Les Vacances

The French take their holidays very seriously. It’s one of the things that I love about French culture - workers typically get 4-7 weeks off, plus a dozen national holidays. (Interestingly, and perhaps because they all have so much vacation, the holidays aren’t spread out throughout the year like they are in the US. This might also be because many of them, like Easter and Ascension, are religious holidays that the government can’t control.)

Most people take a few of those weeks off in August; so if you happen to be in Paris in August, you’re liable to find half of the shops and restaurants you’d hoped to visit closed.

Montrouge, the neighborhood where I stayed for the last few days of my trip, is littered with bakeries; but after three days (despite what Google maps told me should be open), I still hadn’t found a single one that was open for business. On my last day, I got up early and went out with the sole purpose of finding a bakery; it took me a half hour, but eventually -- relieved and grateful -- I finally find one!

When I expressed my gratitude to the baker, acknowledging that it probably wasn’t so great for her to have to be in town when everyone else was on holiday, she smiled and said “oh, everyone gets their turn.” But when I asked her if they coordinated amongst each other, she admitted that they didn't. (She did mention that there was one other local bakery also open this week - which I did spot shortly afterwards.)

The last time I was in Paris, the exodus seemed to start on August 1 — from one day to the next, the city became completely different, shutting down literally overnight. This year, because of the “J O” (Jeux Olympiques), things are a bit different — more visitors, some businesses staying open through August 15, and far less traffic than even a typical August. (The government, whether intentionally or not, scared many Parisians away by predicting a nightmare for drivers). While it was a drag to find a lot of businesses closed (especially since the summer closures are never listed online), the net effect was also a truly glorious experience in car-free living. (See Le Velo)