In times of turmoil, we naturally seek sources of calm. And in Paris, perhaps nothing that recenters Parisians more than the Seine. The city’s most iconic waterway has shaped its mythology long before there were tourist boats and selfie-taking travelers. Today, the significance of the Seine is front and center again, thanks to the Olympics and a billion-euro cleanup project. To talk about this, I’m joined by my friend and fellow journalist Mary Winston Nicklin, who reported National Geographic’s cover story on the Seine earlier this year.

Mentioned in this episode:

⁠Mary Winston Nicklin⁠

⁠National Geographic Cover Story (Online edition)⁠

The ancient goddess of the Seine River: Sequana

⁠The Man Who Swam the Seine⁠ (GQ)

Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan

⁠⁠Music by Little Glass Men⁠⁠