One Day When It Snowed in Paris
One day last week the blackbirds (merles in French) were chirping away in a choral cacophony of song at 5:30 am. I wondered if springtime was around the corner — in mid-January! That springtime moment was short-lived.
Thirty-two departments, including Paris and Ile-de-France, were placed under snow warnings.
Saturday was going to be a snow day in Paris. Météo-France and our Echo-dot, Alexa, confirmed that the snow would begin by 11 am Saturday.
Coincidentally, Saturday was the same day the new curfew time was activated: Be home by 6 pm. The snow had a small window of time to perform.
Snow Timetable
By 10:30 am we were teased with barely visible white flakes.
By 11 am the weather prophecy had come true.
The bulk was falling right in the middle of lunch and nap time!
A visit to the Tuileries Gardens is only a few metro stations from the Bastille. Unless there is a demonstration. Voilà! In preparation for the ensuing demonstrations, access to the Bastille, whether by car or by metro Line 1, was cut off.
Now it was a race against the time see snow in Paris. After a circumvented metro voyage, I found the snow still powdering and dusting the bushes and statues in the Jardin des Tuileries.
Boys were rolling the snow into large balls for snowmen.
Family photos were being taken.
By 3 pm the snowflakes were mixing with rain drops.
When I returned to the Bastille, Gendarmes vehicles were still blocking the main boulevards because of the demonstrations. The snow had melted and lockdown began at 6 pm. It was nice to get out and feel the freshness and enjoy something of a normal day in Paris when it snowed. Voilà!
Past Snows Days in Paris:
Paris Scenes: Balcony, Street & Snow
December 1 – It Is Snowing In Paris
