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THE WATERY HEART OF THE CITY

Thursday, July 18, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we visit Paris ahead of this year’s Olympic Games, from the city’s legendary underground to when the Notre Dame may shine again. Also, catch science-backed tips for the summer on how to avoid pesky bites.

A river cruise floats along the UNESCO-listed banks of the Seine.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUDWIG WALLENDORFF, REA, REDUX

The City of Light began on the River Seine. It’s so central to Paris that streets are numbered from its banks; addresses ascend in the direction of the current.

It’s so central that the opening of the 2024 Olympics won’t take place in a stadium—but along the glittering Seine, its banks recently having become more pedestrian-friendly and the water cleaner. Join us on this ride.

Related: An unlikely symbol of the Games

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

Neat stacks of skills, tibias, and femurs in the Paris catacombs

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN ALVAREZ, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

A subterranean secret: The vast catacombs below Paris have a history all their own, and explorers and tourists sometimes go through sidewalk manholes and hidden trapdoors to discover it. What’s down there?

A. Nocturnal discotheques
B. Illicit art shows
C. Secret cinemas
D. The remains of six million Parisians
E. All of the above

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Feet covered with mosquitoes in Alaska's North Slope area

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Protect yourself from mosquitoes with these science-backed tips

This dinosaur dug its own grave

Is it possible to cure hot flashes? We may be getting closer.

Why the unstoppable Mongol Empire halted its European conquest

These humans lived 30,000 years ago—but had modern faces

Do women feel temperature differently than men?

Why the Ark of the Covenant is one of history’s most enduring mysteries

The sinister story behind the ‘uranium gold rush’

There’s mercury in the Amazon. This Nat Geo Explorer is tracking it down.

Which telescopes are best for beginners? See our picks.

WATCH THE TRAILER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Ceiling of Notre Dame Cathedral

PHOTOGRAPH BY THOMAS VAN HOUTRYVE

Notre Dame rises again: The devastating 2019 fire spurred France to restore the iconic cathedral at the heart of Paris. It was saved once before, too, with novelist Victor Hugo and an eccentric architect leading the charge, Nat Geo reports.

SAVING A TREASURE

Explore: The ambitious scale of the cathedral’s renovation

Today’s soundtrack: Lisztomania, Phoenix (live on a Paris tour bus)

Tomorrow: Don’t miss our Top 10 stories of the week. And sign up here for our weekend Photo of the Week!

Today’s newsletter was curated by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, and Nishita Naga. Thanks for reading!

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