Visiting Paris during the Pandemic
When the French government announced that as of June 9, 2021 that France would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travelers, that was the green light that many of us francophiles were waiting for. In fact my French teacher Véronique who was based in Paris at the time said that on the morning of June 9, that the Americans were already there, which meant that they left the U.S. on the 8th to arrive exactly on (re)opening day. I actually waited for a little while just to make sure that things were going according to plan. Then I booked a ticket and off I went to my beloved Paris.
I remember on one afternoon while walking along the Seine, one of the bouquinistes (bouquinistes are the vendors at those green stalls by the river- shown above) said to me that to be here during a pandemic means that I must really love Paris. I responded, “oui, exactement!” (yes, exactly). Although the return trip to the states was a bit of pain since that required a negative Covid test, going into France was actually quite easy. All that was needed at the time was the CDC vaccination card and a health form to fill out at the airport. Several people asked how I felt about being in France in the middle of a pandemic and my response was that I felt more at ease there than I did in Georgia. The vaccination rate in France is above 80%. I liked that the mask mandate was consistent and people for the most part were compliant. There was plenty of outdoor seating at restaurants and cafés, more than usual because of Covid. And to navigate around the city, I walked everywhere rather than taking the metro. Here are a few pics from my visit to Paris during Covid days.
Hand washing stations and sanitizer dispensers are seen throughout the city. Then there’s the highly controversial “pass sanitaire” or health pass (center photo) which went into effect in July. This is a Covid vaccine QR code on your phone which you scan at the door before you can be admitted to places such as museums, bars, and restaurants. No pass. No entry.
The Luxembourg Garden is my favorite garden in Paris.
A chapel dedicated to the victims of Covid 19 at Saint Sulpice Church
One of the positive things that came from this pandemic is all of the newly created outdoor spaces. Restaurants have added chairs and tables onto the streets and sidewalks. It works well!
Bouncing around Saint Germain des Prés…
You don’t even have to go inside the museums because art is everywhere!
Saint Germain des Prés Church is the oldest church in Paris, dating back to the 6th century. It’s one of my favorite churches in Paris.
Speaking of churches, here she is… Notre Dame de Paris. There’s still a long way to go in the restoration project, but it’s coming along.
Dinner on my first night in Paris was in the 6th arrondissement. Every table has a bottle of sanitizer.
I know this café is touristy, but I still love it!!
The Palais Royal was the former residence of Cardinal Richelieu, chief assistant to King Louis XIII. In the later centuries, it became notorious for its wild house parties!
Covered passages from the 1800’s where well-to-do Parisians could dine, shop, and have afternoon tea were the predecessor to our modern day malls.
The museums were by reservation only and with timed entry tickets. I was able to visit the newly reopened Carnavalet, which is the Paris history museum. One of the updates at this museum was changing the Roman numerals on some of the signs to Arabic numerals or digits. Louis XIV for example was renamed Louis 14.
Another exhibit I was excited about, also by reservation only, was the Gabrielle Chanel exhibit at the Palais Galliera. This was absolutely stunning.
Place Furstenberg is one of my favorite little corners in Paris.
Although Zoé prefers the Marais neighborhood for shopping :)
On the morning of July 14 was the quatorze juillet (what we call Bastille Day in the U.S.) military parade. It was my first time seeing it and it was so impressive.
The Samaritaine department store had been closed since 2005 and finally reopened this summer. It’s so pretty inside!
Wine tasting in Paris, of course
Montmartre Village is always so charming.
Sometimes when I’m home at my Atlanta apartment I fantasize about being teletransported to Paris just to eat!
The Hotel Lutetia is classified as a “Palace Hotel”. These are hotels that have above the 5-star rating. The Lutetia is pet friendly and welcomes small dogs to join their owners at the lounge for cocktail hour. What’s funny is that Zoé was better behaved here than at the dog park! She just fits right in.
C’est tout pour l’instant (that’s all for now).
