Paris' Waterways Clients

Fleets of sightseeing boats operated by quite a few companies crisscross Paris' waterways at a sustained level. Often larger, barges mingle into traffic at regular levels together with smaller yatchs.

At times, the waterway divides into two ways of shipping, often determined by the bridges' clearance in terms of width and height.

Close by St-Michel, opposite Quai des Grands Augustins and along Quai des Orfèvres, a landmark in many in hosts of detective stories taking place in Paris .... Paris-En-Seine's flagship is about to shore at base after completing another 1 hour stylish drink cruise. (http://www.paris-en-seine.com)

Coming next is a Compagnie des Bateaux Mouche's fleet member

which gets ahead while going under Pont-St.Michel.
Bateaux-Mouche specializes in long standing cruises along determined itineraries from base to base (http://www.bateaux-mouche.fr/lang-pref/en)

Not far behind is a


Batobus fleet member shuttling along a fixed itineray serving 8 points of call.
Passengers are free to drop off and come on.
(http://www.batobus.com/engligh/index.htm)


Closing Notre-Dame, third stop of a loop originating from Eiffel Tower

How about a Smart running on Steroids

Last April 15th, La Défense plazza hosted the launch of Burn Day, another energy drink.


A congenial crew came in with loads of samples to be given away to thousands of tired and bored office workers who inhabits the surrounding building on day time.

To both keep sample fresh when stored and get an handy attention getter, Burn Day also brought the proof that a diminutive Smart

can also run on steroids !!! And increase its lengh by almost three fold.

Not as elaborate as their predecessors of the 50s and 60s

But not devoid of interest. Some advertising vehicles still come out from some real conversion out of a standard one. But modifications seldom reach the levels of four and five decades ago when everything except the chassis was redesigned and reworked.

Cofiroute is a prominent french highway builder and operator. The company's latest project is a two level motorway running across much of Paris western suburban area, by linking Reuil-Malmaison to Versailles in 10 to 15 minutes instead of today's 45 minutes or so.
Plans call for setting the motorway underground through a two level tunnel. Each level comes up with a three lane highway. Each level will be single way, so that frontal collision will be virtualy impossible. Moreover, two-wheelers and trucks will be banned in addition to vehicule showing up an height in excess of 2.80 meters / 7.40 feet.

Last September 24th, Cofiroute was amid a marketing drive to promote a subscription scheme targeted to frequent drivers, many of whom radiate from La Défense business district for both personnal and professionnal reasons

The company dispatched then its specially modified advertising van, conversion of which


was obtained from a Renault Master full size van. The company's van was parked on the grand plazza , all day long and at a strategic location between the convention center and the shopping mall., where a promotional counter was already on site. The van drove in with another team of attention getters who circled back and forth

and salespersons who set up their office and pitched the subscriptions on board.

The ride to Today - Tomorrow - Toyota - keeps driving upstairs

There, Toyota displays a GT-One, also known as a TS020 in Japan and which raced at Le Mans in 1998 and 1999

The 900 kg grand-touring (and later upgraded to Le Mans protoype class) racer was powered by a 600 HP V8 engine. ZENT is a leading Japanese alloy wheel maker.

The Formula racer sits next to the GT-One

is mated to an extremely popular racing simulator

Today - Tomorrow - Toyota

filling the space of former movie cineplex UGC-Biarritz, Toyota's show room at Champs-Elysées avenue sits on a strategic location and specifically showcases the manufacturer's technological achievements and latest models made avialable on the french market. Not to be outdone by its four EU competitors doing the same close-by, Toyota brought in two of its latest development cars.

First of which is the SS.Q Roadster displayed right by the entrance and keeping company to an IQ in a rather unusual and spectacular position.

Just this part is worth the look, but one is not over, and two options are avialable, going upstairs and staying at the street level. Where another development car

the MTZC is on display just a few steps away

MTZC's engine

MTZC left side
A few more steps into the room
And it's back to reality, first

by calling at IQ's, and still set aside the best for

Prius III
The first generation went unoticed in France, but in sharp contrast, the next has been a real SUCCESS, especially by major cab companies and independant drivers alike.
Toyota also brought in along a complete animated familiarization set for hybrid power made of

A video presentation avialable in several language

and which clearly show how the different component work.
This time, a German visitor triggered the start.

The engine

The batteries

To more shows ahead

The circus is gone, but not without delivering a last live show provided by the tractors drivers. The latter showed their mastery in steering towing attachments and mingling them again to surround street and highway traffics. Last to leave was this classic Scania 143M pulling two trailers.

Mating the two trailers. "Convoi Exceptionnel" is the french translator for outsize load.
The shortest trailer comes last.

Putting back not less than 28 wheels to streets
Back and shortest trailer accomodated a dromadery and llamas which sounded some protests over conditions of travel, while the longest was patronized by more dromaderies and camels.
The skillfull driver settled the matter, not only with the protesting llamas but also with some idiotic motorists.

A wheeled Samarithan in town

Not just contending with its contribution in putting Belgium firmly on the map of major bus and motorcoach manufacturers worldwide, this Van Hool motorcoach ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Hool) has been converted as a touring information center on behalf of Mutuelles-UMC (http://www.mutuelles-umc.fr) , a mutual insurance company and showing up with the promise to deliver the best road leading to serenity.


Now parking on La Défense's Esplanade, just a few yards from Calder's towering red structure, for a couple of days

A cew member giving information of health insurance policies