"Q" is for Quay

This is Day 17 for the

Blogging from A to Z Challenge

for 2013.

Today's topic is quay (or quai in French), a waterside platform by a river or sea.

A quay can provide docking facilities for the many cruise vessels travelling the major rivers of Europe.

Quai on the Saône River, Tournus

Quai on the Rhone River, Lyon

Quai on the Rhone River, Arles

Quays can be pleasant places to stroll, like those along the Seine River in Paris.

Quai along the Seine, Paris

Quai along the Seine, Paris

The bouquinistes, or book stalls, have become permanent features along the quays of the city's Left Bank.

Left Bank Bouquiniste, Paris

In 2002 the city began Paris-Plages, an annual event that turns the quays into beaches. Sand and palm trees are trucked in to provide citizens with an escape from the heat and humidity that plague Paris in the summer. The dates for 2013 are July 2o to August 18.

And a quay can also be a good spot to do a little fishing.

Rhone River, Lyon

Port of Villefranche-sur-Mer

Some quays make scenic dining spots for a delicious seafood dinner. These fresh scallops were served only a couple of feet from the water in Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Scallops for Dinner on the Quai

Dining on the Quai, Villefranche-sur-Mer

Tables along the Quai

And a quay is also the perfect front row seat to watch street performers or fireworks over the Mediterranean Sea after dark.

Fireworks, Villefranche-sur-Mer

The best thing about a quay is that it brings people closer to the water, and on a hot summer day that's the best place to be.

Next:  "R" is for Roman Ruins