A Snowy Paris

This week we got 20cm (that's less then a foot) of snow dumped on us and more is expected in the next two weeks. For Paris, this is a bit of a novelty. According to my French tutor, they get "two snows" in February and usually it's a dusting and it's gone. She told this to me last week.

This is not a dusting and it's here to stay. And more to come.

And while everyone is outside photographing buildings and trees draped in white, and yes, it's very lovely and gives February a familiar look, as I'm used to midwestern winters -- I have to admit I was hoping to skip some of the snow and freezing cold weather this year. The temperature here is supposed to be similar to Virginia. And this is not Virginia weather.

Add to that the once-in-a-decade event of Seine River flooding. And Parisians are going crazy.

There's Usually a Park at the Bottom of These Stairs (gah!)

We recently had an English lady over to give haircuts (we have yet to enter a Parisian salon, eek! I get hives just thinking about it), she commented on "how French" the reaction has been to the flooding. She said when the Thames started flooding more often (hello global warming) they erected a flood wall. When there's a lot of rain, Londoners watch the waterline on the wall rise, but they've been safe from massive flooding since. The French? They carry on, as if there's nothing to be done about nature.

This is just one English expats point of view, but it seems to gibe with what I've read and seen.

Anyway, so the first month here has been all about wild weather. The good news, by March, they start to see a gradual warm-up and the start of Spring. So, we have that to look forward to.