A French couple kiss as they dip into the Trocadero fountains on Aug. 14, 2002 in Paris. With a tighter economy, more French are spending summer holidays closer to home. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
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A clown performs balloon tricks before a crowd under a bridge at Paris Plages. (Mildrade Cherfils/GlobalPost)
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A man builds a sand sculpture at Paris Plages in front of a gathering crowd. The city estimates that between 4.5 and 5 million people will visit the attraction between July 20 and Aug. 20. (Mildrade Cherfils/GlobalPost)
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Yeno, a street magician, dazzles his audience with a trick at Paris Plages. The event is in its ninth year and cost a total 2.2 million euros ($2.88 million) to organize. (Mildrade Cherfils/GlobalPost
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