The big smoke
January 22nd, 2008
We have just come back to Paris after a month away and noticed immediately…. something is different…. no more smoking in cafés, bars and restaurants!!! It makes such a difference. No one truly believed the French would give up their sacred cigarettes but it has happened!
There are loads of grumpy people around this city, but I am sure they will get used to it. (I read an article which amused me, in which a lady stated that she was now afraid of all the moms with children invading the cafés, as the cigarettes had at least kept them at home)!
She is absolutely right! I AM going to be spending a lot more time now in cafés sipping away at my café creme, happy in the knowledge that my daughter is not going to be permanently damaged by smoke and won’t come home smelling like an ashtray!!!
-Emilie
4 Comments Add your own
1. Courtney | January 22nd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Welcome back! We missed you!!
Now tell us all about your trip to the other side of the world…
2. Esther | January 22nd, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Yes, welcome back!! We missed you loads!
And for smoking bans – I can’t wait for the one in Holland to be implemented!
3. Michela | January 22nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
welcome back!
now your daughter can sip babyccinos too!
4. Olia | January 24th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I am very impressed that France actually went ahead with the cigarette ban! So miracles do happen then, lets hope that there will be one for Greece soon. I’ve recently spent a month there and I felt very uncomfortable and unpleasant going out because of the cigarette smoke. I found it very difficult – impossible to find a smoke free place to bring my daughter. Cafés and restaurants are all a big astray but what impressed me the most was that even places specially for children, like indoor playgrounds were smoked. Parents will bring their children there to play and will be sitting next to them having a coffee and a smoke!!! Parents still smoke even at home with toddlers playing around. Unacceptable!
Don’t be fooled I used to be a smoker and still am, but after having my daughter I went from half a packet to one per day in the garden after dinner.
I like to have my dinner in a smoke free environment but I still like a cigarette with a drink even if it means I have to go outside of the bar to have it.
Lets hope that eventually the EU will impose the smoke ban to all its members, then the Greeks will have to comply and maybe this will change their attitude towards smoking at home too.
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed