1. I never quite know how to feel about Paris in the fall. On the one hand, fall in Paris (as the song reminds us) is pretty drizzly. We go through weeks where it will rain every day – maybe not all day, but at least an afternoon shower. But then again, every once in awhile, when it’s not too wet and not too cold, Paris comes through with some pretty beautiful views.
2. One of my favorite Paris activities, especially in the fall, is walking along the quais de Seine to visit the bouquinnistes, the pop-up booksellers who set up shop on either side of the river in the center of Paris. I guess it reminds me of back to school shopping (and yes, it’s been four years since I was in school.) Individual sellers aren’t present every day (including the woman who runs this one, one of my favorites, who’s been absent the last two times I visited), but the upside is that since they rotate, there’s always at least a few sellers open on a Sunday.
3. Once I’ve picked up a book, it’s an easy walk to the Luxembourg Gardens, where these chairs – impossible to come by in the summer – are a dime a dozen. If I bundle up and remember to bring my travel mug, though, it’s still pleasant enough to sit in the sun and read.
4. And when the inevitable drizzle returns, I can always hole up just down the block at my alma mater – the Sorbonne looks particularly fetching in fall, don’t you think?
5. The sun starts to set very early in Paris in the fall. During World War II, France was put on Berlin time despite the fact that geographically, we should be on London time, and despite the end of the war in 1945, we’ve never switched back. The result is that as the weather gets cooler, the sun starts setting closer and closer to 4:30 in the afternoon… but you do get pretty late afternoon looks at the sun peeking through the trees. I guess Paris in the fall isn’t that bad after all.