Summertime in Paris #1

Summer has arrived in Paris.  We know that because the calendar tells us so.  If we didn't have a calendar, we would still know Summer is here, because of the heat.  

Because Paris is in northern Europe, summers in Paris are variable.  Some are cool and rainy, others are warm and pleasant, others are hot or very hot.  

So far, this Summer is bordering on very hot.  Daytime high temperatures have approached 100 with high humidity.  In fact, the French government has issued heatwave warnings on television and on electronic street signs.  The French now take heatwaves (canicules) very seriously following the terrible European heatwave of 2003.  France was not accustomed to a sustained heatwave and residential air conditioning was (and is) uncommon.  Tragically, thousands of people in France died due to the 2003 heatwave.   

There is no need to worry about us.  We are taking the canicule warnings seriously.  We do not have air conditioning in our apartment.  However, we have electric fans, we drink lots of water, and we know where to cool off -- in movie theaters and shopping malls, just like when we were young.  

We still take long walks, perhaps moving a bit more slowly than usual.  We have honed our shade-finding skills.  We especially like walking in the nearby Tuileries garden.  The garden has tree-lined walkways providing cool shade from the sun.  The garden's designer, André Le Nôtre, made sure in 1664 that visitors could enjoy shaded walks in the garden.  Thanks, André. 

The other day, we took a long walk in the Tuileries garden.  The sun was hot and bright, but a welcome breeze and the shaded walkways made the stroll enjoyable.  Plus, we enjoyed seeing Summer flowers that are thriving in the hot sun.    

In the photograph below, the wildflowers represent Paradise.

The wildflowers are planted around the beehives in the garden.  So, if you are a bee, you are in heaven.  

Thanks for sharing Summer in Paris with us.