Paris Present and Future
Several years ago I founded Paris Off Script, a boutique business where I guide small groups of travelers—usually women—around the city of Paris in all-inclusive trips. The Covid-19 pandemic has, of course, posed challenges, and until international leisure travel resumes, I’ve tended the flame of my business in a variety of ways. This latest newsletter resonated with subscribers and I am pleased to share it here.
Bonjour à tous! Happy spring and greetings to friends old and new. I’m always delighted to say bienvenue to new subscribers — thank you! — and to know you want to experience Paris with me, in one way or another.
First, France, Covid, and travel. The intersection of those three things changes daily. What began last month as a lockdown for 19 regions, including Paris, became on April 3 a full-blown four-week national lockdown. Currently, everything in France except essentials is shuttered, travel is restricted to a six-mile radius, and a curfew, which has been in place in one form or another almost without cessation since the end of October, is enforced daily from 7pm to 6am. As of this writing, just under 7% of France’s population has been fully vaccinated. In the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris, 15% have received a first dose, and 5.6% are fully vaccinated.
On April 18, French President Emmanuel Macron appeared on “Face the Nation.” Asked whether “vaccinated Americans [will] be able to visit France this summer,” President Macron replied, “I hope so, and I do think so.” His remarks about easing restrictions in France next month have been interpreted by some to mean that Americans will be able to travel to France in May. I think this is wishful thinking. He was clear that restrictions throughout France will be lifted progressively. The day after the interview Le Monde quoted him as hopeful of “the possibility of seeing American tourists again set foot on French soil this summer.” For the moment, the only thing that seems assured is that outdoor dining will resume and cultural places will reopen, albeit with strict rules, in Paris sometime in May.
One thing is clear: the landscape for international travel will look different. I’ve participated in webinars with travel professionals who all agree that we can expect to show proof of vaccination, especially to travel hassle-free, especially internationally. The European Commission has been discussing procedures for several months. On April 19, France adopted an electronic certification for screening and vaccine attestations, an initial step toward a full health passport expected for the summer. Given this, and the challenges of reining in the virus, I can’t imagine that anything less will be required of foreigners.
All this makes me glad that Paris Off Script has from the get-go been designed for very small groups. While I can’t claim to be prescient, my feeling has always been that the intimacy created between ourselves and the city of Paris as well as among ourselves, leads to an overall unique experience. That takes on an expanded meaning now. Nevertheless, until all the issues are settled and clear, including what returning to the U.S. from abroad will entail, I am refraining from setting any trip dates.
That doesn’t mean I’m not doing fun Paris-related things! I set my creative sights to produce, direct, act in, edit, and post a cooking video of Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame. Meet Patrick, my Paris food collaborator; learn the difference between Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame; and watch me fry an egg à la française here: https://youtu.be/zR0PYxaak2Y. The technology learning curve is steep, but now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, I’m planning more videos on a variety of topics. If you enjoy this, please like and subscribe.
Art, architecture, history, food, language, these are the things I immerse myself in to stay current, fresh, and ready. Did you know that while preparing an excavation site for a rainwater retention basin, preventive archeologists recently uncovered a necropolis containing 1200 graves dating from the Middle Ages near the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport? Think of that next time you land in Paris!
Paris has taught me how to see, and that’s reflected in my photos. I’ve been posting an arrondissement series on Instagram (@parisoffscript). Beginning in the center and spiraling outward, there’s a photo (off script, bien sûr!) for each of the twenty arrondissements.
Two recommendations for the big screen. For fans of “Call My Agent,” the popular series imported from France on Netflix, a movie spinoff is in the works along with a fifth season. Do you have eight minutes? Search for “C’était un rendez-vous” and watch Claude Lelouch’s madcap high-speed drive through Paris. Though it was made in 1976, there are places that have not changed at all. Tell me it doesn’t leave you wanting to get on a plane!
Until then, I’ll close with these words from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Pour ce qui est de l’avenir, il ne s’agit pas de le prévoir, mais de le rendre possible. As for the future, it is not a question of foreseeing it, but of making it possible.
À bientôt!
