What we're really reviewing here are the sandy "beaches" that France's socialist mayor has been…read moreinstalling for several summers now, to even things out between those people who can afford to jet off to a beach community for the summer and those who can't afford to leave town. Paris is hardly coastal property, so tons of sand are hauled in around mid-July and retained until mid-August and those who are still in town milk the fun out of every cubic centimeter. Really, I've never seen so many "beach goers" enjoying so little space in my life. Parties, picnics, booze, pot, sex, romance, music, games, fun. From bridge to bridge for several bridges running, the walls of the Seine are lined with little sandy pockets where kids and adults, young and old, rejoice in their little slice of beach. The whole thing is free, officially open until around 11:30 p.m., and incredibly well-executed. Some "blocks" are sand only, others have food and drink, others have chairs, a playground, a petanque court (and petanque sets too, just ask). It was impossible to resist dipping my toe into the sandy "beach" of the Seine, strolling along the "coast", or kicking back in one of the chairs with a baguette and a drink. I've heard some other cities emulate this ritual but they've messed it up by charging admission. Being a huge "all beaches should be free of charge always" person I was immensely pleased to see just how right Paris got this one.

How fun! French line…read moredancing, misters, tons of ice cream, champagne, sand, loungers, Pétanque, foosball, galettes, crepes, and the Seine what else could a girl ask for? The kids are playing in the sand, moms are laid out getting the sun, men are playing petanque, and for a quick second your forget we're in the heart of a city. I subtract one star because the maps are backwards. They show the river on the opposite side that youre walking, so its a bit precarious to figure out. Silly map makers!

An absolutely lovely public park created in the 1600s in the 6th municipality…read more It's huge, just over 60 acres of lush green, water, fountains, sculptures, park benches, vegetation (floral, etc.) and more. There's an orchard, tons of trees, flowerbeds, and so on. A wonderful place to spend a relaxing afternoon having lunch and watching the activity around you. Tranquil and inviting.

The garden was so beautiful and vast. As we wandered through it and exited it for a short detour, I…read moredidn't even realize that the park we entered back into was the same park. It was THAT big. At one side of the park, there were tennis courts that were filled with plenty of people walking about during the middle of a work day. And there were sand pits too with little kiddos running around. And as you continue walking, there was a palace looking structure with a fountain out front. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The shrubbery and flowers in the area were so pretty even in the fall. There were chairs aplenty so taking a moment to enjoy the scenery was such a Parisian thing to do. Walking throughout the park, there were interesting statues everywhere. We even stumbled upon a miniature Statute of Liberty that was gifted from the United States to France. If you have some time, take a quick walk through the garden. It's really pretty and clean.

The Bunker. or: the most depressing public-pool in Paris…read more You cannot argue about most windowless basement-pools in Paris. They are mostly build in very crowded neighbourhoods, squeezed into the basement of another construction. But Didot is different. Piscine Didot is not build underneath some other structure nor is there a lack of space around it. It just doesn't have windows because (educated guess) it was cheaper to build it this way. And this really is the nail in it´s coffin. It is awfully dark in there and the blue-yellow color-theme on the walls doesn't help. One wall has been painted with a beach-motive and palm trees but this only increases the bunker-feeling. Top Tip: If you don´t want to spend the money for windows, paint it all white. Other negatives? The locker-system has not been converted to € (I wish I was kidding) and only takes 50cent pieces because they are roughly the size of the old 1 Franc-pieces. Too few showers and changing-rooms. Piscine Didot is also in no way handicapped accessible. Positives: It was clean when I was there and the people working there were all very friendly. The basin itself is in good shape and not too shallow at one end. I spotted no mold.