Up-to-Date Weather Report: Glum

No hurry, no worry, sitting on a terrace café, whiling the day away.

Lots of Clouds; and Some Silver-Linings Made of Paper

by Ric Erickson

Issue 2.25:- Metropole Paris - Monday, 23. June 1997:- There is no point in beating about the bush. You will notice it anyhow, from the photos, that the weather is not as good in Paris as it has been throughout most of the spring. Do not be fooled by the minute of sun caught at Trocadéro in the photo above, taken last Wednesday.

On the Tour Eiffel last Wednesday it was supportable. On Friday it was overcast and cool. It is still cool. Yesterday I looked out the window and saw the sidewalk was dry, but by the time Max and I got downstairs and got the bikes out, it was raining. We did one tour of the parking lot and packed it up.

Not much later, Willy came rolling home and with Max, they went down again for the bikes and the sun was shining; but by then Max was worn out from watching TV. Before he passed out, he cleaned some furniture; down in corners only small people can reach.

So here is the official weather forecast for tomorrow: don't count on it. Wear something that sheds water. Keep something warm handy.

It is the time of the end of the school year which means it is the time of the fêtes des écoles and all the villages have their fêtes too - and everything gets rained on. We have had four barbecues written off in a week.

The communes let off the fireworks anyhow. Even if I had the shutters up I couldn't see them from here - in a gulch, behind the green jungle of our park - but I could hear them starting around 23:00 on Saturday night. Kaboom! - a thousand francs vaporized; kaboom! - another thousand up in smoke.

Nobody has been knocking on our door to tell us we've won the second 70 million-franc Loto jackpot in a week, so my wife sent Willy out to look for money yesterday.

He rolled over to the little park which is currently torn up and being used as a stone-block sorting yard. It may stay this way for a while because I heard an unconfirmed rumor that the stone-layers had a fight with the mayor and they decided upon strike or a ruptured contract. The street they were doing is about half-done and the other half is a pit. The regulars of the tabac are soldiering on.

Meanwhile, Willy came back with a 100-franc note which appeared to be real. The kid can't find his socks but he's got a nose for money. A handy trait, especially when our ATM is locked up inside the supermarket on Sundays.

Falcon Spotting

This 'event' is supposed to be over, today, but it answers a question I have had since last year. The people you may see in the Square Jean-XXIII behind Notre-Dame looking through telescopes and binoculars, are not plane-spotting. They are looking at the falcons who are doing something with their nests up on the cathedral - this year, for nine days, from 14 to 22. June.

There are supposed to be 45 other falcon nesting sites around the city; and they are supposed to 'contribute to the natural equilibrium' of the capital - which means, if you have small, portable dogs, do not let them run around unattended.

Starting next Saturday, 28. June, and running through to Sunday, 6. July, Jazz is king out at La Villette. 50 concerts will be given by 350 musicians at 10 bandstands. Each day, from 18:00 o 02:00 in the morning, one ticket buys entry to whatever is going on - a lot! - plus there are two concerts at 16:30; one featuring Fontella Bass and the other, Shirley Horn.