August is time for the Paris Plages

A beach in Paris? Actually, this year, the city is expanding the wildly popular 'Paris Plages' to include the quais of the Seine (Voie Pompidou) and the increasingly hip Bassin de la Villette area. Sand is trucked in, cafes sprout, there are beach chairs, volley ball nets, concerts and more. Check out parisplages.paris.fr/en for descriptions of locations, and area for kids, sports, culture and more. What a civilized city!

Summer In Paris

Summertime in Paris always brings special events worth noting. Here is a selection to enjoy.

Paris Plage: oui, the beach returns to Paris. From the 20th of July to the 20th of August the quais of the Seine in central Paris are turned, somewhat magically, into a beach. Sand is trucked in, ephemeral cafés sprout up, volley ball nets appear, beach chairs abound. There are even palm trees. No, you can't swim in the Seine but there IS a temporary swimming pool placed near the lovely Hotel de Ville. www.parisplages.fr

Speaking of the Hotel de Ville, this is the site of a gorgeous (and free) exhibition of French Impressionist paintings from the Musée d'Orsay until July 23. The Orsay is still undergoing its major renovation of the Impressionist galleries and this show, Paris At the Time of the Impressionists, is a winner. 5 rue de Lobau, Paris 4.

And, the Paris Jazz Festival runs through July 31 in the lovely Parc Floral within the Bois de Vincennes. www.parisjazzfestival.fr