Beekeepers maintain about 2000 hives on the rooftops and in the gardens of the French capital. The broad diversity of blossoms give it a special fragrance.
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00:01Paris in summer, swarms of tourists descend on the city,
00:05as do swarms of bees.
00:08The French capital is a patchwork of historical gardens and boulevards,
00:12all blossoming with an abundance and diversity of plants,
00:15ideal for bees and beekeepers.
00:18And the rooftops of Paris are the ideal place for
00:21Audric de Campo to set up his beehives.
00:24His bees reside on the centrally located Place Vendôme.
00:28We tell the bees hello and we see how far along they are with the honey
00:33and if we can harvest anything soon.
00:36It's a nice mosaic of pollen, nicely yellow from the linden trees.
00:42Around 2,000 beehives are scattered throughout Paris.
00:46It's easy for the bees to find food.
00:49Trees and other plants bloom here almost year-round.
00:53Plus, the use of pesticides has been stopped in Paris,
00:57so the honey produced here has virtually no contaminants.
01:04An unusual bee project is underway on the Rive Gauche,
01:08south of the River Seine, the Solidarity Beehive Initiative.
01:12Every week a group of asylum seekers come here for lessons
01:16with beekeepers and social workers.
01:19After a year of training, it's time to harvest the honey.
01:22Many of the refugees have suffered trauma.
01:25Working with the bees gives them confidence.
01:27Of course, I was familiar with bees, but I'd never been in contact with them.
01:38The first time, it really made me happy that I could get so close to them,
01:42since I was dressed properly and well-protected.
01:44It was very moving.
01:45It gives them a kind of power and extraordinary strength.
01:58And they express it.
01:59They say, look, I'm like that man from our village who was a beekeeper and wasn't afraid.
02:03And now I'm not afraid of the bees anymore.
02:07It's really extraordinary.
02:10Beekeeping can help the refugees deal with the stress and trauma and feel at home in France.
02:16This year's harvest is good.
02:18For many of them, it's their first, and they're proud of the result.
02:22Hold your finger under it. Doesn't it taste delicious?
02:27It's good.
02:31Not far from the Arc de Triomphe, bees are at home in a rather surprising spot,
02:36atop the Church of the Etoile.
02:40The idea to set hives up there came from Pastor Louis Pernault.
02:44He likes to tell his congregation all about the bees.
02:49Christians ought to follow the bees' example and gather nectar.
02:56This means that you move through the biblical texts.
02:59And then you find something you like and take what's of value to you.
03:05Together with his son, the pastor takes care of the beehives on the church roof.
03:12When I'm close to the bees, I feel like I've left my world to be in theirs.
03:18That moves me deeply and does me a lot of good.
03:26Here, too, it's time to harvest the Parisian honey.
03:33I've had the Parisian honey analyzed.
03:36Late in the year, it has more linden blossom.
03:39It's a blend you can't find anywhere else with a flavor of its own that connoisseurs recognize immediately.
03:45The honeycomb is spun to force the honey out.
03:51Now we'll filter it a second time.
03:54No impurities are left, but sometimes maybe a little piece of wax.
03:58The honey is flowing.
04:03This Parisian specialty can cost over 100 euros per kilogram.
04:08Honey made by the bees of Paris.
04:11It's an expensive and extraordinary delicacy.
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