My Spots to Soak up the Parisian Sun

This winter, we’ve been so deprived of sunshine. That means the following…

Sunshine + 70 degrees Fahrenheit + Paris = grab your sunglasses and head outdoors!

The most crowded places this weekend were just about any outside spot where you could sit, read a book or have a drink and soak up the sun.

It’s funny how the lack of this sort of weather builds up such a desire for it. I grew up in Florida, where most days are sunny and warm. All of us took it for granted and didn’t necessarily spend loads of time outdoors. As strange as this may sound, we were too used to the sunshine.

Here in Paris, it’s quite a different story. Since the total annual rainfall averages out to be 50 percent of the year, the sun is a pretty popular character when it shows up.

So where do Parisians worship the sun on such a day? My top 3:

The Seine. The banks turn into the perfect picnic spot as people lounge about, prepared with wine, cheese and good books.

A café. Nonstop traffic at any place that puts a chair and table on even the slimmest of sidewalks. Early in the morning for coffee or later in the day for a cold drink. At just about any time these past few days, good luck finding a free table.

A neighborhood park. Usually calm, but these days… With each step you take, you try to find place of available grass to place your toes. It looks like everyone is waiting for a concert or some sort of entertainment, but the entertainment is simply the weather!

We decided to do a bit of everything: an afternoon at the local park, a stroll along the Seine. We browsed through books of the booksellers along the banks of the river and walked along the Ile Saint-Louis. At the various vendors of Berthillon ice cream on the island, there had to be a total of 500 people waiting in line – that’s what sunshine and warmth does to Parisians!

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And my book tour continues! To read this 4-star review of “Paris, Rue des Martyrs” and enter to win a free copy of the novel, click here.