We love Paris in August

Each summer we take our vacation in July to ensure that we are around the entire month of August because we LOVE Paris in August. And do you know why? Because all the Parisians are GONE! They flee the city starting around the last week of July and don't return until the very last week of August and let me tell you, it is AWESOME! Parking is easy to find and there are loads of smiling, happy people on the métro (those would be the tourists). But my absolute favorite part of Paris in August has to be the silence. It is so quiet on Sunday morning as we walk to the park that the only sound we hear is the chirping of the birds in the trees. It's almost like living in a ghost town. Paris takes on a whole new beauty when experienced in the silence of August. Although, this post would not be complete without mentioning the signs. It is tradition to put up a sign in your shop window informing the general public the dates you are closed. Most of them are handwritten and small. Some are so small in fact that you have to get within inches of the glass to read them. I'm fascinated by the fact that, most of the time, the French live in the 21st century like the rest of us. But when it comes to vacation, they live in 1955 when you would close your business for an entire month.