Paris Watch Cities Empty As the French Take Their Sacred 'Vacance' By KIKI YOSHIDA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
バカンスでパリの街は空っぽ フランス人は大のバカンス好き。毎年夏には3、4週間の休みをとって海や山に出かけます。従ってこの時期、パリの街中からは地元の人たちの姿が消え、観光客ばかりになってしまいます。今回は、フランス人の休暇の楽しみ方について、レポートしてもらいます。

"Where is everybody? Paris is like a desert."

Overhearing a couple of tourists talking at a cafe the other day, I remembered the impression I got when I spent my first summer in Paris. "Where are all the Parisians?" I wondered.

In summer, the city changes dramatically. Suddenly the streets empty of their local crowds, and all you see are tourists walking around with big backpacks. But there's no need to worry. The Parisians are no doubt somewhere under the sun — at the beach or in the mountains. They just cannot miss their sacred summer vacation!

The word "vacance" is commonly used in Japanese now. But have you ever thought of the origin of this word? Many of you might have thought that it's an English word. But in fact, it's French.

If you know how indispensable vacance is for the French, it's not hard to guess where we got the word. Before vacation, people's minds are occupied with plans and ideas. And soon as they come back home, the French start thinking about the next vacation.

The tradition of taking a long vacation dates back more than 60 years. In 1936, the popular front government guaranteed workers a two-week paid vacation each year. Since then, it has become a custom. Now companies are obligated to give five weeks of paid vacation every year.

Generally workers take one week in spring, one week in winter and three weeks in summer (or one week in winter and four in summer). Obviously summer vacation is most important.

Around mid-June, the French start preparing. Major department stores even synchronize their sales, as if to say: It's time to spend money for your long-awaited vacation!

In August a lot of shops and restaurants are closed. The shop owners don't mix their own pleasure with business. They just close the shop for the whole month.

French people are crazy about vacance. I asked several people why it is such a big thing here. "Because we are lazy," said one man, laughing, "No, no, I'm just joking. But I can say that we are very good at enjoying ourselves.

"We love eating good food, drinking good wine and having a good time with family and friends."

Sounds perfect, doesn't it? Of course it's not just French people, everybody loves these things. The difference is that the French are capable of really doing in it. They don't think about other things like work and school, so they can enjoy vacation to the fullest. I see this attitude in daily life. Just imagine what it's like when they're on vacation!

As the vacation season draws near, something seems to compel people to ask, "Are you going somewhere this summer?" You might get tired of being asked the same old question. But even if you don't have any plan whatsoever, it's better to say, "Maybe." In most cases, no one really cares where you're going. It's just a common subject during this season.

The most popular destinations are Spain, Italy, Greece and North Africa (like Morocco). Many French prefer the seaside, particularly the Mediterranean Sea, but it is much more expensive than the mountains.

I found an interesting magazine article comparing prices in both areas. For example: A cup of espresso on a terrace costs 12F to 15F (¥300) at the seaside, but 8F to 10F (¥200) in the mountains. This is not a big difference. However, while you pay only 1,820F (¥3,640) to stay one week in an apartment in the mountains, the rent at the seaside soars to 6,615F (¥13,230).

Don't forget traveling within France, either. The south of France is the place to go! I watch the weather forecast every day and it's always hot down there. The most popular place for celebrities is St. Tropez. Stars from all over the world hang around the beach with their lovers. During the season, it's a good working place for paparazzi.

Unfortunately there are also bad aspects to taking such extended vacations. Because it is known that people will be gone for long periods, the number of burglaries increases in July and August. Just the other day I got a phone call from a friend who had been away for 15 days and told me his apartment had been broken into during his absence.

Another big problem is the death toll on the expressways. It's hard to watch the horrible sight of an accident on the television. The time that should be the happiest can turn into the saddest in a blink. You can never be too careful when driving, especially at peak hours. I'm planning to go somewhere this summer. I haven't decided yet, but I think going somewhere else in Europe would be nice. In fact, I can already imagine myself there. Have a great summer vacation, everybody! This is the one and only summer of 1999!

Shukan ST: Aug. 6, 1999

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