The French really nailed it out of the park with the invention of the outdoor cafe. Whether you want a coffee, some bubbly water, a glass of wine or bottle of champagne - it's all on offer. We have come to love this time-honored tradition, especially in the last warm days of summer.
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Paris is a beautiful city. But like any major city these days, it is also one that is filled with beaucoup de cars. So it was no small endeavor to cordon off a large chunk of central Paris to vehicles today from the hours of 11am--6pm. It was an effort proposed by a group of citizens last year to the Mayor of Paris (Anne Hildalgo), and was approved earlier this year to take place today. In December, a huge climate conference will be held here in Paris - COP21 - so there are quite a few awareness-raising events like this happening around the city in the lead up to that important event. Michael and I took advantage of the absolutely beautiful fall weather to check out the Champs-Élysées without cars and busses racing down the street. It turns out, so did a lot of other people - so instead of being filled with cars, the streets were instead filled with humans and bicycles. There was of course the occasional taxi or police car that made it through the perimeter barrier, as one cannot expect a city like Paris to shut down entirely - but it was still a pretty awesome experience to see the thoroughfares of Paris open only to the people making their way on their own two feet.
Last June, Michael's friend from college, Justin, came to Paris with his parents and girlfriend Angela. They had actually planned the trip before we moved here, so it was entirely fortuitous that their hotel was just around the corner from our apartment. They were also the first visitors from the US that we had the chance to be tourists with in Paris (and to the American Cemetery in Epinal). The weather was gorgeous, and we had an awesome time. So when Justin and Angela decided that they were going to return for a week this September, we were happy to hear that they'd be staying with us this time around. The French weather gods, however, were not so welcoming. Barely a few hours after they landed last Saturday morning, the Parisian sky opened up and showed its true colors: grey and stormy. The worst of the downpour was over the weekend, but we managed to sneak out in a few moments of blue skies. The real adventure started when Justin and Angela headed to Normandy for a few days to visit the D-Day landing beaches and Mont St Michel. We got a text message from Justin on the evening that they were scheduled to return to Paris saying that their side-trip had taken a bit of a detour to the ER in Bayeux. I am hoping that Justin will agree to guest blog about his experience visiting the hospital with a pretty decent sprained ankle, but suffice it to say that the French medical system pulled through like a champ. And then Justin pulled through the rest of the week like a champ, including on crutches the next day on a visit to Versailles... Photo credit above to Angela. I would also recommend checking out some of the awesome photos that Justin took during their trip.
Even though it was a stressful day at work, there were quite a few small moments of small celebrations throughout. Cake with awesome co-workers, cards from home, and dinner with my handsome husband at Le Violin d'Ingres.
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AuthorBecause why not get married and move to Paris to really kick off your thirties? Archives
December 2016
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