Spring has Sprung

Near the Chateau de Versailles

I always comment that Spring just sort of hits us in Paris around mid-March. And for the most part, it is true. Usually around the 15th or so, I start noticing that it is light for my morning run (around 6:30 if the weather permits, 7:30 at the gym, if the weather is being a bastard) and all of a sudden the temperature warms up noticeably, we have sunnier days and light past 5 p.m.

However, there are other ways Spring announces itself. The most breathtaking are all of the budding flowers and trees. Not that Paris is really a "green" city or anything, but I do try to get out to the suburbs about two times a month and Versailles is always a nice, Springy city to see. Also, the 13th arrondissement (Asian Quarter) has an excellent boulevard lined with horse chestnut trees which are just breathtaking. I often miss their flowering because the blooms only last about 10 days, or so it seems, but it is always worth the trip to catch a glimpse of them.

But by far, the announcement of Spring's arrival I find most amusing in every sense of the word is the plethora of nude or partially nude advertisements. True to form, the French have no problem with the human body, but sometimes these photos, magazines, ads, etc. just take my breath away. For example the magazine Votre Corps (might be slightly incorrect on this title). For the month of March, they had a completely naked woman on the cover. Full frontal. Don't get me wrong, she was perfect, just a bit shocking to see a nine foot version at the local paper stand. Just today I saw another magazine with a girl, fully dressed, pulling her dress to the side to cheekily expose a breast. And don't even get me started on Tetu, the magazine for the young gay male. I nearly trip every time I see its cover.

Anyway, Spring is here and hopefully with it, pleasant weather for all of the Northern Hemisphere!