'Golden Triangle' in Heart of Paris Sparks Dispute among Political Circles

 Journalists stand in front of the Louvre Pyramid designed by
Chinese-born US architect Ieoh Ming Pei in Paris as the Louvre
museum reopens its doors to the public after more than 6 months of
closure due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France,
May 19, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Journalists stand in front of the Louvre Pyramid designed by Chinese-born US architect Ieoh Ming Pei in Paris as the Louvre museum reopens its doors to the public after more than 6 months of closure due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France, May 19, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
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'Golden Triangle' in Heart of Paris Sparks Dispute among Political Circles

 Journalists stand in front of the Louvre Pyramid designed by
Chinese-born US architect Ieoh Ming Pei in Paris as the Louvre
museum reopens its doors to the public after more than 6 months of
closure due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France,
May 19, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Journalists stand in front of the Louvre Pyramid designed by Chinese-born US architect Ieoh Ming Pei in Paris as the Louvre museum reopens its doors to the public after more than 6 months of closure due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France, May 19, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

As several prestigious buildings including hotels, luxury stores, and contemporary art museums reopen their doors, the heart of Paris hosts a new, beaming “golden triangle” that has sparked controversy among the local political class.

The Louvre Post Office, located near the renowned Louvre Museum, has reopened its doors to the public after seven years of closure. But, the ancient building, dating back to the late 19th century, is currently divided into public facilities including a nursery, police department, and 17 residential units, in addition to tens of stores, and a five-star hotel featuring 82 rooms and two restaurants.

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo believes these facilities could help revive the “heart of Paris,” applauding the ‘harmonious’ renewal of this historic landmark.

In May, the same region witnessed the opening of the contemporary art museum housing the collection of Businessman François Pinault, at the Bourse de Commerce building.

At the time, two other buildings ‘raised again’, the iconic store Samaritaine acquired and renewed after 16 years of closure by the world luxury group LVMH, and Hôtel de la Marin, in the Place de la Concorde.

Waiting for the reopening of the mall Louvre des Antiquaires, the works in another historic building in the neighborhood leading to the Rivoli Street are ongoing to host Maison Cartier.

Mayor of Paris Centre Ariel Weil hailed the reopening of these landmarks and the ‘mix’ of activities (stores, hotels, and offices) with the social aspect (residential units).

On the other hand, the opposition criticized the “hypocrisy” of the executive municipal authority.

Danielle Simonnet, member of the left-wing France Insoumise Party, said “the city is shouting thank you president for the reopening of the Louvre Post Office, the Samaritaine, and the Pinault group,” considering “it’s an acknowledgment of the municipality's political failure.”

Simonnet believes the “small doses of social service” won’t change the fact that “the big corporations are establishing their own golden triangle and changing the aspect of Paris.”

For his part, Aurélien Véron, member of the right-wing Liberal party, said “this golden triangle” expels locals ‘swiftly’ because they “are fed up with being surrounded with tourists whenever they step out of their homes.”
He also noted “the tenants of residential units will be forced to take the metro to buy food,” because they cannot afford the prices in the stores and supermarkets of this “luxurious touristic spot.”

Deputy Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Gregoire sees that the social residential units are “an integral part of our policy to maintain the life in our neighborhoods” and “face the risk of altering the city’s aspect,” noting that “the right culture would never turn the region into an island for wealthy people.”



Aloha, Bavaria! Munich Surfers Riding Wild River Wave Again

Aloha, Bavaria! Munich Surfers Riding Wild River Wave Again
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Aloha, Bavaria! Munich Surfers Riding Wild River Wave Again

Aloha, Bavaria! Munich Surfers Riding Wild River Wave Again

Surfing enthusiasts have cheered the reopening of a beloved whitewater site in downtown Munich, the German city better known for partying at Oktoberfest than splashing in the waves.

The Eisbach ("ice brook") standing wave in the city's Englischer Garten park was closed after tragedy struck in April when a 33-year-old woman drowned during a nighttime winter surf.

After a safety review and a petition to keep it open, the site -- just a stone's throw from an art museum and shopping streets -- was reopened by authorities in recent weeks.

Putting on a wetsuit and taking a board out of its bag after a day's work, Moritz, 43, said he's a regular at the surf spot on an arm of the Isar river.

"It's amazing. A wave right in the city center is something very special," he said. "I missed it during the closure."

Nearby, surfers performed tricks with virtuosity on the powerful wave, formed by the presence of rocks on the riverbed near a bridge.

"It's completely different from the ocean," said Moritz.

"Even if you know how to surf very well in the sea, you don't necessarily know how to do it here where the water comes from the front and not from behind."

Another surfer, Irina, 34, said she tries to come three times a week, "before work, because it gives you energy".

She finds "the power of the wave is good" and said she feels safe at this unique spot, even if "there are rocks at the bottom and you have to be a little careful when you fall".

A German surfer lost her life during a night session in April after being trapped underwater for nearly 30 minutes, her leash caught on an unidentified object.

Friends and emergency services rushed to help her, but she died a week after her accident.

An investigation found no safety breaches on the part of the city or state, which had always warned surfers to attempt the challenge "at their own risk".

New guidelines have, however, been issued: night surfing is banned between 10:00 pm and 5:30 am, and the minimum age for braving the wave is 14.

Surfers must also use a system that allows their leash to be detached in case of emergency.

These rules are "largely reasonable", said Franz Fasel, head of the local surfers' association IGSM, who said between 3,000 and 5,000 local surfers use the Eisbach site.

"Surfing is simply part of the lifestyle in Munich," he said. "Not just for the surfers themselves, but also for the city's image."

It was not always this way. In the past, the Eisbach wave was entirely natural and surfable only occasionally, for example, when gravel accumulated in the riverbed.

Surfers took matters into their own hands in the 1980s, installing a river crossing and adding objects to improve the wave, not all well received by the authorities.

The site is now promoted by the tourist office as one of Munich's top attractions.

Bavaria's state premier Markus Soeder proudly declared during a recent visit that "Munich is a surfer's paradise" and Bavaria "a bit like the California of Germany".