Like on vacation
Here the restaurateurs have done everything to bring back a little of the spirit of elsewhere: deck chairs like on the beach, XXL sofas for taking a siesta, shade sails, palms and olive trees. On the menu side, it also smells like holidays with a myriad of cocktails, fresh salads, mussels. The Thionvillois appreciate.
«We work well in the evening, people go out in the fresh air», confirms Sonia from Toulouse, who returned to the Moselle a few years ago with her father and mother for work. “We have already done the Christmas market in Thionville and recently opened a business in Metz. Rive en fête, it’s the first time, we’re trying to bring a bit of the south to the riverside! “, She lets herself go with a smile.
A stone’s throw away, the Beach club is housed in the same remark: “We don’t complain, people come in the evening. We try to distinguish ourselves with a DJ from Wednesday to Sunday, in the evening and until 1 am ”, says a server.
Standing out is what we also try to do at Le Corse. The shop is not at its first Rive, suddenly brought back new things, “a ham with sauce Pietra (a Corsican beer) and cheese”. People like it, some come back for the food or the atmosphere, often both at the same time. Below the campsite, the bars drain their clientele; the shaded terraces above the river have their regulars. On weekends, the concerts do the rest.
The weekend walk
Sunday afternoon, the day of our visit, was not yet the real heat wave. By mid-afternoon, therefore, there was a small crowd. The Mob d’emploi stand took advantage of it, “we rented six bicycles: for a Sunday afternoon it’s not so bad”, says Fabienne. This year the association also offers the rental of a cycling wheelchair, to be attached to a classic bicycle. Nice to have thought about it.
As the hours go by, the shore gets busier. “People are coming…” This fits the Les enfants du Mandé association, which runs an African handicraft stand every weekend. Further on, another regular has set up his summer stand: it is Germain, a former employee of La Poste who has become a master in the art of Thai massage. “This year I celebrate ten years of presence! He is amused by people’s reaction when he explains his approach to them. Not everyone is tempted, but those who dare to have a two-hour massage will not regret it. So far, La Rive en fête has had it all.
