Rainy day in Paris

I awake to the sound of pounding rain accompanied by low rumbling thunder. It's after 9 AM and I realize that I finally fell asleep after getting up several times in the night to adjust the fan, open the windows wider, freshen the cold washcloth on my face, neck and chest. What a welcome change after the oppressive heat of the last two days.

I do love Paris in all seasons and in all types of weather, although when it's cold it's really really cold, and when it's hot, it's too hot. There is very little air conditioning in Paris. You can find it in the very large department stores, and in some but certainly not all movie theatres, and some but not all cafes and restaurants. The crowded metro is the worst, with passengers struggling to maintain some distance and some space to breathe in the suffocating trains.

This morning's rain is welcome. The temperature is back in the 70's after the 90's of the last two days. It's Saturday and the start of the "grand depart" for some. School just ended this week and Paris will start to empty of residents and fill with tourists for the next two months. I seem to be traveling in reverse - arriving back in Paris just when many are leaving. But I'm happy to have some empty days ahead: Days to wander and to write and to enjoy the music playing in the background of my new apartment.

p.s. I did go out to the market this morning and here is the view from under the Monet umbrella that I bought in Giverny during my visit with Teri and JD.