Descent into darkness

It was nice to have a week of warm weather before we at last descend into The Long Dark Winter. Granted, I suppose to some a winter in Paris is not that bad, but to a native Californian who is used to the sun everyday...well let's just say that I'm usually pretty desperate for some warmth come February.

It's funny, I never thought a thing about the weather before coming here. There was never much to talk about. Today is sunnier than yesterday, because today my shadow is black, while yesterday it was a dull gray. Now it's a topic of conversation that rears its head at least once in every day. It's cold, it's very cold, it's weirdly warm, it's time to bring out the doudoune...

Anyway, because I insist on taking advantage of any warm weather that comes our way, on Friday we had a picnic on the slope at Montmartre with a friend who has just moved to Paris. It was a warm and lovely evening, and we could see all of the lights of Paris. We had a bottle of Cotes du Rhone and some various cheeses. I have this picnic backpack thing which has to be the thing that rocks most in this world. It comes with plates and glasses and cutlery, all very lightweight, plus a detacheable bottle sack that is insulated, and a little spot to attach a bamboo picnic mat. Unfortunately, I only bought it a few weeks ago, so I have to wait several months before really getting some use out of it.

In a perverse way, I think the change of seasons really forces one to get out and take advantage of the day. In California, we never thought a thing about a sunny day, we would go to the movies on a sunny day because who cares, it will be sunny again tomorrow. Here, you have to catch every last ray, while you can, and make it last, make it memorable...