What don't you understand about "No Parking"?

Today Virginia sat her exam and completed her enrolment at the Alliance Francaise. The examination was an hour written and half-an-hour oral. "Not," she says, "for the faint of heart." She was accepted in the course and has her textbooks and the CD that accompanies them.

We've mentioned before that there is a lot of smoking here, and today Virginia saw an astonishing example of this. Next door to the Alliance is a Lycee, a high school. As she emerged from the Metro Station she was concerned that there were as many as 250 young people milling about on the pavement and in the road. Her first thought was that this was, perhaps, some kind of student protest and to avoid trouble she crossed to the other side of the road. On closer examination (and a look at her watch) she fathomed out that this was recess and that the majority of students, plus their teachers, had emerged from the school for a smoke. It seems unlikely that smoking will ever be curbed when it is so prevalent, even in the schools!

If you ride the Metro, you have an opportunity to increase your understanding of the French language, par example, it is not very difficult to understand that "Soldes de mid-saison -50%" for all the major fashion shops means that there are considerable savings to be made for those ladies who like to shop. Sales at this time of year are very unusual and would normally not occur until just after Christmas. Another sign of the economic downturn. For all of the fashionistas watching this blog, Virginia would like you to know that although there are always those women who will wear high heels; the fashion is for flat, masculine looking brogues or "les petites ballerinas" otherwise flats.

While Virginia was organizing her academic life, I was diligently doing the morning shopping and trying out my less than adequate French; all part of the ordinary daily life we lead here in Paris.

As we walked down for Virginia to get the Metro for the Alliance and for me to do the shopping, we saw a van being removed. When the French say "No Parking," they mean it! It is an interesting process and one which in the past we have observed from our window as there is a "livraisons" space meant only for deliveries and maintenance vehicles just below our flat. Anyway, the police arrive and do the paper work, placing it on the windscreen just as anywhere else in the world. Then, however, they immediately phone for one of the "pick up" trucks that are run by each of the prefectures. Within three minutes (we have timed it) the truck is there, the car is literally picked up and placed on the truck or towed behind and they are gone. To get the vehicle back is a process which we have not explored and since we don't have a car have no desire to; but knowing a little about the intricacies of French bureaucracy, we are grateful that we have one less element of it with which to concern ourselves.

So, what don't you understand about "No Parking"

We had a few ups and downs today. When Virginia finished at the Alliance, we were to meet near the Louvre. As I tried to use my Navigo, it failed. After a lot of mumbling and wild gesticulation on my part I managed to get on the Metro and reach our meeting place. My problem was greeted with a Gallic shrug from the official in the Metro. "It's your problem, not mine," seemed to be the attitude of officialdom. In the meantime Virginia had been going to the Tourist Office for the Ile de France. The Ile de France is the area outside the immediate metropolis of France and as we intend to visit a number of places within an hour or so of the Capital, it would have been useful to get some information. Despite all the guide books telling us the Office was there, it apparently has closed down. We have noticed that large cities do not sell themselves well. We may have remarked on the lack of visitors' information at Paddington in London and the same problem exists at the various arrival points in Paris.

A pleasant stroll up the rue de Rivoli with stops at two of the bookshops was a pleasant way to spend an hour or so. The French are great readers and the number of bookstores is truly astonishing. One of those we visited was W. H. Smith, which anyone who has ever visited England will recall from their ubiquitous presence in tube stations, railway stations and the High Streets.

Home and an hour or so at Cafe Francoeur where we posted our blogs for the last several days and another day passed for your correspondents in Paris.