Parisians take a historic plunge into the River Seine after more than a century
It comes as public swimming was allowed in designated areas of the Seine, including two newly built wooden decks near the Eiffel Tower and the Île Saint-Louis in central Paris.
Before sunrise, a municipal officer skimmed away the last few patches of algae with a fishnet. Soon after, a line of eager Parisians formed, towels in hand, waiting for their chance to jump in.
Wows and cries of joy echoed across the riverbanks as the first swimmers entered the emerald-green water.
Under the careful supervision of a dozen lifeguards wearing high-visibility vests, each swimmer donned a bright yellow lifebuoy fastened around their waist. The current was weak, just enough to tug gently at their limbs—a reminder that this is still a living, urban river.
'It's so nice to swim in the heart of the city, especially with the high temperatures we've been having lately,' said Amine Hocini, a 25-year-old construction worker from Paris.
'I'm surprised because I thought it was going to be cooler, and in fact, it's much warmer than I thought.'
The return to swimming follows a 1.4 billion euro cleanup project tied to last year's Olympics. Officials now say the Seine meets European water quality standards on most days.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who already took a dip last year, was there Saturday morning, holding up a transparent bottle filled with river water as a show of confidence. She said, 'It's a childhood dream to make people swim in the Seine."
Meanwhile, environmental authorities confirmed bacteria levels were well below official thresholds. "The water quality is 'exceptional,'" said Marc Guillaume, the prefect for the Paris' Ile-de-France region. "We are monitoring two bacteria, E. coli and enterococci, and for one we are ten times below the thresholds and for the other more than 25 times below," he said.
From the deck, tourists and morning joggers stopped to watch. Some applauded as swimmers climbed up the steel ladders, grinning and dripping. Others, like François Fournier, remained sceptical.
'I won't risk it, quite frankly,' said Fournier, who lives atop the riverbanks and observed the scene from a bridge above. 'I've seen things you can't imagine floating in the Seine, so I'll wait for it to be really squeaky clean.'
Related
Clean enough for a dip? Paris set to reopen the Seine for swimming, but locals aren't so sure
Paris wants to grant the River Seine legal personhood to better protect it from pollution
Floating debris still bobbed here and there—a stray leaf, a plastic wrapper—but the smell was barely noticeable: no strong sewage odour, just an earthy, river-like scent.
'This is so chic, to swim in the Seine, next to Île Saint-Louis,' said Lucile Woodward, 43, a resident. 'There are some apprehensions, of course, any time you go to swim somewhere, but I think this is one of the most tested areas in the whole world now. I don't think the town hall can allow itself to have any problems.'
She added with a laugh, 'My skin is OK.'
Swimming in the Seine had been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to pollution and risks posed by river navigation. Taking a dip outside bathing areas is still banned for safety reasons.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
7 minutes ago
- Forbes
Overcrowded Vatican And Other Micro Countries Top Overtourism Report
From monuments and sites such as the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Trevi Fountain in Rome, islands including Santorini and the main Canary islands, to cities large and small like Spain's Barcelona, Italy's Venice, Croatia's Dubrovnik and Belgium's Bruges, the lists of European destinations impacted by overtourism grow every year. Along with that growth are massive protests of increasingly frustrated and angry residents tired of record crowds,, noise, overwhelmed services, impossible housing costs, traffic congestion that threat their way of life. Posters inviting visitors to 'Go Home' and even cases of physical attacks against tourists like in Barcelona and Valencia this summer where protesters shot water guns to unsuspecting tourists are not rare. Anti-tourism movements are starting to have an effect on local elections. The fear of an "Overtourism Crisis" in Europe with the surging in the numbers of travellers coming to the old continent this summer is real and forcing governments to address the environmental, social and economic pressures it is creating. During the first quarter of 2025, there were 452.4 million overnight stays in tourist accommodations across the EU, according a European Commission's Eurostat analysis. Last year, 747 million international travellers visited the continent, far outnumbering any other region in the world, according to the U.N.'s World Tourism Barometer. Some countries carry heavier loads than others. France, the biggest international destination, last year received 100 million international visitors, while second-place Spain received almost 94 million — nearly double its own population. Visiting many of the most popular sites in Europe has become a physical ordeal where after long lines people are pushed through by the masses trying to take selfies. 'Europe, often dubbed the world's museum, is grappling with an unprecedented surge in tourism, transforming its picturesque streets into crowded thoroughfares and sparking widespread 'overtourism concerns,' writes The Independent. 'The continent's record-breaking visitor numbers are now straining local resources and sparking a backlash from residents as the familiar sight of suitcases rattling on cobblestones and selfie-snappers jostling for position has become a symbol of the strain." Cruise ships, bringing thousands of visitors to locations already overwhelmed by overtourism like Venice, the Canary and Balearic islands, Santorini and other small Greece islands, leave a significant ecological impact while contribute little to the local economy. Foreign visitors accounted for approximately 45.6% of all overnight stays in the first 3 months of 2025, as per the Eurostat report. What is new is the large differences among EU countries, with the smallest ones like Malta (91.2%), Cyprus (85.7%) and Luxembourg (80.4%) getting the biggest share of foreign overnight stays, above the "usual suspects" like Spain, France and Italy. The first places of the top most overcrowded tourist destinations in the world — measured by the number of visitors (taken from tourism figures from national tourist boards and reports), outnumbering the local population by a lot ,- in a new ranking by Go2Africa highlighting the growing global trend. Although, as explained by The Mirror in an article titled 'Do not travel zones where tourists overwhelm locals', 'the ratio of visitors to locals does not tell the complete story of a destination and its relationship with tourism, it gives a good indication of how reliant a place's economy is on tourism and how busy it's likely to feel during peak season.' Vatican City Tops Overtourism Ranking In # 1 with the most disproportionate tourist per local ratio is Vatican City, the world's smallest country in area and population. A sovereign city-state located within Rome it is just 0.44 square kmts. in size and a place of pilgrimage and cultural significance for many people around the world. With just 882 residents the Vatican welcomes a staggering 6.8 million tourists a year which equates to 7,710 visitors for every local. 'Every day thousands of visitors are literally pushed through this Vatican cash machine by the museum's guardians,' writes a visitor in Tripadvisor about the experience at the Vatican Museum. 'Practically no chance to quietly admire the various masterpieces.' Statistics from last May show that the number of visitors at the Vatican can reach 25,000 per day with massive ticket lines often snaking around the walls. That's more than 1/2 million visitors per month. In second and third place are also other European micro-countries. Principality Of Andorra Second In The List The principality of Andorra a land-locked small country of 468 square kms, 2 and ½ times the size of Washington D.C, located between France and Spain takes second place. With a population of over 85,000 people -by a 2023 census-, this small European country best known for its luxury ski resorts and tax-free shopping, receives around 9.6 million tourists per year. This equates to a ratio of 118 tourists per resident. The status of the tiny principality as a tax haven and the fact that it is almost entirely geared towards tourism, contribute to its outsized appeal. Nestled in Pyrenees, Andorra also offers stunning landscapes with peaks over 2,000 metres high, deep valleys and winding rivers. Tiny San Marino And Overtourism The third country in the list, where visitors outnumber the local population is another mountainous landlocked microstate in Southern Europe: San Marino. Surrounded in all sides Italy and founded in 301 AD, it is the world's oldest surviving republic, maintaining its independence for over 1,700 years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site it boasts three imposing fortresses on surrounding towering peaks. The capital, also called San Marino is located in the slopes of Monte Titano and its known for its medieval walled old town and narrow cobblestone streets. Visitors are drawn to the landscape, cuisine and architectural sights. Over 60 kilometres squared, it's the third smallest territory in Europe and the fifth smallest in the world. With only 33,600 residents San Marino attracts 2 million tourists per year which equates to a ratio of 60 tourists per local. At the same time that San Marino appears among the destinations with locals being outnumbered by visitors, it is frequently mentioned in rankings of the l'east visited countries in Europe.' Has Monaco An Overtourism Problem? Another principality, Monaco, a sovereign microstate on the Mediterranean Sea's French Riviera, not far from the Italian region of Liguria, attracts luxury travelers to its famous casinos, yachts, and Mediterranean coastline and the city-state is often packed with visitors. Monaco gets around 340,000 tourists per year. If, according to the local Monaco Voice, 'Monaco seems to have avoided the pitfalls of mass tourism,' it still appears in #8 of the list of places where visitors outnumber the local population. The principality occupies an area of 2.08 square kms, making it the second-smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City. Its population of 39,000 makes it the most densely populated sovereign state. Only around 10,000 residents are Monégasque nationals. Monaco also has a record for the world's shortest national coastline of 3.83 km, not counting landlocked nations and it is recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world. Malta's Dangerous Overtourism 'Malta named as ninth most overcrowded tourist destination worldwide' is the title of the Malta Independent about the new report. With a history going back seven thousand years Malta, located between Sicily and the northern coast of Africa, is renowned for its sun-drenched beaches, ancient ruins, and vibrant Mediterranean culture. Last year, Malta had a registered population of 563,443 people and over 3.5 million tourists which equates to 6.32 tourists per resident. The Malta Business Weekly reports that the country already has already received "a bit over 1.4 million tourists in the first five months of 2025, which normally constitutes around 35% of all tourists for the year. It seems ever more likely that we will get more than 4 million (possibly 4.1 million) tourists in 2025. Last year we had 3.6 million tourists. From 2019 we have increased tourist arrivals by 54%, but real income from tourism has increased by 51%.' In the summer months, Malta's residents have to put up with crowds of tourists, especially young people arriving in low fare flights and cruise passengers, which has raised alarm from environmentalists and local residents of an 'environmental collapse.' The growth in tourist numbers is particularly affecting one of its most iconic, photographed and fragil sites, the Comino Island's Crystal Blue Lagoon, which according to local reports, has reached a tourism breaking point with over 10,000 visitors from across the world per day. A beautiful 1.4-square-mile natural pool with crystal-clear waters and striking limestone formations, the Cristal Blue lagoon has been transformed from a once tranquil place for swimming and snorkeling, into an overcrowded area full with boats and sunbathers during peak season, resulting in a growing imbalance between the polluting tourism and environmental sustainability of rare bird habitats and protected marine zones. This is how the BBC describe the situation at the Comino's Cristal Blue Lagoon: "shoulder-to-shoulder crowds jostle for space, litter spills from overflowing bins and tangles in trampled rock rose shrubs, while gas-guzzling powerboats blast music and leave behind a trail of environmental damage. Frustration over Comino's overtourism has been growing for years, with some disillusioned visitors going as far as to call the day-trip experience from Malta a 'scam' and overcrowded boats, limited amenities and worsening environmental degradation have led to mounting pressure on authorities to act." MORE FROM FORBES
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Late-Summer Calm: Mediterranean Design Hotels To Visit In August And Beyond
As the crowds slowly retreat from the beaches and the air begins to soften, late summer in the Mediterranean becomes something entirely different. Quieter, clearer, and more intimate, it's the season for those who prefer long, barefoot afternoons and unhurried dinners under the stars. The hotels below reflect that energy. Each one is built with intention, designed to feel like a place you return to, not just pass through. Here's where to go when you want summer to last a little longer. Minos Palace Resort, Crete, Greece Situated on a private peninsula near Agios Nikolaos, this adults-only and eco-conscious retreat focuses on immersive calm. The design incorporates stone, wood, and local greenery, with an atmosphere that's best described as quietly elevated. There's a deep emphasis on wellness, both through their own longevity hub and the overall rhythm of the place. By early September, Crete is still warm, but the intensity eases. The crowds thin, and places like Minos Palace come into their own. It's a destination for travelers who don't need to be entertained, just taken care of. Les Roches Rouges, Saint-Raphaël, South of France Built directly into the red cliffs of the Côte d'Azur, this modernist hotel focuses on elemental pleasures. Saltwater pools, natural rock terraces, and interiors in sun-washed ochre and white create a kind of 1960s Riviera dream. There's no DJ, no curated playlist, just long lunches, sea swims, and timeless light. By late summer, the South of France returns to a more authentic rhythm. Les Roches Rouges is made for that pace, when the only thing left to do is open a bottle of Bandol rosé and watch the tide come in. Summer Senses, Paros, Greece Just outside the buzz of Naoussa sits Summer Senses, a serene hillside retreat with wide sea views, three pools, and spacious suites that feel built for slow mornings. The design stays true to Cycladic simplicity, but the real luxury lies in the mood: calm, grown-up, and completely unforced. While most of Paros shifts into high gear in August, this spot holds a steady pace. It's close enough to reach the island's best restaurants and beaches in minutes, but far enough to feel like you're on your own schedule. As the season stretches into September, the balance between peace and proximity becomes even more appealing. Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, Turkey On a quiet peninsula outside Bodrum, this resort blends serious comfort with a relaxed coastal rhythm. The private beach, infinity pools, and sprawling spa invite you to unplug without ever feeling isolated. Rooms, suites and villas open onto terraces where the view of the Aegean feels like part of the architecture. By late August, the coast here is still sun-drenched, but the mood shifts. The party energy fades and Bodrum returns to something more genuine. Mandarin Oriental captures that transition perfectly. You're surrounded by nature, but everything is effortless, from breakfast in the olive groves to an evening hammam treatment that erases any sense of urgency. Gundari, Folegandros, Greece Newly opened on one of the Cyclades' most rugged islands, Gundari is carved into the cliffs with 27 limestone suites and villas, each with private pools and panoramic views. It feels both elemental and luxurious, the kind of place where you arrive and instantly lower your voice. Folegandros has long been a quiet alternative to its more photographed neighbors, and late summer is the island at its best. The air is still warm, but the silence deepens. With menus curated by Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou and a swim-up bar that feels almost like a mirage, Gundari is where design meets total detachment. NOS Hotel & Villas, Sifnos, Greece There's a simplicity to NOS that feels completely aligned with the island around it. Built of natural stone and wood, the hotel overlooks a sheltered bay near Faros. Rooms are minimal in the right way, grounded by hand-thrown ceramics and open-air showers that make the most of the light. Sifnos has always attracted a different kind of traveler, and in late summer the island slows into itself. The tavernas feel more local again, and the beaches stretch out with fewer footprints. NOS gives you that experience in real time, whether you're returning from a pottery village or sipping a glass of chilled Assyrtiko by the pool. Soho House Farmhouse, Ibiza, Spain Tucked between Santa Gertrudis and San Rafael, this new opening offers a version of Ibiza few visitors ever see. With just 14 rooms and villas set among olive trees and regenerative gardens, the Farmhouse feels more like an artists' residency than a hotel. There's sunrise yoga, community dinners, and quiet spaces for reflection or collaboration. As the island shifts from peak season into its calmer weeks, this is exactly the kind of Ibiza worth experiencing. One where the energy comes from nature, food, and conversation, not speakers or schedules. Belvedere Hilltop Rooms & Suites, Mykonos, Greece Set just above Mykonos Town, these suites (as part of Belvedere Hotel Mykonos) offer a quieter perspective on the island without sacrificing access to it. Interiors are sleek and airy, filled with soft Cycladic light, and some come with private plunge pools or terraces overlooking the Aegean. What makes it special isn't just the design, but the ease of dipping in and out of the scene. You can have a slow breakfast in silence overlooking town, a spa treatment at the Six Senses Spa or a romantic sunset dinner at Matsuhisa (both located at main Belvedere Hotel), then be at a beach club or cocktail bar in ten minutes. Late summer is the best time to be here. Mykonos is still warm and lively, but the intensity has lifted, and that makes the hilltop location feel even more like a smart choice. AYA Resort, Ayia Napa, Cyprus Blended into the raw beauty of the Akamas Peninsula, AYA is Cyprus's most thoughtful new opening. The design is stripped back and grounded in nature, with limestone walls, native gardens, and 48 suites that face the sea with nothing in the way. Interiors are eco-conscious, minimal but warm, blending natural textures with soft light and open space. The spa focuses on Cypriot herbs and rituals, with treatments that feel intuitive rather than clinical. AYA is built for a slower rhythm. Days start with herbal tea on a sun-drenched terrace, followed by saltwater swims or walks along the cliffs. At night, mezze is served by candlelight, and the sound of the sea replaces the usual soundtrack. It's not a place for show. It's a place to return to yourself. La Villa del Re, Sardinia, Italy Located on the southern coast of Sardinia, this adults-only Relais & Châteaux property is a masterclass in understatement. There are no flashy design statements here, just classic Mediterranean architecture, curated calm, and immaculate gardens leading to a private beach. The service is quiet and precise, the rooms designed for rest. Sardinia in September offers some of the best weather in the region with a fraction of its high season tourism. This is the moment La Villa del Re was made for. Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi Coast, Italy A new entry to the Relais & Châteaux family, Borgo Santandrea sits high above the Amalfi Coast with views that could double as oil paintings. Every room is unique, dressed in custom tiles and mid-century Italian design. An elevator carved into the cliff connects the hotel to its private beach, one of the few on this stretch of coast. The Amalfi Coast is still warm in September, but the cruise ships start to clear out, and the beauty becomes easier to absorb. This is the refined, post-summer version of the destination — still cinematic, but finally breathable. Summer starts its final chapter. The light changes. The noise softens. And with the right hotel, the season lingers a little longer than it should.
Condé Nast Traveler
18 hours ago
- Condé Nast Traveler
How to Experience Paris Like a Local
Transcript The internet might tell you to queue for the Eiffel Tower, but I'm taking you somewhere better. Hi, I'm Laurianne Melierre, Paris local and travel expert. Come along to experience my city. [lively music] Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This is the city that I keep falling in love over and over again. This city has some of the most incredible sites ever. So let's see what the internet say we should see first. I don't even have to look at because the Eiffel tower. Of course the Eiffel tower is iconic. Who would doubt that? But the Seine, the river is the soul of the city. This is the best way to discover Paris and see some of the most beautiful monuments, an overview of the Eiffel Tower, you can see the Pont des Arts, you can see the Pont Alexandre III just by walking or cycling. And as a cyclist enthusiast, I'm so happy that the Quais de Seine is now pedestrianized. No car is allowed. You see people riding a bike, running, jogging. You see people falling in love, kissing each other, holding hands. This is the life of Paris. Sometimes some people visiting Paris, ask me if it's okay to take selfies on the Eiffel Tower. My answer is you do you. No Parisian will ever go to the Eiffel tower anyway. When we were there, when we were 10, we visited the place. We're done. [lively music] Paris isn't just a city with museums, it is a living museum. So let's see what the internet say we should go to. Okay, I don't even have to look this up since we all know that internet says to go to Le Louvre. [Laurianne chuckling] Of course, Le Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. But if you wanna try something off the beaten path, Bourse de Commerce is my go-to. The museum opened in 2021, but this building has been around for more than five centuries. It used to be a grain exchange and then a commodities market. And it's now a cultural landmark. If you're hearing something, this is right. This is the main exhibition. The artist is called Celeste Boursier-Mougenot. [bells clanging] The sound becomes something that is part of the art and part of the experience. So it's not just noise, it's something to reflect on. To be honest, the space itself is a work of art. It's bold, it's grand, and it's always inspiring. So when you come to Bourse de Commerce, clearly what happens under the rotunda is always so spectacular, unexpected, sometimes a bit weird or confusing because art isn't always meant to be comfortable. [lively music] You never know what is gonna come up in the next room. You walk around and you discover some art, and then you push a door and you discover some more art, just like these ones. It's part of this new exhibition called Corps et ames, it means Bodies and Soul. I really have the impression that I have real people with me. I don't know if I can approach them. And I think this is exactly what you wanna feel when you come to La Bourse de Commerce. It's this surprise. You never know what you're gonna see. So here you have photography, drawings, sculptures, paintings. It's so diverse. It really makes you more curious. When I come to Bourse de Commerce, I never leave the space exhausted or drained. I feel rejuvenated. I want to know more. [lively music] But my little secret is this artwork, the mouse plays hide and seek with you. To me, it's a great example of how Francois Pinault sees art. Like it's supposed to be playful, it's supposed to be lively. If you come here, please text me and tell me if you found the mouse. [lively music] To Parisians, and to French people in general, lunch is sacred. Like you can't spend less than an hour eating for lunch. Let's see what internet has to say about where to go. Okay, so the internet says to go to a bouillon. Of course, why not? It's charming, it's cheap, it's rooted in tradition, but maybe you can skip the touristic areas and go to where Parisians actually live. And to me, a good example would be Clamato. So Clamato opened in 2014, long enough to say it's a Parisian staple. They only serve seafood-based dishes. So you have fresh seafood from Brittany or Normandy. It's always very local, very is seasonal. The most difficult part is to choose. I'm a seafood addict, so... [Laurianne chuckling] Maybe we can order a Clamato Michelada. It's a mix of beer, mescal, tomato juice, and Tabasco because it's lunch but why not? [Laurianne chuckling] I already feel better. [Laurianne chuckling] Okay, so let's try this. Ooh, that is just spicy enough. It's juicy. Like my mouth is watering. It's also because I'm starving. It's calling for a nap afterwards. [Laurianne chuckling] The smell of a very good piece of bread. It's a bit acidic. You can smell the sour dough. I feel guilty having so much pleasure. It's mayonnaise but on another level. [Laurianne grunting] Here's the grilled octopus with ajoblanco and fig leaf olive oil. Underneath lies a surprise, the surprise being the harissa, the spicy sauce. [Laurianne grunting] [Laurianne clapping] Bravo. To recognize a very good product, the texture needs to be present, the flavor needs to develop in your palettes. This dish is called aioli. It's Provencal language. It's really a mix of seafood and vegetables. You always have the eggs, salted eggs. You have cabbage, you have white fish. And the bigorneau. In English you would say sea snail. And for the sea snail, okay, pick and you take it up. Dip it in the sauce. [Laurianne grunting] Oui, oui, oui. [lively music] With bakeries on every corner, Paris is definitely pastry heaven. I'm sure the internet will point you to the best macarons and croissants in the city. But for a chocolate fix that is truly unforgettable, let's head to PLAQ. [lively music] ♪ Oh, yes, yes ♪ Hello, Sandra. Hello. [both speaking in French] [Sandra speaking in French] It's not just a shop, it's also a factory. We call it a manufacture atelier. It makes it so special to know that the chocolate you're gonna buy is made here, not just somewhere in France, not just somewhere in Europe. It's made here in Paris Regional between the 2nd and the 10th Arrondissement. It's so fun because in France we have this petit ecolier that we can buy in any grocery store, something that it's after school and they remade the petit ecolier but the PLAQ way. Once in a while, having this, I think it brings back memories. PLAQ is not your typical Parisian spot, and still it is so ingrained in the life of the neighborhood. My favorite treat here, of course, there is the PLAQ, so it's just pure chocolate and sugar. But I like to come and have not a hot chocolate, but a cold chocolate. And it's not mixed with milk as we normally do. It's mixed with water. So you really have the smell and the flavor of pure chocolate. And Sandra, the co-founder, just told me that actually some people have a shot of this every day and they can't live without it. And I understand why. [tranquil music] [Laurianne grunting] Shopping in Paris is serious business. And I'm sure that if you look up into the internet, you're gonna find plenty and plenty of recommendation from fashion places to souvenir shops. But my recommendation is La Grande Epicerie. It's not just a shop, it's a food institution. To me, this is really the Disneyland of food. When I come here, I'm always so excited because you have everything you ever dreamed of in terms of food in one place. Chestnut spread is very French. You can put it on crepes, you can just take it directly. This brand, Faugier, is one of the oldest. It says 1885. It's always sold out. In Japan, chestnut spread is very popular, especially in pastries, but very expensive, which is the opposite in France. It's very popular, but quite cheap. Some lucky locals actually buy all of their food here, but as it's a bit pricey, this is not what a regular customer does. The way they source the product, it's handmade. You don't have to have a big production line to be featured in La Grande Epicerie. You just have to have an amazing and outstanding product. So Christine Ferber is here, and I can't think of any other place where you can find this range of jams. Here's a cultural cheat code. You can't really start a French apero if you don't have chips. My favorites are Brets. It's made in Brittany, and you have all of these beautiful flavors, like Bleu d'Auvergne or Jura Cheese, and Pesto, Mozzarella. So really try a few and tell me about it. Some people find it weird and I find it delicious. Snails, a French delicacy. Usually I take it and I put it to freeze. And so when people come over, I can just put that in my oven and it's ready in minutes. And the whole point is to have the best bread possible, to take the butter and eat the garlicy butter. And speaking about butter, I think we're approaching the hot aisle, the one that people keep coming and coming over for. One of the most famous butter house is Beurre Bordier, Maison Bordier. They are located in Brittany. You can have the normal milk, like just salted milk, but you also have all of these beautiful flavored butter from vanilla to olive oil with lime, yuzu. Raspberry? This is a new one. [lively music] In Paris, every building feels like a work of art, beautiful, timeless, and full of character. So let's see where the internet says we should be looking at. Notre Dame de Paris. Yes, of course, everyone knows the beauty of Notre Dame, especially since it's reopened. But I think I should take you maybe somewhere else. As a writer, this is a place that is so close to my heart. This is the BNF Richelieu site. BNF stands for Bibliotheque Nationale de France. So the building itself is a blend of different architectures, eras, but also influences. And we are now in the Oval Room, which used to be a study room, like a reading room. And since the reopening in 2022, it's completely accessible to the public. You have more than 20,000 books and more than 10,000 comic books. There is no hierarchy between culture. So a comic book is at the same level than a Flaubert manuscript because it's really the interests of the researchers and of the people that gives a document its meaning. And when a document enter this space, it doesn't have any commercial value anymore. It won't be sold anymore. And so it's just a new piece of culture, a story, a testimony of the time that is accessible to people. If you look up, you'll notice some city names like Rome, Carthage, Thebes, Vienna. All these cities symbolize the fact that culture has no borders. And I like seeing this around, like, of course, Paris is a cultural place, but culture can be found anywhere in the world. [lively music] Paris is all about the art of living. Of course, we work and we work hard, but we work in order to afford a lifestyle and be comfortable. Just working without pleasure doesn't mean anything. Aperitif is very important in our culture. It starts around, I would say, 6 PM. It's the end of the day and you're just a bit more relaxed. Okay, let's see where the internet thinks we should go for a drink. Not too bad, I go to Harry's Bar. My suggestion would be to go to Frequence. It's still in the heart of the 11th Arrondissement. It's independent, it's small. I like the vibe. It's full of locals. You will blend perfectly, just like their cocktails. We're at Frequence. It means frequency. Of course, it's related to music because here we play music analog with vinyls. To describe the atmosphere, I think it looks like this painting. It's crowded, full of people dancing, chatting. You touch a shoulder, you touch an elbow, you order a drink. You see this old friend that you didn't see for a while and you chat and you dance, and all of a sudden, it's 2 in the morning and they're closing and you're like, Wow, I had the best evening. Cheers. Sante. It tastes like danger. [lively music] These were my favorite places in Paris. I hope you enjoyed as well. Please leave a comment to tell me about your favorite places, or ping me to debate. [lively music ending]
