Fives for Nuit Blanche

A Citroën of a Birthday

Paris:– Monday, 26. September 2005:– I am not excited about the coming weather, assuming that the short–range forecast made by the TV–news tonight is accurate. It was kind of a sloppy prediction that they appeared to just toss off the cuff.

I got set for fireworks when the weather–lady showed this great white hurricane–like twirl in the Atlantic west of Ireland and said it was a low pressure area moving our way. Actually, we do not have 'pressure' areas so she did not say this exactly. I had to read it between her lines.

It is x–distance away, but it can't be that far because it is supposed to be touching western France tomorrow. Result – clouds and maybe rain way out on the Bretagne schnoz. Here in the Paris area it may be semi–sunny most of the day, but with a low high of just 22 degrees – which is 'normal' for the time of year regardless of what I think.

For some reason the mystery 'low' vanishes on Wednesday, leaving it to be maybe kind of sunny around here. All the clouds and other stuff will be in the southwest of France, just beyond Ivry somewhere. The high is forecast to slip a couple of degrees, to 20.

Maybe that 'low' is moving in a circle because Thursday is supposed to have some clouds up along the Channel and then another band angling across France from Bordeaux to Alsace. Our band, here, will probably be partly sunny or party cloudy. Unless these bands are either sooner or later and if either is the case, the 'partly sunny' will probably be mostly cloudy. The temperature is expected to be 19 degrees, which I consider to be a winter number, not requiring gloves but maybe a dash of cognac.

Another thing to worry about is the fate of our weather correspondent, Météo Jim over there in Pommeland. Jim sent an extremely valuable list of various hurricane speeds so that we will know whether the times are '3' or '5' here. Since then, radio silence.

The weather in New York City depends not on the winds, oceans, jet streams, volcanos and escaping steam or the MTA's line seven, but on who is making the forecast. A quick check with the BBC's weather boffins has convinced me that they are so used to crummy Brit weather that they cannot discern subtle differences, such as between rain and sunshine in New York.

Except for Thursday, New York's weather will be like what we may have in Paris. The exception, except for Thursday, will be higher temperatures unless our prediction here is wrong. If not, expect three degrees more.

Your guess is as good as mine for most of Thursday, after a Wednesday like Paris, but in the evening there may be thunder showers. I assume these will cause the sunshine to disappear or it will be after dark and sunny in Hollywood. The main to keep in mind for Friday will be temperatures much lower than what we've been used to. While sunny in New York it is supposed to be rainy in Paris, perhaps from New York's Thursday night.

Café Life

The all–night 'Night of the Year' happens beginning next Saturday when it gets dark – sundown about 19:30 – and continues until Sunday morning – sunrise about 07:50. What happens in between is cultural so you are supposed to stay awake.

This year there are five 'paths' for you to taste. These begin with 'Points Infos,'and end with more info aids, and there will be public transport folks on hand to direct the footweary towards wheels. In general all are on the Right Bank and they are all considered to be somewhat in east Paris, except for the endstation at the Bibliothèque Nationale in the 13th.

Here are the five starting points:–
– Les Halles, corner of Rue Pierre Lescot and Rue Berger
– Parvis of the Hôtel de Ville, at the Avenue Victoria
– Place de la Bastille, between Boulevard Bourdon and Boulevard de la Bastille
– Père Lachaise, between Boulevard Ménilmontant and Boulevard de la République
– Bottom of the Butte Montmartre, between the Rue de Steinkerque and Rue d'Orcel

The Métro, buses and RER trains will run normally until 01:00 and resume at 05:30. During the night, from 00:30 until 05:30, the line 14 will operate non–stop between Saint–Lazare at the Bibliothèque Nationale, and access will be free.

A fleet of shuttle buses will be operating, circulating between the three ends of the 'paths – from the Pelouse de Reuilly to the Bibliothèque, to somewhere else. Free maps are available at Métro sales outlets, and they show the five 'paths' with color codes.

In addition there will be a special night bus service, with departure hubs at Châtelet, and the stations Gares de Lyon, de l'Est, Saint–Lazare and Montparnasse. Another set of buses will circulate between these stations. Then a bunch of other buses will be in service to haul suburbanites out of town when they get tired. Service will be relatively frequent on all lines.

Finally, six of the Batobus boats will be doing their rounds on the Seine. There's a special ticket for 5€ good for the night from 20:00, up until 03:00 when the last boat leaves the Jardin des Plantes.

As with all huge events in Paris that are huge because Parisians support these things en masse, you should not expect to be alone, or at the heads of any lines. Weather permitting, the Nuit Blanche will draw hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors out to the streets, to follow the designated 'paths.' Be sure to check the Web site, and get a copy of a local paper, such as Le Parisien, on Saturday, for more details.

Note – the night buses – 'Noctilien' – have seen their service increase in the past week. The number of lines regularly in service has jumped from 21 to 35, and the former unique hub at Châtelet has expanded to include the major stations, the Gares de Lyon, de l'Est, Saint–Lazare and Montparnasse.

This is to follow the Nuit Blanche on Tuesday, 4. October. An alphabet–soup of unions – CFDT, CFE–CGC, CFTC, CGT and CGT–FO to name the major ringleaders, – has called for a national day of action by public and private–sector employees, from big and small firms, plus the unemployed and retired persons, and perhaps including farmers, miners, researchers, fishermen, train workers, teachers, judges, professors – everybody except right–wing politicians, the army and the police.

A 'day of action' can mean that there will be work stoppages in Paris and throughout Franc, but nobody has called for a toal day of no work. In all likelihood there will be a big street march in Paris, and this one may be very big. Spectators are not unwelcome.