A grey week in Paris

Turning off the noise?

Listening to the news non-stop... it seems to be my new normal... CNN, BBC, BFMTV, FranceInfo, even Al Jazeera to allow for a different perspective. 

Will France go into lockdown or will we not? Will the vaccines make it to Europe or will they be hogged by the UK? Which executive orders will President Biden sign today? My latest discovery NZZ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) US podcasts. It's an eclectic list of sources - conservative as they all may be - which has kept me company over the past weeks and months of lockdown. 

Obviously glued to CNN during the Presidential elections and the storming of the Capitol Hill which reminded me more of France's gilets jaunes protesters than US rioters... and left me wondering WHY was there absolutely no riot police in sight?!?

Maybe it is time to turn off the TV for a while and listen to some music... oh but then there is Netflix and Amazon Prime.. and what about BEIN Sport? 

So, here is the question: do I dare act on my mother's advice and turn it ALL off.. even if only for a day?!?

Motivation zero!

Never in the past ten years have I ever lacked inspiration to write and share my adventures on my blog. However, these past three months have been tough. Sitting down in front of my screen to fill an empty blog page was way down on my priority list. Finding the motivation is challenging. I do not blame the pandemic nor the bad weather, rather the general daily routine that has become monotonous.

Paris has been essentially closed down since October 2020. No cultural activities, no sports events, no concerts, no meals out, no meeting friends. Museums, cinema, bars, restaurants, gyms, all closed until further notice.  

I have avoided public transport all together and riding the bike in winter is no fun which translates into the same daily route just to get a minimum of exercise. My bonus is a jog under the Eiffel Tower, down the Champs de Mars and back up past Trocadero a couple of times a week. When I feel particularly energetic a run through the Bois de Boulogne does the trick.

With nowhere to go the daily highlight has become the grocery shopping possibly during a time with the least people around to respect social distancing.

So, with all that Paris has to offer and none of it available, I might as well move to the country side! At least, I would get to enjoy the exceptional snowfalls...

Paris will always be Paris

No where to go... cultural events cancelled, restaurants and bars closed, museums and monuments not accessible, public transport not enticing, weather depressing... BUT as Maurice Chevalier sang so well,

“Paris will always be Paris!

The more we reduce our lighting,

the more we see our courage shining,

the more we see our spirit brighten,

Paris will always be Paris!”

A new year... a new chapter!

We are three weeks into the new year and the outlook has not changed a great deal. We thought by putting 2020 behind us, 2021 would bring great beginnings... well, looking around Europe, we are either in lockdown or curfew and far from being on the same page concerning vaccines.

However, we will not stop following the regulations and applying social distancing for the respect of others as well as our own health. Some positive vibes are most welcome at this point... while I look forward to hitting the island sometime this year?!?