PARIS, July 21: Parisians traded in raincoats for sunglasses and flocked to the beach on Sunday — along the Seine riverfront — as a summer playground complete with sand and palm trees opened in the French capital.

“It’s really well done, and it gives it a little taste of what our vacation will be like,” said Fabienne, as she reclined on a blue lounge chair along one of two sandy beaches built on the Seine’s Right Bank.

“And the chairs are really comfortable,” she added, as her husband Patrick nodded in agreement.

City dwellers and tourists alike escaped the hustle and bustle of the capital by lounging in the sun, rollerblading, cycling, enjoying a drink in the shade or learning to tie several types of knots.

Small children toted shovels and pails up and down the beaches, as sand castles quickly dotted the banks facing the Ile de la Cite and the Ile Saint-Louis by mid-morning.

Despite a cool breeze, pre-lunch ice cream sales were steady at one of several refreshment stands set up along the river.—AFP