Parking in Paris...

Oi, you with the dirty mind! No, not that kind of parking! I mean parking... the actual manoeuvring of a car into a designated space. Just like any big city, Paris has its fair share of cars. And, just like any big city, there aren't enough car parks to go 'round.

Living in Paris has meant I've once again had to get used to not having a car. It's not so bad and the metro is pretty darn zippy for getting from A to B. When I see cars parked in Parisian streets it often fills me with a huge sense of relief that I don't have to navigate reverse parallel parking and here's one of the reasons why:

Most of the time the cars only have a couple of inches between them. I have no idea how they ever get out! To those who can manage this feat, I tip my hat beret to you in admiration...

Seeing cars parked so close together reminds me of this classic scene from Friends. You can watch it here. Enjoy! :)

Moving house in the big city

Ok, so maybe I've been living under a rock when it comes to modern day equipment that is used to help people move houses, particularly in the city. Clearly I've never been someone who has lived in a tall building with many floors... judging from past experience I'm usually more of a ground level or first floor kinda gal.

Quite a few times I've turned a corner in Paris and bumped into removalists helping people shift houses. But these guys don't just lug big, heavy furniture and boxes in through the front door and try and navigate the too-small elevators or stairways of Parisian buildings... no, they use equipment like in the pictures below. I'm sure there's some special name for it, but in my words it's: a-sort-of-electric-ladder-that-acts-like-a-conveyor-belt-but-in-the-upwards-direction. Such a nifty idea for getting to those tops floors! Then all you need is a large open window 'et voila'... all your belongings are inside!

... Hopefully I'm not the only one who has never seen this before! I still marvel at the ingenuity behind it! ;)

Milo / Malo kids

I recently came across this billboard advertisement in the Paris metro. The brand Malo has apparently been making dairy products in France for over 60 years. The words in the ad roughly translate to: Lou, 10 years, boxing champion and fan of Malo...

It reminded me a lot of my childhood in Australia, particularly the ads for the beloved after-school drink Milo (a staple ingredient in most households) and, as they used to say, the energy drink of champions!