Monday, July 24, 2006

La Grève!

A grève is a river bank. It's also a strike or voluntary work-stoppage. In the early 19th century, laborers would gather at Place de la Grève (near the Hôtel de Ville, or city hall) to protest poor treatment on the job. Nowadays, one can "faire la grève" just about anywhere.

During our walk, the young couples holding hands and smooching outnumbered anyone else, and that certainly wasn't cause to protest. Perhaps cause to be a bit rueful or misty-eyed, but that's about it.

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The Palais du Justice and the Préfecture de la Police: mon ami mentioned to me that this was where prisoners were held before their executions during the revolution.

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Occasionally, the Seine swells and floods the quais. I couldn't get the marker for the 1910 flood in the picture, as the waters were so high. Right next to Pont Double (the copper bridge), carved into the wall is a more permanent memorial to the 1910 flood.

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A very impressive character at the bow of what looked like a pretty ritzy restaurant boat.

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I loved that this fireboat, just like many of the restaurant- and houseboats, had a garden on board.

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