Paris Mayor's National Tourist Day

Monday, July 9th was National Tourist Day as declared by the much maligned (and for cause) Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. Delanoe is kicking off a campaign to change the image of Paris as arguably the most beautiful city in the world but sadly offset by a reputation of having the grumpiest and rudest denizens.

As Parisians don't feel they are rude, and the director of the Paris Tourist Office claims that they are simply too shy to speak English because of their funny accent, I an doubtful, yet curious to see if this 'awareness' campaign will result in any noticeable difference.

I am pretty sure they should be starting a lot earlier-namely in the early school years when one first learns how to treat others, so I remain fairly skeptical.

That said, for every grincheux Parisian encounter, there is generally a follow-up with a helpful Frenchman with a sense of humour to boot, so it probably balances out in the end...

Fall weather in July

That's funny. I just learned that in French, there is a song that goes 'il pleut bergere'. The literal translation would be 'it's raining shepherdess(es)'.

I suppose the image is no more strange than 'it's raining cats and dogs', and haven't a clue as to how one or the other were adopted!

But that's just a nursery rhyme. In fact, we say 'il pleut les cordes', it's raining ropes', slightly easier to imagine, especially lately.

I am enjoying the weather in Paris, which is cool enough to feel like fall, but it is starting to wear everyone down, me included. There is no proper comfortable way to dress. Within a half hour, and every half hour, we get a burst of sunshine and heat, rainfall - sometimes quite tempestuous, and plenty of wind. It is impossible to leave the house without an extra sweater, a lighter t-shirt, a Macintosh (not the computer) and brolly. Wellingtons would be useful, as well as a pair of sandals. And a helper to carry it all!

Crazy weather!

I heard something on France Info this morning about a small manif today-something to do with immigration over by place Stalingrad. As it is Sunday, as half the parisians have already left for summer vacation, and as Stalingrad is not a major thoroughfare, it doesn't sound like it will be terribly disruptive (or productive).

Louis Vuitton Champs Elysées (finally) allowed to open Sundays

Victory for Louis Vuitton Champs Elysées who has finally won the right to open Sundays, starting today, July 1.

But not for the reasons you would expect. Not because of its superb location at the angle of the most touristic and perhaps expensive street in the world and the Avenue Georges V - smack-dab in the heart of the Triangle d'Or. Not because this enables tourists to fly in for a week-end and shop till they drop-especially the Japanese.

Louis Vuitton is allowed to open because the courts have classified it as a 'Centre Culturel'. Yes, there is a browsing library as well as an exhibition space with currently, an exhibit of Philippe Starck. I imagine that 90% of the traffic will be for shopping.

As this is France, there is organized opposition to this concession. Law dictates that no more than 30% of the Champs Elysees be open on Sunday-this is still a Catholic country, and and according to the Catholic Church, Sunday is still a day of rest. But the real reason for this protection is supposedly because the smaller businesses can't afford the extra labor and will be driven out of business.

The real battle lies who between those who wish to preserve their vision of the traditional French lifestyle, and those who are trying to expand flexibility in the workplace and bring France into the 21st century.

Read about the debate