Iron shutters are rolled up and plywood sheets are dismantled – May 19th is a long-awaited date in Paris.
For the first time in over six months, the city's restaurants, cafes and bars are reopening their terraces after one of the strictest corona lockdowns in Europe.
Michel Allouche can hardly wait to see his favorite bar again. Tomorrow is far away.
”"Finally we get our lives back," he tells TT.
Since the 30th Last October, Rue Mouffetard, like so many other Parisian party streets, was completely deserted. Establishment after establishment was boarded up, with rolled-down iron shutters for the doors and plywood panels for the windows.
But for about two weeks now, after President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country's terraces – along with theaters, museums and cinemas – would finally be allowed to reopen, the street has begun to come to life. Drilling and carpentry are taking place on every corner as bar and restaurant owners rush to convert every available millimeter into a terrace.
”"It's going to be a blast soon!" exclaims a happy bartender peering out of a doorway at the popular beer bar Bar 88, whose new wooden terrace is still covered in sawdust."”
A little further down Across the street is the slightly fancier bistro Restaurant Les 5, whose 20 tables and 40 chairs are already strategically lined up inside the door to be quickly carried out as soon as they open on Wednesday morning. In honor of the evening, the French curfew will also be shortened from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
”"It feels like a liberation," owner Alexandre Nguyen tells TT.
He says that a few days ago he had to start turning down requests for table reservations.
”The Parisians have really longed for their terraces, I don't think they've been without them for this long since the war,” he says.
36-year-old film editor Michel Allouche almost has tears in his eyes when he talks about his approaching party night at his favorite bar Demain c'est loin in eastern Paris.
”Everyone knows where I'll be on Wednesday,” he says, describing the bar as his second living room where he even met his girlfriend.
”"For the past six months, my life has pretty much just consisted of going between work and home. It's felt incredibly empty. Finally we get our lives back!" he smiles happily.
Source: TT
