Où est le soleil?

I'm departing from my usual style of writing "articles" to just writing my everyday experiences to change things up a bit and to give more of a "goût" or "taste" of my life in Paris. At this moment I'm in the apartment, where my boyfriend and I have been most of the day since the weather is really crappy right now. For the past several weeks the weather is gray, wet, windy and cold. Not apparently typical weather for the end of April. Lucky me!! Being a gal from southern California the lack of sun can definitely affect your energy if you're not careful. I've definitely noticed feeling more tired and less desire to go out of the apartment but I've been combating this issue by using my eliptical machine more to keep my energy up and going for short walks or errands when possible. It reminds me a bit of the months of May, June and July in Los Angeles near the beach where it tends to get very cloudy and gray for long periods of time until the Summer begins and the sun emerges again. All I know, is that I'm eagerly awaiting the sun's return. Paris is a beautiful city, but much more enjoyable when the sun is shining. Even when it got really cold during the winter to temps in the 30's and sometimes below freezing, as long as the sun was out, it was still enjoyable to walk outside, go to a park and get around the city. It doesn't seem to slow the Parisians down however, probably because they're used to this kind of weather. This is something I admire about the Parisians, that even in rainy or cold weather you can still find them riding their bicycles to work in a suit or a dress, or walking through the streets with their bags of groceries and of course, the obligatory baguette. And they do this with a level of grace and elegance, as if nothing can affect them. You can also find them after work, during the cold winter months, sitting outside cafes with their friends drinking a cold beer or a glass of wine as if it was 70 degrees. I realize this may be a bit of a generalization, but I've seen it enough times to feel that it's a part of the culture. In contrast, in Los Angeles, for example, the city tends to be thrown into chaos when it starts raining as most everyone drives and the freeways become littered with car accidents the moment the rain hits the pavement. We've become so accustomed to temps in the 70's in LA, that when it dips below 65, we feel it's a bit cold and begin pulling out our winter coats and wanting to be near a heater.

As soon as the sun comes out though, you can be sure that all Parisians will find their way to the parks and any small patch of grass for that matter where you can have a picnic, lounge and enjoy the warm rays. About a month ago, we had a strange week where the weather was extremely hot and the parks immediately became completely filled with Parisians. In front of the Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower, for example, we enjoyed laying out on the grass along with hundreds of other Parisians and tourists. So I guess while Parisians may be very used to the cold and sometimes gloomy weather, they also seem to really, really love the sun as well. Me too.

 

                 

Comments

[Mélissa]

Hey

im a french girl living in Paris and i gotta say I reeeeaaaaally enjoy your blog and your outsiders perspective !!!

keep up the good work !

a bientot !