Paris on Sundays

Stacy: Thank you for reminding me of the gas stations. They don't have much for sale but are good in a pinch. Sunday openings are definitely changing.
Some people DO want to work.

Please keep in mind that many French people are moving away from where they were born and raised - in pursuit of better jobs (or jobs). It's a shame but probably within the next generation, traditional Sunday lunches with be increasingly rare.

I remember that too, Ellen. Seems like a lifetime ago. There are pros and cons... I remember growing up and having a huge family dinner in mid afternoon, parents and all of us siblings present, dining room, good china, the works. The same was true for my friends. It was nice and I often looked forward to it.

Unfortunately, I didn't preserve the tradition. I only do the big family dinner about once a month or less. I enjoy lounging around and taking my time on Saturdays after a full week of work, knowing that I can run some errands and shop Sundays if i want. I do miss the huge weekly family celebration, but I didn't complain when the stores began opening on Sundays.

I too wonder if Sarkozy will succeed...

Yes, it's an interesting debate.

I remember years ago, when I was growing up, grocery - and other - stores in the US were closed on Sunday. It's so much a way of life now that we take it for granted. It sounds like Sarkozy is trying to head in the same direction. And from the article in Stacy's post, it sounds like some (many?) in Paris, at least, would happily work on Sunday.

Do you think Sarkozy will succeed?

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

After reading Karen's article, I wanted to comment but couldn't there, so I'm doing it here.

Actually, it's surprising how many things in Paris are open on Sundays, as traditionally nearly everything has been closed. In in my neighborhood, as in many others, some of the grocery stores are open on Sunday mornings, from about 9:30 to 1:30. Many of the shops along rue de la Convention take advantage of the presence of the open market on Sunday to also open their doors. The large Asian grocery stores are also open on Sundays (and offer a fair selection of non-Asian products too). Home improvement stores and garden stores are often open at least part of the day on Sunday. The shops in the Carousel beneath the Louvre are open, and of course there are a number of open shops along the Champs-Elysées.

I think the closest thing France has to a 24-hour supermarket may be the convenience stores located in gas stations. There's one across from the rue du Bac metro, near my old neighborhood, and even though I never went there in the middle of the night it was reassuring to know that it was there if I needed it.

Here's an interesting article on the subject:
Sarkozy seeks to spur spending by letting French stores open on Sunday