Book Read Free

The Seine

Page 36

by Elaine Sciolino


  rue de la Ferronnerie, 87

  rue de Rivoli, 14

  rue des Charrettes, 287

  rue des Deux Ponts, 14

  rue de Seine, 14

  rue du Bac, 14

  Rueil-Malmaison, 252

  Ruinart, 51

  Russell, John, 206

  Sabrina (film), 13

  Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Montmartre, 95, 126, 216, 289

  Saint-André (tower), 287

  Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray Church, hostage taking at, 213

  Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 231

  Saint-Georges de Boscherville abbey, 277

  Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 321

  Saint-Germain-Source-Seine, 29–30, 60

  Saint-Gervais Church, 192

  Saint Helena, Napoléon exiled to, 21

  Saint Laurent, Yves, 148–49

  Saint-Maclou Church of, 287

  Saint Nicolas of the Batellerie Chapel, 161

  Saint Peter’s Basilica, 331

  Saint Peter’s Church (Jumièges), 282

  Saint-Seine-l’Abbaye, 37

  Saint-Vorles Church, Châtillon-sur-Seine, 58, 60

  Salon Carré of the Louvre, 192

  salsa dancers, in the Tino Rossi, 306, 312–14

  Sand, George, 127, 139, 265

  sandbars, 237, 272, 276–77

  Saône River, 21

  Sartre, Jean-Paul, 232, 304

  Sauvan, Jean-Baptiste-Balthazar, 271, 320

  Savoy, Guy, 13. see also Restaurant Guy Savoy Schmidt, Sophie, 229

  Sciolino, Elaine:

  begins work as foreign correspondent for Newsweek, 3, 142

  covers Iranian Revolution for Newsweek, 119

  end of first marriage, 3

  experiences flood of 2016 on the Seine, 143, 144, 145–47

  finding the Seine’s path to Paris, 60, 61, 63–68

  guided tour of source waters with Andy, 30–38

  interviews Karl Lagerfeld for Newsweek, 324

  as Paris bureau chief for the New York Times, 143

  pitches Sequana project to Reinvent the Seine, 45–46, 299

  seduced by the Seine, 3, 4, 6–7, 325

  Sequana proposal rejected by Reinvent the Seine, 307–8

  swims in the Seine near its source, 104–5

  writes Lumière column for New York Times’ T Magazine, 193

  Scorsese, Martin, 160, 228

  Secret Life of the Seine, The (Rosenblum), 302

  seduction, the Seine as ideal setting for, 131–32, 133, 134, 138–39

  Seigne, patron saint of the harvest, 37

  Seine (Kelly), 249

  Seine, the:

  artistic depictions of, 77, 248–50

  author’s journey of self-discovery with, 7, 325

  as a boater’s paradise, 109–10

  bouquinistes (booksellers) on, 198, 199–209, 330

  challenges for the photographer vs. the painter, 193

  Champagne on, 51, 53–57

  Chinese couples in pre-wedding photographs along, 8, 12, 192

  cleanup campaigns for, 103–4, 106, 116

  climate change and, 104, 147, 151, 227

  colors of, 22, 256

  as communal burial ground, 226–27

  in the countryside near its source, 39

  cruising on the SS Joie de Vivre, 317–25, 322

  Darius Khondji captures light of, 170–73

  debate over the name of, 25–26

  dredging of, 1960s, 272

  drinking water from, 34, 102

  feminine name and identity of, 10

  in film history, 166, 167–76

  finding salvation along the banks of, 231–32

  first boats to travel on, 72–74

  fishing in, 77, 92 106, 115–19, 174

  flooding of, 6, 34, 84, 89, 104, 109, 140, 141, 143–47, 147, 182, 219, 273

  garbage in, 15, 102, 159, 217

  gastronomic bounty of, 22

  geography of, 10–12, 22, 24, 29

  harmony between Paris and, 15

  Haussmann and transformation of, 5, 15, 31, 102, 239

  hearing voice of, 6–7, 13

  at heart of transportation network, 164

  human voice of, in The Strange River, 325

  as ideal setting for seduction, 131–32, 133, 138–39

  in imagery throughout Paris, 80–81

  “Impressionist” walks along, 252

  infection and bacterial threats and, 104, 216

  island-hopping on, 237–44

  Le Havre’s relationship with, 20, 22, 24, 45–46, 48, 164, 249–50, 253, 275–76, 285, 292, 293–95, 297, 304, 308

  le mascaret on, 270, 271–72, 278, 279

  as a liquid graveyard, 223, 224

  map of, xii–xiii

  Marcilly-sur-Seine and succession of identities for, 20, 24–25, 63, 65

  Monet on, 247

  Napoléon Bonaparte’s life events and, 19–21

  navigability of, 24, 61, 63, 65–66, 73, 110, 144–46, 163, 236, 253

  at night, 9, 11, 16–17, 82, 93, 95, 121–28, 130, 131–32, 135, 138, 146, 148–49, 160, 167, 169, 178, 179, 183–84, 189, 207, 211, 265, 306, 311–14, 319–20, 323

  Notre-Dame Cathedral saved by water of, 329–30, 336–39

  painting, 85, 93, 94, 134–35, 187, 205, 240, 244, 247–52, 255–57, 264, 300, 321

  panoramic shot and, 170, 191, 192, 194, 248

  paths to Paris and, 59–68

  patrolling with the River Brigade, 212–20

  in photographs, 8, 12, 85, 131, 161, 188, 189, 196, 288–89, 318, 338

  pollution of, history behind, 97, 101–4, 116, 214

  predators along, 135

  reinventing, 299, 307–14

  romantic power of, 9–10, 12, 16–17

  in Rouen, 20, 22, 24, 164, 237–238, 259–60, 264–268, 271, 299

  Sequana as most important symbol of, 10, 25–26, 29, 32, 35–37, 40, 42, 44, 46, 68, 109, 192, 297, 308, 338

  sex and, 130, 131–39

  signs of health in, 103, 114–16

  songs connected to, 179–87

  suicides and, 184, 212, 218, 225, 227, 228, 230, 250, 252

  swimming in, 57, 97, 100–101, 104–5, 243

  tides of, 49, 78, 271–72, 278, 300

  tricks of cinematography and, 173–76

  UNESCO World Heritage cultural site designation, 15–16, 310

  Unknown Woman (L’Inconnue) of, 223–26

  unpredictable currents of, 97, 214, 217, 229

  watching the sunrise over, 323–25

  woman reading a book by, 23

  World War II-era relics in, 217

  writers finding romantic inspiration in, 133–34

  Zola’s photographs of, 188, 189, 190–91, 194

  see also bridges across the Seine; Left Bank of the Seine; Paris; Right Bank of the Seine; Seine estuary; Sequana (goddess); source of the Seine

  Seine at Samois, The (Guillaumin), 300

  Seine at Vétheuil, The (Monet), 300

  Seine Basin, freight transit route through, 162–64

  Seine estuary, 24, 174, 249, 263, 271, 276, 294, 296, 299, 301

  Duteurtre’s description of, 304

  mud plugs in, 300

  viewing from Mont-Joli, 295

  Seine Valley, 55, 59 161, 267, 281, 283–84, 286, 288, 296

  Sentimental Education (Flaubert), 133, 259, 265

  Sequana (goddess), 29, 32, 35, 36, 37, 101, 192, 297, 299, 30–8, 344

  Bernardin de Saint-Pierre retells mythical story of, 46–48

  cult of, under Roman rule, 43

  Gallo-Roman bronze statue of, 40, 41–43, 68, 75–76

  interpretations of name for, 25–26

  modern sculpture of, 33

  name and identity of the Seine and, 10, 43, 109

  Nodier retells mythical story of, 48–49

  saving Notre-Dame, holy waters of the Seine, and, 338–39

  temple site of, 43, 44, 45

  Sequana Associati
on, 42, 321

  headquarters in Chatou, 111–12

  members of, 107, 108–9, 110–11, 112 mission of, 110

  naming of, 109

  rowing with members of, 108, 110–15, 112 Sequani tribe, 77

  Sesame Street, 241

  Seurat, Georges, 101, 118, 240, 241

  sex and the Seine:

  in French literature, 133–34

  gay men and, 135–36

  guinguettes and, 134–35

  One Night Stand, 130, 131–33

  Paris Plages and, 137–38

  sexual liberation, the Seine and, 134–36

  Seydoux, Léa, 171

  Shahidi, Syrus, 139

  Shall We Dance? (film), 183

  Sieur Berthod, 85

  Signoret, Simone, 290

  Sim, Bérengère, 104–5, 135, 312

  Simenon, Georges, 121

  Šimon, Tavik Frantisek, 208

  Sinbad (floating house), 148

  Sisley, Alfred, 66, 241, 252, 253

  Sisley, Henry, 253

  Skeggs, Douglas, 264

  Smith, John Frederick, 116

  snakes, in the Seine, 218

  social media, barge life and, 162

  Something’s Gotta Give (film), 122

  Sondheim, Stephen, 241

  Songa Breeze (oil tanker), 273

  songs:

  of bargemen and women, 155–56

  connected to the Seine, 133, 179–87

  Sontag, Kareen, 113–14

  source of the Seine:

  in Burgundy, 10, 23, 104

  divine origin of, 26

  drinking water from, 34–35

  Gallo-Roman temple at, 10, 25, 32, 35–38, 308, 338

  guided tour with Antoine Hoareau, 30–38

  signs marking, at Plateau of Langres (Burgundy), 28

  statue of Sequana discovered at, 40, 41–44

  stone sculpture of nymph in grotto at, 31, 31–32

  swimming in waters near, 104–5

  underground springs and, 33

  see also Seine, the

  Speer, Albert, 289

  Spirit of St. Louis, The (Lindbergh), 11

  Stack, Robert, 290

  Statue of Liberty, New York, 317, 318

  Statue of Liberty, Paris, 45, 316, 317, 318, 324

  St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572), 226

  Steiner, Rudolf, 57

  Stone, Emma, 168

  storage silos, at the port of Paris, Gennevilliers, 309

  Strange River, The (Green), 325

  Strauss, Johann, 5, 180

  street addresses, Seine as basis of, 20

  streetlamps, 123. see also lampposts

  street names, evoked by the Seine, 14

  Stribling, Elizabeth, 138

  Studio, Quai Saint Michel (Matisse), 251

  suicides, 184, 212, 218, 227, 228, 230, 250, 252

  Summer Olympics 2024 campaign:

  diving event at Pont Alexandre III and, 96, 97–98

  kayak flotilla event and, 98, 99

  Olympic Village, 244

  Paris wins bid, 99

  Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, A (Seurat), 118, 240–41

  Sunday in the Park with George (Sondheim), 241

  Suzanne (reconstructed steamboat), 111

  swimming in the Seine, 55, 57, 96, 97, 100–101, 104–5, 134, 143, 161, 216, 243, 275

  ban on, 97, 99, 212

  guerrilla swimmers and, 104

  history of, 100–101

  near its source, 104–5

  Tableau de Paris (Mercier), 83, 203

  Takada, Kenzo, 86

  Tanguy, Jacques, 266, 267, 268

  Tashlich, 63–64

  taxi boat service, 311

  terroir, southern Champagne makers and, 53

  textile industry, in Troyes, 62–63

  Thames River, 9, 173

  Thérèse Raquin (Zola), 227

  “The Seine” (song), 183

  Thidet, Stéphane, 310

  Thomas, Philip Michael, 213

  Tiberi, Jean, 75, 207

  tides of the Seine, 15, 49, 237, 271, 272, 275–76, 278, 300

  Tino Rossi, 139

  dance-a-thons at, 312

  salsa dancers in, 306, 312–14

  Tivano (tour boat), 252

  To Catch a Thief (film), 132

  Tonti, Henri de, 268

  Tosca (Puccini), 186

  Treaty of Fontainebleau, 21

  Trintignant, Jean-Louis, 290

  trireme, 110

  Troyes, history of, 62–63

  Truffaut, François, 160, 225, 228

  tugboats (pousseurs), 146, 185, 213, 214, 253

  large wakes made by, 114

  near Pont de Bercy, engraving of, 162 Tuileries Garden, 122

  Twain, Mark, 5

  Ulysses (Joyce), 132

  “Under the Bridges of Paris” (song), 183, 184

  Uniworld, 319

  Unknown Woman of the Seine (L’Inconnue de la Seine), 224–26

  Un monstre à Paris (animated film), 182

  vaccinations, officers of River Brigade armed with, 216

  Vacquerie, Charles, 229

  Vacquerie, Charles-Isidore, 228–29

  Val-de-la-Haye, 277

  van Gogh, Vincent, 113, 241

  Vase of Vix, in Châtillon-sur-Seine, 60, 61

  Vaux-le-Vicomte, seventeenth-century château of, 67

  Vedettes de Paris, tourist boats run by, 146

  Velay, Philippe, 72

  Velter, André, 11, 73

  Veneux–Les Sablons, 156

  Vergua, Nicolas, 119

  Verlaine, Paul, 59, 208

  Verne, Jules, 319

  Verrazzano, Giovanni da, 266, 321

  debate involving story of, 268

  model of La Dauphine, 258

  Verrazzano Bridge, New York City, 267

  Versailles, 114, 236, 242, 250, 251, 273, 319, 321

  American Friends of, 38

  garden sculptures personifying rivers of France in, 21

  inspiration for, 67

  Vert, Louis, 192

  Vert-Galant, Pont Neuf and, 93, 115, 139

  Veuve Clicquot, 51

  Victor Hugo Museum, Villequier, 228, 229, 230

  Victor Victoria (film), 135

  Vidal, Gore, 290

  View to a Kill, A (film), 170

  vignerons, 53, 56

  Vigo, Jean, 160

  Vikings, 11, 19, 89, 98, 108, 263, 272, 273, 275, 282, 301

  Villequier, Victor Hugo Museum at, 228, 229, 230

  vineyards, 21, 50, 52–56, 63, 104

  Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation for, 52

  Aube vignerons and, 53, 56

  See also Champagne

  Vintrin, Jean-Marc, 276–79

  Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène Emmanuel, 334–35

  Vix, on Mont Lassois, archaeological discoveries near, 60–61

  Vlaminck, Maurice de, 252

  Voies Navigables de France (VNF), 24, 110, 150

  Volga River, 5

  Voltaire, 72

  von Choltitz, Dietrich, 290, 291

  Vosges Mountains, 34

  Wabash River, 5

  walking the Seine, 59–60

  Walpole, Horace, 102

  Walter, Céline, 226

  Wanderlust (nightclub), 309

  Wars of Religion, 83, 87, 282

  Waterloo, Napoléon’s defeat at, 21

  water of the Seine, drinking at its source, 34–35

  water routes (cours d’eau), 24

  Wayne, John, 183

  Weiss, Jean-Claude, 272

  Welles, Orson, 290

  Whistler, James McNeill, 249

  White, Edmund, 136, 240

  Wild Ass’s Skin, The (Balzac), 231–32

  “wild bathing” ban, 100

  Wilder, Billy, 13, 173

  Willard, Emma, 263

  William the Conqueror, 263, 277, 282, 321

  Wilson, Owen, 171<
br />
  windmills:

  Moulin de Pierre, 280

  war and, 284–85

  World Trade Center (2001), collapse of twin towers of, 332

  World War I, 21, 32, 67, 186, 238, 333

  World War II, 11, 16, 60, 63, 154, 205, 217, 227, 236, 249, 273, 282, 283, 285, 288

  Allied bombings of Le Havre, 294

  Allied landing on beaches of Normandy, 284, 286

  Rouen and, 260, 264

  Yamuna River, 25

  Yangtze River, 9

  yole (rowing boat), 112

  Yonne river, 20, 24, 25, 65, 73

  Sequana myth and, 48

  Zeus, 47

  zinc paint tubes, invention of, 248

  Zola, Alexandrine, 190

  Zola, Émile, 10, 133, 227, 241, 304, 321

  with his camera on the Seine, 188

  photographic work of, 189–91, 192, 194, 195

  Zouave soldier, stone statue of, at base of the Pont de l’Alma, 5, 6, 146, 221

  ALSO BY

  ELAINE SCIOLINO

  The Only Street in Paris:

  Life on the Rue des Martyrs

  La Seduction:

  How the French Play the Game of Life

  Persian Mirrors:

  The Elusive Face of Iran

  The Outlaw State:

  Saddam Hussein’s Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis

  Copyright © 2020 by Elaine Sciolino

  All rights reserved

  First Edition

  Frontispiece: A back view of Notre-Dame

  Cathedral before the fire of April 2019.

  JULIE ANN HERBERT.

  For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to

  Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact

  W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830

  Jacket design: Patti Ratchford

  Jacket photograph: Peter Turnley / Getty Images

  Production manager: Beth Steidle

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

  ISBN 978-0-393-60935-6

  ISBN 978-0-393-60936-3 (Ebook)

  W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110

  www.wwnorton.com

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