January in Paris-the City that Sleeps

Paris in January is a different place from the Paris you know in the spring, summer or fall.
She is in deep hibernation. There are several reasons.

The ‘winter solstice’ festivities have officially ended as of this past weekend (January 7-8), meaning, Christmas, New Years and ‘little Christmas’ or the feast day of the Epiphany (January 6th). Many shops and the town of Issy les Moulineaux have stubbornly kept their Christmas lights flickering at least until the 9th (which is great if you happen to arrive in Paris too late for Christmas or New Years. You feel as if you haven’t missed out completely on the festivities. You can still enjoy the celebration of the galette du roi (the King’s cake) a delicious almond paste filled cake where one ‘lucky’ person in your group gets to break a tooth or a filling on the plastic ‘feve’ which allows him the chance to be king for a day - and choose his very own queen. Kids of all ages seem to love this festival - although Nicolas the youngest in our group (at the age of 23) didn’t seem too keen on the idea of crawling underneath the dining room table to help us decide who should be assigned which piece of cake. Nevertheless he did concede in good sportsmanship to sit on the sofa with his eyes turned away from the cake while naming the recipients.
But aside from playing king for a day, there just isn’t much going on these days on the streets of Paris. It’s as if the whole city is sleeping. In a way that’s the truth. Due to the cost of the holidays, many people just stay home - and that includes grocery shopping. Never have i seen Innos (the local supermarket so deserted).
The other reason is the flu/viral cold that has really dug in its heels and decided make a home in Paris. Half the people i’ve spoken to are coughing, sneezing and feeling miserable in spite of flu shots. This particular viral cold strain appeared way back in October.
It starts with a sore throat and develops into a head cold, coughing, and sometimes is accompanied by fever.
Count on a solid week or longer for recovery.
Because this is the SLOWEST month in the year for retailors, they have banded together to create the
SALE which is a French institution.
There are some very specific rules. No one gets to start their sale sooner than anyone else in the spirit (except Perpignan which claims dispensation due to their proximity to Spain) of fairplay (if not free market) principles. The official day was yesterday, January 11. The sale is a progressive sale that can last for three weeks, with each being more advantagous to the customer.
This is the ONLY thing that seems to knock people out of their lethargy and encourage them to hit the Metro and the shopping districts to snag a deal.
I for my part have tried to contribute to the French national economy by making a trip to the Marais to a boutique called the GAVILANE. The sales staff is PHENOMENAL, extremely courteous, helpful, and very good with bustier hooks. Thanks a billion.
I think I’ll go back to sleep now for the rest of January.

By Parisgirl | Permalink

Related Posts

• New Parisian Winter Sport: Shopping
• Cheap Winter Airfare to Paris from the US
• Where is this?
• Bercy Village: Free Treats for Christmas
• Christmas Eve - No Room at the Inn

Subscribe Paris RSS Feed

Print

Share