March 12, 2023 to March 16, 2023
Paris - A surprise visit and French politics
Monday, Mar 13
I arrived back in Paris yesterday afternoon to a mountain of garbage piled in front of my apartment - but more on that in a bit. The big news of the day was a WhatsApp message from France, one of the cyclists on the Moroccan tour. She and her partner Mark were on their way home to Boston and had just discovered that their connecting through CDG was cancelled until the following day. With an unexpected free 24 hr on the outskirts of Paris, she wondered if they could take me up on my previous offer to stay at my apartment, or perhaps meet for dinner in Paris. Of course I welcomed them, and they were soon in a taxi heading for the 15th arrondissement.
We made a quick trip to the corner bakery for the petite dejeuner special – a baguette sandwich, dessert and drink all for €10 - which we took back to the apartment. France had never been to Paris, while Mark had visited years ago for a short time, so they we open for suggestions as to how to spend the day. It was Monday and most museums were closed, but on hearing that they both love to walk, so I sent them off to explore some of my favorites sites in central Paris of foot while I stayed in, catching up on the journal, my French lessons and other small tasks that needed tending before leaving for Spain. It was just passed six when they returned, having done a grand walking tour the included stops at the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Sorbonne and Luxembourg Gardens.
For dinner I’d booked an Italian restaurant near the Eiffel Tower, one that Rachael and Scott had discovered when they were in Paris last summer. It was not a far walk from my apartment, and the choice allowed an up close view of the iconic Paris landmark. We enjoyed a fine meal and afterwards walked around to the far side of the now-lit Eiffel Tower where we waited with a small crowd of onlookers. Shortly, the clock struck 10 pm and the lights began to twinkle. There was still magic in Paris, even if the streets were piled with garbage.
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Tuesday – Thursday, Mar 14-16
France and Mark left Tuesday morning and the rest of my time in Paris was filled with walks around the neighborhood, journaling, French class and preparing for a month-long tour in Spain. While there was little excitement in my routine, the streets of Paris were filled - not just with garbage but with large demonstrations against French President Macron's push to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Worker strikes are not uncommon in France, “it is the national sport, behind football” exclaimed my French teacher. But the proposed reform in the pension plan has resulted in widespread and prolonged disruption to many services, including planes and rail service. The garbage collectors in Paris have been on strike for more than a week, with growing concern in some quarters about an infestation of rats. No vermin have been spotted in my neighborhood, but the decision to continue the strike another five days is worrisome, not to mention smelly.
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There were widespread protests throughout France on Wednesday, and I was tempted to go to Les Invalides where the Paris protests were planned. On Thursday, the Parliament voted on the Pension Reform proposal and while it passed in the upper house of Parliament, the votes were less certain in the lower house. Fearing failure, Macron used a constitutional provision to push the reform through without a vote. Opposition parties quickly filed a motion of no-confidence and new rounds of protests sprung up, including a large gathering in Paris at the Place de la Concorde that included Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a leftist and four-time losing presidential candidate.
For now, the unions vow to continue their strikes, with disruptions planned for this weekend and into next week. Usually, the disruptions are not all encompassing – for example, though rail workers are on strike, “4 in 5 of the normal high-speed TGV services will run, 3 in 5 Intercité services and 3 in 5 of the normal services on the local TER network.” In addition, unions are required by law to give advance notice on the details of the disruptions. So far, my flight to Granada on Friday has not been affected. My bags are packed, my fingers crossed, and the alarm is set for 4 am.
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