The Other Side of the Seine
Discovering Paris’ famous river as you almost never get to see it
With the world’s attention hyper-fixated on Paris at the moment, I decided to leave it behind.
Not for good, mind you. I’m not that petty.
But ever since I got a Navigo pass, I’ve been keen to explore as many places in the Paris region that the public transport network would allow.
So last Saturday, with nothing better to do, I caught the Ligne J towards Poissy, a small town about 25 km west of the capital.
Like many other towns, it’s along the Seine, the famous river that splits Paris in two.
I read somewhere that the French royal family gave the Normans land in what is today known as Normandy to defend Paris from other Viking raids further upstream. In other words, the people who would later invade England had essentially been paid off to prevent others from invading Paris.
The funny thing, though, is that because the Seine is so strongly associated with Paris, you could be forgiven for thinking that it only existed there — as if the river began and ended where Paris did.
This perception probably isn’t helped by the Olympics. The decision to hold the Olympics opening ceremony and some swimming events in the…
