April in Paris

Masses of tulips everywhere, parisians sunning in the park, magpies singing and frisky frenchmen, this is April in Paris! The winter months are long and brutal here. The sky is gray for weeks on end, the wind is bitter and will cut you like a knife, the suicide rate rises, and just as one is contemplating the latter, voila! C'est printemps! Spring arrives bringing with her warm sun, balmy breezes, and the promise of romance. The citizenry of Paris, normally grumpy, begin planning their summer holidays and attempt to jumpstart their tans on tiny apartment terraces and in the park. Tourists crowd into the city, teenagers on spring break and retirees clutching maps and clogging the metro in their confusion. Young hip girls put their shorts away (shorts are worn here only when the temperature drops below freezing, with tights for - warmth?) and boots are traded for ballet flats and Converse style tennis shoes in every colour of the rainbow. The department stores are full of women shopping for a new maillot, which in turn boosts the sales of anti-cellulite products of every variety. Windowboxes are replanted with brightly coloured flowers, adding to the ambience of the city, and PDA abounds! (did I mention frenchmen become extremely frisky?) But don't blink, or you'll miss the tulips, which last only a few weeks before disappearing.....it's April in Paris!