Le Marais in Paris was hit by a pretty hefty snowfall last night, and it's still so cold that it has stayed on the ground. It's a very pretty sight, and reminds me that I am actually in Europe, but it can pretty quite perilous. When the snow melts, often iced puddles are left behind, and these are harder to see. I have already very nearly come to grief in this circumstance a few times, but averted a complete tumble on each occasion. Somehow. I guess it's only a matter of time. The snow that is hanging around today is not enough to manufacture snowballs, but it's sufficient to give the air a frosty chill and the cars a powdery coating of white so pretty that belies its dangerous potential.
I am really looking forward to getting out today and seeing whether the rest of Paris was similarly afflicted. I think last night's temperature city-wide was -7 degrees Celcius and it's at temperatures like that when I'm grateful that the Metro stations are opened during the night (rather than closing down at midnight), to accommodate Paris's many homeless people. Otherwise, their chances of survival would be slim to none, I'm sure.
This is my last full day in Paris for a while, so I'm not going to let the residual snow and lingering cold deter me from exploring. I think today's adventure will take us to the Sacre Coeur and maybe to the Eiffel Tower if it's not too windy. What we don't get done today can always wait until next time. But a non-negotiable inclusion on today's program is a crepe with nutella from one of the great little kiosks scattered around. They look so good, I can no longer fight it.
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