I don't know how long the strikes will last, but so far so good. People get organized, they walk, use roller blades or, drive their bike - or Vélib' - to work (I took this photo this morning on Place de la Concorde). Also, as always in difficult times, people talk to each other much more, they share their feelings, help each other... Of course that is, those who live in Paris for the ones who live in the suburbs and have to suffer the long hours in the traffic probably don't agree with me!
The way in which he is looking at you so suspiciously. He thinks you are from the 'Thought Police !'
ReplyDeleteEric, you are right! It's true that people do talk to each other more during calamities. I recall Lynn saying that her local community were out on the street chatting away to each other during the recent floods in Gloucestershire and that she met new people whom she didn't realise even lived there. The same happens here - during the landslide at Thredbo Ski Resort many years ago, everyone pitched in and there was one story of incredible survival too - a man who was buried was found alive after many days.
ReplyDeleteI love this photo BTW. Concorde actually looks peaceful!
I'm sorry fot the strike and the people in the suburbs, but am glad to know that with some organizing people are getting by.
ReplyDeleteAnd despite all of that, looking at this photo I have to say, beautiful Paris...
Bonjour:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this photo since I have been a biker in Chicago since 1958.
I was shocked to see this fellow wearing a helmet. In many recent articles and newsletters about biking in Paris that I have read in the last month or so, it is always mentioned that no one wears helmets. Is this really the case? I always have, and lucky I did a year ago when I went over the handle bars when I ran into a large dog. My helmet with my head inside actually bounced on the concrete! My head was fine, but I had a hairline fracture in my pelvis which took quite a bit of time to heal.
In light of that, it would appear your bicyclist has had a slight accident evident in the tear in his right trousers at the knee.
Steve, in chilly Chicago. Never the less going out for a ride along the lake tomorrow morning at 7am with a temperature of about 38F.
Fantastic Photo. To me, it's very European - maybe because of pavement.
ReplyDeleteI think people in Paris get more and more organized as it is now a habit. The strikes no longer surprise me, it became like a routine at that time of the year. Personnaly, I am ashamed of the French president's decision to rise his salary when the country is running into such a mess. And I so much sympathise with the people living in the suburb (zone 6) as I was one of them when living in France, going to work was quite challenging. Car-pooling is an excellent idea. I feel like saying don't give up and use your words ^_^.
ReplyDeletenice pic, though I took me +2hrs to leave Paris Friday night to back to Brussels and was a real nightmare. Thanks to SNCF!
ReplyDeleteI bet it's even harder to find a Vélib station that actually has an available bike now than it was before.
ReplyDeleteI love Paris in black and white!
Thalie said "Personnaly, I am ashamed of the French president's decision to rise his salary when the country is running into such a mess."
ReplyDeleteMaggie taught us Brits the same hard lesson and it was continued by her clone Blair "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer"
On my recent trip to Pris I had great fun Velib'ing and it seems to me that outside of commuters, nobody wears a helmet, it's almost as if there are two communities. I confess that one morning I took it into my head to follow someone going to work - I got an interesting route and scenery. Had he noticed, I might have got a smack in the face, too.
ReplyDeleteit does look very peaceful. i guess make the best of what you can and enjoy a bike ride. hope things get back to normal soon.
ReplyDeletejay
Paris "on strike" is not always as quiet as on this picture!
ReplyDeleteI was Place des Ternes on Thursday evening, by 7.00pm, and I can tell you it was so stuck that even pedestrians could not walk between the cars...