Paris cancels another opening night
mainHoffmann’s off.
Will this strike never end?
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Striking the set suddenly has a new meaning.
As one who just returned from a week in Paris, I have to say that I am mystified by the sangfroid Parisians.
I understand that the metros are running close to normally again, but for weeks they were not. The roads were clogged and people looked glum. The opera houses were dark and the museums closed early. The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre were inaccessible from time to time. Going to concerts in the evening, I had to take taxi/Uber to return (because most metro lines only ran during rush hours). I skipped a performance held at the Philharmonie because it was just too darn much trouble to get to.
Through all that, life goes on; the pension reform protest reportedly still enjoy over 60% of poll approval, and people all over the world still flock to the city. I did witness a few disgruntled locals stepping over yellow tapes to enter a metro platform that was shut off. I guess even Parisians can only take so much.
Is this strike likely to continue into February? I have tickets for Barbiere and Hoffmann and it’s a long way to travel from Singapore …
These seem to be cancelled on quite short notice. Surely it’s not ideal, but hopefully you’ll have a ‘Plan B’ in case your performances are cancelled.
We’ve visited Paris for one month visits the last several years, but were mostly untouched until a near-total shutdown of the Metro last fall. We had to resort to Uber, and even then the rides were extremely slow (due to the shutdown) and expensive. I think we spent over a hundred Euros to get to and from where we were going.
We love Paris, but until this gets settled, we’re off to other destinations. Spain is next!
If your hotel is in the centre, then it is easy to walk to most places in Paris that you would want to go when on vacation.
I think many of the French in so-called public services resent working at all, they would rather retire at 25. Paris is increasingly a shabby and shoddy city.
In our visits to Paris we have not at all been left with the sour taste your post represents. Definitely do not go there if that’s your feeling.
You can be assured I won’t.
Certain french groups within the protesting crowds propose full pension at 18 so that they will have some more free time. This plan is supported by the idea that economy will florish thanks to increased café frequency, theatre and concert visits, museums, etc.
The waiting is for the government, representing the People, to strike.
Unfortunately there is no longer a French monarchy, offering the People a more theatrical way to have their anger ventilated.
Apart from the 1968 pantomime, so important for the memoirs of decomposing Marxists, the last major confrontation between revolutionaries and the French government was the Commune of 1871. I am sure we don’t want a repeat of 20,000 deaths.