Paris. Of food and buildings, 24 May 2012

The reality that we are soon to leave this lovely flat was brought home today when we booked into our flights and had the boarding passes printed out. A question, then.  If one wants information, where does one go?  Well, if you are a woman your starting point might well be your hairdresser and this was certainly the case with Virginia. Since he is just around the corner, he is well aware of the scaffolding going on and this was the topic of conversation. 

Scaffolding on building across the road

Virginia learned from him and other clients in the salon that the law requires that the exteriors of all buildings in Paris are cleaned every ten years.  Apparently one receives notice from the Prefecture that the cleaning should take place and then ensues a lengthy process of negotiation, getting quotations, putting off tactics, etc. which can stretch over several years.  Remember the buildings consist of individual apartments, the owner of which all have specific needs.  However it is the law that this work is carried out.  The cost varies depending upon the facing of the building.  For a traditional Paris stone building such as the one in which we stay and the one opposite us the cost, according to the hairdresser, is approximately 20,000 Euro. One with a brick facing would be substantially less. 

Brick Faced Building

Traditional Stone Faced Building

The work can take from six to ten months and is very disruptive to everyone in the neighbourhood -- not just the residents of the building.  It is noisy and dirty and while the building is being cleaned the outside of the scaffolding is encased in plastic.  Not conducive to comfort in a hot, sticky Paris summer! For anyone buying an apartment in Paris, one of the first questions they would ask is "when is the exterior due to be cleaned?"

Buildings wrapped in plastic

On our afternoon outing we passed a local primary school.  Those interested in how the French raise their children might find a primary school lunch menu interesting.  Here is one posted outside the school. No Vegemite sandwiches, pies, pasties or sausage rolls on offer here.  Notice the meals are also using this as a teaching tool for the upcoming London Olympics. Eating lunch together is compulsory for primary school children and the meal is free.  The interaction of children at mealtime is considered an extremely important part of the socialisation process.

Click on Menu to enlarge