The Seine

The Seine is also home to huge ships, often container ships. These giants of the seas, when they enter the Seine, to sail up to the port of Rouen, are then entrusted to the vigilance of Seine pilots. The changeover between two pilots takes place halfway between Le Havre and Rouen, at Caudebec-en-Caux. We went to meet one of these pilots, Patrick Duquenoÿ, who tells us about his passion for the river he calls his own, “one of the most beautiful navigable rivers in the world”.

“I never tire of the Seine valley, it’s never the same from one season to the next. In autumn, the colours of the forests clinging to the cliffs create such a rich tapestry! I particularly like the first green shoots of spring in May and the trees and flowers near Heurteauville and Jumièges. I see lots of birds, including storks, waders and swans! There is a greater diversity of species. Ship captains marvel at the well-preserved wilder areas along the farmland. The rapeseed fields, the blue of the flax fields and the patterns left by the farmers working the land offer a magnificent view from the Seine.”