Sunday, March 28, 2010

Change of time


Tonight is the night! France (and Europe) is changing to DST (Daylight Saving Time) which we simply call "L'heure d'été" (summer time). On the one hand I don't like it too much because we lose an hour of sleep, but on the other one hand I love it because we have an extra hour of light at night. If you have the time I encourage you to read the whole Wikipedia article on DST. You'll see that the idea is not really new and that it has several impacts on the economy (and I'm not only talking about the energy it's suppose to make us save). BTW, I took this photo in Les Editeurs, a café and restaurant located in the heart of Le Quartier Latin (near l'Odeon) where a lot of book publishers meet...

25 comments:

  1. Ours happened a few weeks ago, and the extra daylight is nice! But that first few days was rough, let me tell you! You wouldn't think that one hour would make a difference, but for me, it was hard to adjust.

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  2. Thanks for the reminder Eric. Would have missed a flight tomorrow!

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  3. I love this photo! It looks like such a cozy nook. The time change never used to bother me, but the older I get, the harder it is to adjust.

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  4. Here in Queensland, Australia, the people voted against DST many years ago and as a consequence, we don't have it although most other states in Australia change to DST every year. There are two reasons people in our state voted against it:
    1. The extra sunlight fades the curtains
    2. The cows get confused and won't come in for milking.
    So now we're 1 hour (and 10 years) behind the rest of Australia.

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  5. Bill .. you exagerate a little .. this is what the media says and now you are promulgating it!

    I am a morning person and definitely don't like DST. We don't want too many people starting to like their mornings otherwise they will spoil our serenity and tranquility!!

    For once Queenslanders have done something wisely!

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  6. Oh well LAST year, I read all the Frenchie blogs talking about daylight savings time and assumed we were all on the same page. Well of course the US wasn't with the French!HA I got to chuch an hour early! We went on DST a week later. This year? We did LAST week! HA So are we 7 hours apart again? It's just too confusing.
    V

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  7. I guess this means that now you'll be showing up at 6 PM NYC time, instead of 7—I think. We'll see later today. Meanwhile, I love this picture. (I also love DST, because I like to walk home after work over the Brooklyn Bridge, and it's nicer in daylight.)

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  8. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,
    Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
    To the last syllable of recorded time;
    And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
    The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
    Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
    That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
    And then is heard no more. It is a tale
    Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
    Signifying nothing.
    Macbeth Act 5, scene 5

    Sorry to get so heavy, mes amis, I just saw "Macbeth" last night!

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  9. I know this cafe. In 2006 I met with Galerie Grillon in Paris to discuss buying and selling fine art. After the meeting, I asked if they could recommend any cafes near by for lunch. And they recommended Les Editeurs. If you go to that cafe or even visit their website, they have a beautiful painting of a young women from Alsace hanging on the wall upstairs. Legend has it, it is the original owner's daughter. The original owner being from Alsace. The young woman is wearing the traditional costume of Alsace -- it's a pretty old painting. They don't dress like that anymore. :)

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  10. This looks like a charming cafe. I'll put it on my Paris to-do list!

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  11. Lois, click on the cafe's website and watch as the photos go by. I believe you'll see the painting you mention.

    You are something else, Lois!

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  12. This photograph is amazing! Not one of the so called typical Parisian scenes that you'd expect, but it oozes comfort, order, compartmentalization, warmth and ............ oh gosh, is that the time I'd better get the dinner on!

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  13. Just for the record, Paris is now 6 hours ahead of the US. For 2 weeks, it was only 5 because the US sprang (sprung?) forward first. Now we're back to the typical 6 hour difference. (It appears the clock gadget on PDP is also confused because it didn't spring forward...at least not as of this writing).

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  14. I missed our time switch a few weeks ago and showed up for work an hour late!!! Eeeek!

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  15. What a beautiful photo to illustrate DST change. I love it! The photo and the address. I bet one could feel so much at ease in this cafe. Very well. Have a nice day.

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  16. Well, I remembered to change my clocks but I shall feel dozy for a few days. Maybe if I had a clock this big I'd remember more easily...

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  17. So, I guess this picture is what you call a photoshop, Eric, isn't it? Love it anyway!
    Well, I'm popping to say coucou and express how hard it is to lose one hour today... I'm running after time... Why wasn't it during the week when at work ? I'm telling you! pfff ;)

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  18. We have Summer time here too. Don't like it much. We get to stay longer exposed to the sun light wich is very very very strong here.
    so we really feel like we're burning.

    I love that you're showing us this place. thsi cafe seems so cosy, love the photo!!!

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  19. As always, you make me laugh so much!

    I love the number one reason to vote against DST by Bill (from Australia)
    "The extra sunlight fades the curtains"

    I'm still ROFL.

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  20. Hmmm, Les Editeurs, hein? I'll have to check it out, if only to say that I've been in the same place that you took this pic!

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  21. Stuart, Paris is only 6 hours ahead of the US if you live in the Central time zone. We have 4 time zones and they can't all be 6 hours off from Paris time...

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  22. You are right that it is time zone dependent. All my friends and family are in the Eastern US where there is now a 6 hour difference (for Central 7, Mountain 8, and Pacific 9). Didn't mean to write off the rest of the US!

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  23. wow great i have read many articles about this topic and everytime i learn something new i dont think it will ever stop always new info , Thanks for all of your hard work!

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  24. I think we need to bring more ideas for this purpose. Involvement of young people can be handy in this regard. I am happy to find a good post here. Thank you

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