As COVID-19 restrictions come to an end, foreign visitors have been returning to Paris.And outdoor booksellers called “bouquinistes” have now made their return to the neighborhood near city’s famous Seine River.Many thought the pandemic would end their businesses and tradition of selling by the Seine River, which dates back over 500 years.Rachid Bouanou is a former sailor and fishing boat mechanic.He is now a bookseller.He opened his large, green wooden container of used books, placed on a wall overlooking the river in the heart of Paris.He sells the secondhand books to visitors as they pass by.He smiled as he said, "I used to be a sailor ... but I always loved books, beautiful books, and I thought why not share this passion and share the books and authors I love with other people. We're helping people discover books, new authors."The city council recently approved Bouanou and 17 other new riverside booksellers, the first since 2019.
