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French raftsmen float the idea of reviving lost trade
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EMBRUN, France: Each June, as melting snow swells the Durance
river in the Alps of southeast France, a few dozen enthusiasts revive
an ancient skill.
Until the late 19th century timber floating had been one of the
region's main jobs for a thousand years.
Few of the tourists who these days navigate the river in rubber
dinghies spare a thought for the men, many of whom could not swim,
who risked their lives to float logs from the Alps to the
Mediterranean for a living.
A week before their show, the raftsmen - from all walks of life -
start building rafts using the ancient technique of twisting ...
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