Working out

 

An early workout behind the Basilica of Sacré Coeur.

Dry run

 

 

Soon after the rain stopped these pompiers left the caserne to get in some exercise.

Maskless

Masks not required bicycling or jogging.

Take it away

 

Perfect for roaming....

With seemingly never ending lockdowns and curfews, and despite days growing colder, leaving the sofa to stretch legs and inhale fresh air has become a daily essential. 

Atop (or at the foot of) Montmartre stairways and on its winding streets, expect unexpected enclaves that harbor comfort in the form of familiar faces and hot drinks, but only à emporter - to take away. - BPJ

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  Tip: whatever small or medium drink you order - espresso, tea, café noisette, hot chocolate... - ask for a large cup to be able to balader without spilling or having to fumble with plastic lids

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 - Tomorrow: more emporter -

Autumn arbor

 

Jumping rope beneath a lush arbor of autumn leaves.

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Autumn in Montmartre

Meditation

No matter what time I take my daily walk I know I will see this man, somewhere on the butte, meditating.

Farewell to le métro

...And bonjour to bicycling, walking and, when necessary, taxis, Ubers and buses, until the virus is under control - or better, disappears altogether when at last we can say, "Farewell le Covid." - BPJ

A safe and beauty-filled weekend to one/all.

Oasis

Marcel's on Avenue Junot has become a new daily stop, just up the stairs from our usual hangout.

Working in

 

 Many Parisians are using the confinement / stay-at-home time to get (or stay) in shape. Whether it's Pilates, yoga, dancing in place or lifting weights, the lockdown has been an opportunity to tone up, and if we need help, trainers and studios are offering free online workout classes... all at one's fingertips with but a quick online search. For many, like former CHANEL model now author Caroline de Maigret (find her books on Amazon) - who openly admits to pretty much hating scheduled-workout anything - exercise doesn't mean a structured gym routine, and in Paris, staying active doesn't even feel like "exercise" partly because most everyone walks as much as possible and uses bicycles to get around as part of daily life.

 

However, things are changing. Gym clubs (salles de sport), once a rarity, have sprouted up in unexpected neighborhoods. While most workouts come from the U.S., Swedish Gym is popular, mostly among women, offering cheap and numerous classes around the city. Runners, another rarity until fairly recently, seem to be everywhere. And of course Montmartre, with its hilly streets and many stairways has become my own personal daily workout territoire - a perfect excuse to enjoy this dazzling spring weather, not that I need one. - BPJ

 

Above: Vitruvian Hog

 

 

Tai chi

Early morning Tai Chi in the Jardin des Plantes.