Vigipirate is our special security plan : the name comes from " vigi " (the lookout) who was, long years ago, the man who was at the top of the mast, in particular to see if there were no " pirats " in the neighbourhood. This plan exists since the 1995 attacks in Paris . We have different levels of " Vigipirate ", presently we are at the highest level which is exceptional. what does that consist in? First, the security is strongly reinforced in some places as airports, railways stations and every sensitive areas with a significant presence of soldiers and policemen. If you plan to come to Paris or to go back home, be prepared to wait at the customs, controls are at their highest levels. Now in Paris, don’t be surprised if policemen ask you to open your bag or to show your passport, perhaps they will not speak in english but you will have no problem to understand their request !  Everywhere in the town suspect things are systemetically and rapidly taken in charge and sometimes destroyed by special units of the Police. If you observe suspect things, it is highly recommended to inform the Police as soon as possible. All the public cabages in the streets are closed or replaced with transparency bags ! On an other hand, you are not allowed to park your car in front of schools, universities and public administrations. In the main Paris stores and private areas, there are private watchmen who ask people to open their bags for security reasons. Finally, many policemen, not recognizable because wearing civil clothes, are in alert.

Traffic Jams: If you are coming again to Paris, you will observe some changes in the traffic ! The new mayor of PARIS has declared the war to cars inside PARIS !! All this started during summer when the new mayor has decided that the " Voie express rive droite " (an express avenue for cars) passing along the river Seine have been closed for cars and reserved for walkers and cyclists ! The consequences were more than 200 miles of traffic jam in Paris every day with people spending for instance more than 5 hours to go from one side of Paris to the other side ! ... More, during august they have built new large bus lanes in the main Paris avenues, so it is more and more a nightmare to drive in PARIS, except if you are a public bus driver !

Even if the idea to promote public transport was quite good, the consequences have not been forecasted : for instance garbagge collection trucks cannot work any more properly, deliveries trucks and Funds transfer trucks cannot anymore stop just besides stores or banks because of the Bus lanes bordered with small but so dangerous walls ! ! !

Thus, if you plan to come to PARIS : Take the BUS or the Metro ! ! !

The Euro : On january 1^st 2002, we will say Welcome to our new money the Euro : during automn, all stores have to show their prices in both moneys : francs and Euros. You can imagine what does it mean for people to forget their money and to adopt a new one: in january, all will be in Euro, except the keys on the computers keyboards as the Euro symbol does not exist on many of them ! ! 

It is very close to the Eiffel Tower, in the 7eme aera (metro Ecole Militaire, 5 ms walk).

It is a typical merchant and pedestrian street, with in its backs, the College Jules Romain (a high school where my son is learning). From the ends of the street you can see all the typical parisian stores and their stalls put on the pavement: fromagers (with cheese which smell heavily, we love that here !) , poissoneries ( with whole fresh fishes presented on ice (not prepared), coming during the night from the Britany or Normandy  coasts or elsewhere), and maraichers ( fruits and vegetables with merchants crying loudly to promote their muschrooms ! This is the season, there are plenty of them coming from our forests... One can see also street peddlers selling any kind of things, so funny!  Some of them are fantastic, they are as actors playing a role and using all the golden rules to convince you to buy something that you don’t need at all. Buying to them is a little bit rewarding them for their talent. A lot of people, a lot of noise and some very discrete but very efficient policemen, with civil clothes, (vigipirates) among the crowd.

On Saturday and Sunday the " Rue Cler " is particulary busy, a lot of parisians from the 7^th area are used to come here to do their shopping for their week-end lunches and dinners. Musician bands are playing in the street with accordions, trombons or violins. I suggest you to have a lunch at the Cafe du Marché (in the middle of the street), the prices are reasonnable, the food is excellent and the service is fine!  You can have a drink outside on tables put on the pavement and after you can have  a big salad for only US $ 6.25 on the terrasse. If you go there one day, there is a high probability that you meet me because I have adopted it to lunch during the week . My Babioles’Shop is located just besides.