Seine

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France Readies a Plan B for Olympic Ceremony

Amid heightened security concerns, opening of Paris Games may be moved

(Newser) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics planned on the River Seine could be shifted instead to the country's national stadium if the security threat is deemed too high. France is on a high security alert ahead of the Paris Olympics and...

The Seine Was Taboo for a Century. Now, Swimmers Rejoice

Paris to allow public to swim in river starting in 2025, more than 100 years after ban was instituted

(Newser) - When Georges Seurat painted Bathers at Asnieres in 1884, his scene of people frolicking in the Seine was one that reflected real life, as the French back then were permitted to swim in the river. Bathing in the Seine was banned less than 30 years after that, though "rogue"...

'Unprecedented' Rescue of Stranded Whale Is Too Late

Beluga taken out of Seine to be transported back to chillier waters dies

(Newser) - A beluga whale stranded in the Seine, far from the colder waters where it belongs, has died during an attempted rescue, reports CNN . The first part of a multistage relocation operation took place early Wednesday, with the 13-foot-long, 1,800-pound marine mammal lifted out of the waters in northern France...

In the Seine, a Whale Far From Home
Whale Is Stranded in the Seine

Whale Is Stranded in the Seine

Officials are now trying to save the beluga in France, far from its usual home in chillier waters

(Newser) - A beluga whale is stranded far from home, and now French officials are trying to figure out how to get it to safety. The BBC reports that the skinny-looking whale is right now floating near Vernon, 45 miles or so northwest of Paris and way south of the chilly Arctic...

Guy Crushes High Wire From Eiffel Tower Across the Seine

Nathan Paulin walked nearly 2,000 feet on slackline more than 225 feet above the ground

(Newser) - When Nathan Paulin was a kid, he had a fear of heights. He's apparently gotten over that, since he spent part of the weekend traversing a high wire from the Eiffel Tower across the Seine. Reuters reports that the 27-year-old acrobat practiced for four years to make the nearly...

It's Raining So Much in Paris the Louvre Is Closed

Rising waters in France, Germany, and Belgium have already led to at least 6 deaths

(Newser) - The Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay closed their doors to the public Thursday as the Seine crept up past its normal water levels, prompting fears of flooding and peril to famous works in both Paris art institutions, the Independent reports. Local cops say that flood warnings for areas along...

Runaway Military Horse Hoofs It to Seine

Decided to make a break for the stable

(Newser) - A 15-year-old Paris military horse was feeling his oats, threw his rider and tried to hot-hoof it back to his stable, reports the BBC. The horse, who had been on duty at the presidential palace, clattered full gallop along the Seine with police in pursuit, stunning pedestrians and causing drivers...

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