Paris cleaned up the Seine - and gave swimmers a new way to beat the heat. Will your city follow suit? | Helen Massy-Beresford

This summer, locals and tourists enjoyed new river-bathing sites. As global heating escalates, we need more of these 'cool islands'Sign up for our new weekly newsletter Matters of Opinion, where our columnists and writers will reflect on what they've been debating, thinking about, reading and moreAfter la rentrée, when adults and children alike across France head back to work and school after the seemingly endless summer holidays, you would be forgiven for thinking autumn is upon us. But, weather permitting, enthusiastic swimmers in Paris will be able to prolong that holiday feeling into September - by taking a dip in the River Seine.For nearly 100,000 swimmers, one of the highlights of this summer in the city has been being able to take a splash in the cool river waters at one of the three free public bathing spots, made available this year for the first time in over a century.Helen Massy-Beresford is a journalist based in Paris Continue reading...