A VISIT TO THE CONFLUENCE OF MARNE AND SEINE RIVERS

                                           

A Visit to the  Confluence  spot of River Seine and River Marne in Alfortville,  Paris..

The ancient human civilizations often  treated watery locations as  sacred places  especially sources and confluences.The Pre-Christian Slavics chose confluences as the sites for fortified triangular temples, where they practiced their sacred rites.In  Hinduism, the confluence of two sacred rivers often is a pilgrimage site for ritual bathing. In Pittsburgh, a number of believers of  Mayanism consider their city's confluence to be sacred. In Europe ,confluences attract tourists and travellers. We visited the confluence of Seine and Marne rivers just at the outskirts of Paris city. One can arrive at this confluence spot using Metro line 8 or Bus 24 ,13 and 217 .RER trains also have a stop at Alfortville wherefrom one can  either walk or trave by some connecting bus  to Ecole Veternaire . Let may also say  something about Seine and Marne rivers .

River Marne

The Marne is a river in France, an eastern tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is 514 kilometres long. The river gave its name to the departments of Haute-Marne, Marne, Seine-et-Marne, and Val-de-Marne.The source of the Marne river is in the Plateau de Langres, in the commune of Balesmes-sur-Marne, at an altitude of about 420 m (1,378 ft), in the Haute-Marne department.In history books  children are taught about the Battle of Marne . The First Battle of the Marne succeeded in pushing the Germans back for a distance of 40 to 50 miles and thus saved the capital city of Paris from capture. It was a great strategic victory, since it enabled the French to renew their confidence and to continue the war.

River Seine

Running through the Paris city , the Seine is the beating heart of the City of Lights.Fully associated with Paris, the river originates in a distant land.It flows for 13km through the  Paris city  from east to west and at 26,72m (to be precise) above sea level.Its width varies from 30m to 200m and its depth from 3.4m to 5.7m.An iconic landmark of Paris, the river is spanned by 37 bridges including 4 footbridges.They make for an exceptional heritage and are a magnificent sight, by day as by night.The Seine riverbanks – from Pont de Sully to Pont de Bir-Hakeim via Pont Alexandre III – are a UNESCO world heritage site.

The river was also a natural and gigantic ‘bath tub’ for Parisians.It used to turn to ice during harsh winters and could even be crossed on foot.Came spring time and milder temperatures; it carried huge blocks of ice that often damaged  the bridges over it.

The confluence

At Alfortville , just at the outskirts of Paris city , River Marne joins   River Seine  creating a grand  confluence near the famous Chinese  Hotel named ,Huatian  Chinagora. In fact this hotel is located at the confluence of Marne and Siene . The huge hotel  is a true floating pagoda, one of very few resorts of its kind in France that possess this surface area. Hotel Huatian Chinagora, inspired by Beijing’s Forbidden City and Chinese Imperial Palace, features 2 top-floor terraces with views of the Eiffel Tower. A magnificent view of the confluence can be had from the nearby bridge on Seine or the footbridge on River Marne. The Hotel Huatian Chinagora rooms and terraces also give a commanding view of the confluence .

( Avtar Mota). 

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