Something has happened!

Windows are open, tables fill the sidewalks. People drink beer on the grass and are scolded back onto the paths by park officials. With the first rays of sun, Paris has transformed before my very eyes.

I went for a jog in Parc Monceau to clear my mind and enjoy the sun...but the park was like nothing I'd ever seen before! It was "Dejeuner sur l'herbe" by Manet times 1,000! Hundreds of people were lounging on the grass. Then, it appeared that the entire population of Paris had shrunk, as I could only see troves of small children running in every direction. Strollers blocked every path, moms and babies walking 10 deep such that I had to stop running and hop the fence to get around them.

Every restaurant that I pass seems to have expanded. Merry people drinking beer, coffee or wine fill tables that extend far into the sidewalk. Places I once thought had walls have opened them, and dining customers pour out of these openings. Rollerbladers fill the streets, kids rule the parks, teenagers lounge in every sunny spot...something has happened in Paris!