A taste of Beijing in Paris

I'd hardly been able to see the Eiffel Tower from my window for the past half week which, from my vantage point, meant something was up. When Peter and I went running along the Champs de Mars a few evenings prior, the Eiffel Tower was surrounded by a golden halo, no Instagram needed. I've never seen the Paris air so thick. Luckily, a small taste of Beijing was enough to spring the city into action. In an effort to clear the air, the city's public transport system was free all weekend long (and car traffic was also restricted). Normally free metro rides would be great but, for someone with an annual pass, the convenience factor only stretched as far as to not have to fish through my purse each time I wanted to hop a ride across town. Luckily enough, the air's cleared sufficiently that the Eiffel Tower has reappeared in my apartment window before I could think to snap a photo to share. It was definitely an unusual(ly hazy) week in Paris.

This week, the smog of Beijing descended upon Paris. Luckily, with a city-wide effort to reduce emissions through reduced car traffic and free public transportation, the air seems to be clearing up.