PARIS — France is swamped — literally — but it’s business as usual, at least for now.
On Thursday, after several days of raging rains, French President François Hollande said he will declare a state of natural disaster in areas worst hit by flooding, which will free up emergency funds.
Due to the swiftly rising waters of the river Seine, the Louvre museum said it will be closed on Friday “to ensure the protection of the works located in flood zones.”
Printemps located inside Le Carrousel du Louvre shopping center, is to remain open on Friday, a spokeswoman for the department store confirmed. It could not immediately be learned the plans of other retailers in the mall, including Lacoste, Jo Malone, Caudalie, Lancel and Apple, but, no closures were listed on the Carrousel du Louvre’s web site.
Meanwhile, Café Marly, a favorite haunt of the fashion crowd located under the arcades of the Louvre’s Richelieu wing, said on Thursday that it plans to remain open Friday.
Over on the Left Bank, the Musée d’Orsay canceled its late opening Thursday night and said it, too, would be closed on Friday as part of a protective action against flooding.
No information was available at press time regarding the plan for the Dries Van Noten boutique located at 7 Quai Malaquais, along the Seine. The restaurant next to it, the Café des Beaux-Arts, will remain open Friday.
Paris remained abuzz on Thursday evening when fashion folk flocked to the Constitutional Council salon with a view on the gardens of the Palais-Royal, a stone’s throw from the Louvre, where Kenzo Takada was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor.