Back in July of 2007, Paris unveiled what has become a widely popular bicycle transit system, Velib, which provides citizens and visitors alike access to more than 20,000 bikes located throughout the city, that can be picked up and dropped off at any one of 750 “parking” stations.  Riders select a one day card, weekly pass or annual card. The self-serve stations are equipped with “muni-meters” that allow you make and pay for your selection and provides information on locations of other stations for eventual drop-off.  This is a great way to traverse the city for a day or to use as your method of transportation on a daily basis.  During transportation strikes similar to the one I experienced last November, not one single bike was available, anywhere.  As odd as it seems for us Americans to use biking as a method of transportation, Parisians are quite comfortable peddling around their city.  

Taking green to the next level, Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë has announced that by the end of next year, 4,000 electric cars will be available, again placed at locations in and around the city environs. This project, called Autolib, will make  small electric cars available for short journeys,  a daily jaunt from one of the city to the other when a bike or the metro just won’t do.

Green party councilors are already at odds with the scheme, claiming the city is encouraging citizens to drive instead of using their wonderful mass transit system or bike.  Seriously.  Have you ever seen traffic in Paris? Why one would want to tackle that is beyond me.  I think there are times I could get from one end of the Champs Elysée to the other on foot much quicker than in a car. But for days when hauling things around becomes a necessity, it makes total sense.  

Photo credit:  austinevan@flickr 

Post from: The Paris Traveler

I can easily go overboard on Valentine’s Day;  in our house it is second only to Christmas as our favorite holiday.  When my girls were little, I would take a pan of brownies and cut them into heart shapes or bake heart muffins and gingerbread or sugar cookies.   Since the month of  February is usually freezing in our part of the world, I would have these treats, hot chocolate and Valentine goodie bags all lined up in the kitchen for an early morning celebration before I sent them off to school.  

 Sharing ways to say “I love you” to people in my world lead me to find ways the city of Paris lets you get your love message out there. 

On Valentines Day, the hôtel de ville, or town hall, offers its luminous message boards to carry your personal message of love.   Mayor Bertrand Delanoë makes available over 170 panels throughout the city to send your Valentine an “I Love You” or “Will You Marry Me?”.  From now until February 14, you are able to post your message at paris.fr and let that special someone and the entire city know just how you feel.   Submit a 30 second video before February 11 and it will appear online throughout the day.  That’s technology doing it’s work!

You can’t actually post a message to it but you can take your loved to see and tell them your thoughts at “Le mur des je t’aime” or The Wall of I Love Yous. Located in Montmartre, the wall’s creator, Frédéric Baron, was inspired by “expressions of love” carved in trees throughout the city and wanted to create a permanent home for this romantic notion.  511 tiles sing the praises to “I Love You” in 1000 declarations of passion in 300 languages and dialects.  That is a lot of love!

So whether you stay home and bake heart shaped brownies or escape with your loved one to Paris and take him or her to the wall of love or declare your sentiments on a moving screen, just be sure to find a way to say, Je t’aime!

Valentine at rockscissorpaper!  Great site!

Post from: The Paris Traveler