Dozens of boats cruise the Seine river in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony

By JEROME PUGMIRE and TOM NOUVIAN
Associated Press Writers

PARIS (AP) — Curious onlookers gathered on bridges as dozens of boats snaked along the Seine river on Monday in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ unique opening ceremony next month. A total of 55 boats made Monday’s journey from Pont d’Austerlitz to Pont d’Iéna, a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower. Officials are confident that the near four-hour ceremony will run like clockwork on July 26. The executive director for ceremonies Thierry Reboul says “we are very close, almost to the second to our targets.” On the day itself around 200 Olympic delegations will join the parade on more than 80 boats along the ceremony’s six-kilometer (3.7-mile) route.