St. Tropez? The Greek islands? No, it's an island a bit closer to home, the western point of the Ile St-Louis. On a sweltering Saturday there's no reason not to act as if you're en vacances someplace wonderful. After all, Paris is pretty wonderful, isn't it?
The river allows a bit of breeze to blow and sun worshippers are out, but a few minutes in full sun are enough for us. The incredibly blue skies and sharp light are better viewed from a bench on the shady side of one of the little parks scattered here and there.
And although there are a lot of people on the streets in the tourist areas, the streets themselves are incredibly empty. Few cars are on the roads and the stop lights are blinking in vain, ignored by pedestrians who recognize the uselessness of waiting to cross the deserted streets. Except for the occasional tourist from some very law-abiding place who simply cannot make himself cross against the light.
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That last bit about the law-abiding tourist made me smile. In Vienna people stood at attention on deserted street corners waiting for the little man to turn green. A few days later I was in Paris, where the pedestrians swarmed the intersections like ants. Vienna made me consider my own mortality, and Paris makes me feel alive!
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