Tuesday night I was walking home late from the movies. I was still near the Champs-Elysées when suddenly several cars of camouflage-wearing soldiers pulled up on the other side of the street and a bunch of soldiers jumped out with big machine guns. They silently stalked to either end of the block and two went across the street to a restaurant. I was a bit alarmed but they gaily waved and smiled at me and I concluded that they were probably there to escort some minister home from his dinner. But who knows? Soldiers with machine guns are common sights in Paris these days.
I notice that Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë has apparently gone farther 
in his project of making life harder for the automobilistes, including me. At Etoile he seems to be widening the pavement, which will make the traffic at the Arc de Triomphe even crazier as twelve avenues pour into one small plaza. Of course it could just be a repair of the pavement, which suffers from huge tanks rolling over it every Bastille Day.
At least in August, when half the city seems to be gone, there is free parking as the meter maids are on holiday too.
Delanoë has a lot of good ideas for the city, including I suppose Paris Plage (a sandy beach covering the river road ) but Paris remains a city of des aisés et des aidés (the wealthies and the welfares).
Comments