Atlantica - 01.07.2004, Page 16

14 A T L A N T I C A
PARIS à la SEGWAY
It’s a Friday night in the city of light and I’m not eating at the
Buddha bar, I’m not sipping champagne at the Plaza Athenée
and I’m not clubbing at the Étoile. Something must be wrong,
non? I have just discovered the Segway site-seeing tour and am
zooming through the city on the twilit streets of Paris, getting
more attention from passing tourists than the Eiffel tower itself
in all its splendor.
The Segway is the hottest thing in Paris at the moment. It’s an
electric wonder vehicle on two enourmous wheels and it obeys
your body’s every command. If your body weight goes towards
your toes it goes forward, and if you lean back on your heels it
goes backwards. Its drivers have the same right of way as
pedestrians and can go up to a speed of 11 km per hour.
Parisians and tourists alike are often seen speeding along the
streets and sidewalks of Paris on the Segway. It’s a great new
way to experience the city- you feel like Achilles on his chariot
as you fly past Paris monuments such as the Invalides and the
Eiffel Tower.
Watch out, though, as the Segway is just as dangerous as a car-
you need to be a capable driver. You can actually purchase this
little jewel of a vehicle for 4,500 (USD) a piece. Those who want
to try a Segway site-seeing tour can hire it at the FAT TIRE BIKE
TOURS, an American company also offering similar trips in Nice
and New Orleans. Four hours with a guide costs 70 Euros, (USD
80). GG (+33) 1 56 58 10 54 / www.citysegwaytours.com
Feminine Design
airmail
-THE LATEST TREND TO HIT PARIS
In the Nordic countries, women have long
enjoyed the same opportunities as men.
This gender equality has enabled women to
excel in many fields, including design.
Through September 12th, the National
Museum of Women in the Arts (NWMA) in
Washington D.C. is presenting “Nordic
Cool: Hot Women Designers,” an exhibition
showcasing the work of some of the best
female designers to come from Iceland,
Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
“Nordic Cool” covers over 200 various
works, from furniture, textiles and utensils,
to clothing, jewelry and architecture. To see
the exhibition is to understand how these
designers are informed by the extremes of
the Nordic world such as the never-ending
darkness of winter and the flood of summer
light.
For more information on “Nordic Cool,” log on to
www.nmwa.org.
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