The Seine may determine athletes’ success at the Paris Olympics
Yet the river plays an even more vital role in the culture and economy of the city
“I was born on a boat,” says Jacky Delannoy, a 66-year-old captain, standing on the bridge of a container ship moored to the Paris dock. “My Mum couldn’t get ashore in time, so I was born aboard.” The fourth generation of bargemen in his family, Mr Delannoy is at the helm of a 135-metre-long container ship, longer than a football pitch. Part of a fleet belonging to Sogestran, a logistics firm, it journeys each day up and down the Seine between Paris and Le Havre, a port on the Channel coast. Heading downstream, the ship’s hotch-potch containers carry cars, cement, champagne, furniture, wine and more.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The river runs through it”
From the July 27th 2024 edition
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