French.
Post translated in French:
Post translated in French:
Il est de notoriété
internationale que les français ont quelques difficultés à parler les langues
étrangères, à commencer naturellement par l’anglais. Mais, ne vous y trompez pas. Contrairement au
reste de ses compatriotes, le parisien parle très bien l’anglais.
Ville brassée par de multiples
échanges et destination française favorite des britanniques, le parisien a su
mécaniquement en tirer profit. Avec ses amis, le parisien parle de son
« spirit », de son « timing » ou de son
« management ». Il squeeze, il check, il switche. Le salarié d’une entreprise s’exprimera
en général mieux en anglais que les autres : avec une connaissance plus
large des termes adéquates, il saura gérer son « planning »
de « meetings », créer des « slides » ou faire un « feedback » sur son travail…
Ainsi, le jargon professionnel
devient rapidement une deuxième nature : le parisien est
« corporate ». En outre, il sait que le français a ses limites. A
l’évidence, il n’existe pas de mot pour spirit
en français. Aussi, lorsqu’il évoque qu’il est en speed car il a squeezé un gros meeting entre le
lunch avec son boss et le conf call avec le CEO, il n’a nulle
conscience de la vague influence anglo-saxonne qui réside dans sa phrase. Tel
est le prix du savoir. Ce savoir qui est d’ailleurs acquis au travail, en
voyageant ou en feuilletant des magazines. La plupart des rédactions
journalistiques étant basées à Paris, on ne peut s’étonner de voir fleurir dans
la presse des rubriques « fashion »,
« people » ou « shopping ».
Pour le parisien, l’anglais est
secrètement plus cool que le français. C’est aussi une langue plus simple.
L’emploi de l’anglais est alors un outil de reconnaissance de ses pairs. Il
n’hésite pas à employer des mots dans l’air du temps, un anglicisme poussé à
l’extrême qui l’amène parfois à tenir un discours à la fois complexe et vide de
sens. Les parisiens comprennent instantanément les exemples cités précédemment.
Alors, que seuls quelques provinciaux sauront déchiffrer ce langage. Bien
souvent, le provincial se moquera. Tel est le prix de l’ignorance. Mais, face à
la critique, le parisien peut réagir de deux façons :
-
soit il admettra : « je sais, c’est
grave, j’peux pas m’en empêcher… »
-
soit, magnifique de modernité, il
répondra : « oh là là, évolue un peu, faut pas être passéiste mais
vivre avec son temps »
Ainsi attaqué, le parisien est
victime de son propre savoir. Il va de soi que les faux amis ne dérangent pas
le parisien. Et si vous êtes bilingue français-anglais, il conviendra de vite
apprendre l’anglais de Paris. Le trilinguisme est à portée de vue. C’est
vraiment hard d’être parisien !
Un conseil : Paris est une
ville internationale et l’une des plus touristiques au monde. Mais,
contrairement aux américains (ou autres touristes) qui s’y méprennent souvent,
sachez une fois pour toute que le parisien ne parle pas, mal ou n’osera pas
parler anglais. Cela n’empêchera pas nos cousins québécois de penser, qu’avec
ce franglais, on s’américanise tellement qu’on pourrait représenter le français
avec des oreilles de Mickey.
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