 | Paris is pretty quiet right now. Only grocery stores and pharmacies are open. We are only allowed out for one hour per day for exercise, before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m., and you have to take along a form you filled out with your info. There aren’t enough police on the streets to catch everybody, but there are enough to make you jumpy about breaking the rules. |
I’ve never seen Paris this muted. And this stillness is eerie--not like on Sundays when most stores are closed, or in August, when Parisians flee to the countryside. This is different. There aren’t many people or cars or bicycles or scooters. People wear masks or gloves, and we zigzag along the sidewalk, trying to avoid each other by a meter. Nobody wants to say we don’t trust each other, but if you’re going to flatten the curve in a densely populated area, you’re going to have to dodge people. We feel suspicious.
With so many closed businesses, I’ve started to notice the signage. Some of these were in place before the confinement, but I never noticed them because they were only visible when the shops closed for the night, not all day like now. Some of them are temporary.
For right now, I’m happy to have visual contact with other humans through signage. It gives me hope that someday we’ll be funny and carefree and brave with each other again. We were before, and now we’re starved for human connection. It might be even better, when the crisis is over.
With so many closed businesses, I’ve started to notice the signage. Some of these were in place before the confinement, but I never noticed them because they were only visible when the shops closed for the night, not all day like now. Some of them are temporary.
For right now, I’m happy to have visual contact with other humans through signage. It gives me hope that someday we’ll be funny and carefree and brave with each other again. We were before, and now we’re starved for human connection. It might be even better, when the crisis is over.
 This cheese shop’s sign uses a French expression “en faire tout en fromage,” which means to make a big deal out of something (because making cheese is a big complicated undertaking). |  You have beautiful feet, you know. |
 Confidence |  Les Passantes, boutique and cafe |
 Le Petit Village, cafe. |  Support our caregivers. |
Stop feminicide. These signs protesting domestic violence have been up around Paris for several months. With the confinement, calls to domestic violence hotlines have risen 30%. Remember these women, help if you can.
Thank you to our heroes.
 This mural has been here for a long time, but it’s really a bright spot now. |  Your market. |
The banner across the top refers to the months of the year.
See you soon, from the team at Bouquet d’Asters.
I’ll be back in 5 minutes. This sign has been up since the beginning of the confinement. It gives me hope that we’ll be up and running soon.