Austerity

I'm planning my day's activities around demonstrations in Paris.  I will take the metro instead of the bus, since bus routes are above ground, therefore uncertain. 

On Wednesday we went to the Louvre and had to take a metro rather than our beloved #95 bus which takes us through a very beautiful section of town before dropping us off right by the pyramids.

The good thing about taking the metro is that it's faster and more reliable.  The bad things are that it often requires a lot of walking in dirty, smelly corridors underground.  The metro to the Louvre left us off in the Carousel du Louvre which is an upscale shopping center under and beside the museum.  I didn't shop but I looked at the windows.  Of note (and not particularly good) there are two (2) Starbucks within a 5 second walk of each other in the Carousel du Louvre, no idea why there are two.

So, my afternoon will be spent in the metro today going to my various activities.  This is because there will be street demonstrations to protest "austerity". France isn't having as much civil insurrection as Greece and Spain.

Austerity is not fun, we all know this.  If I have less money, I spend less money.  With interest rates and investment income at an all-time low, we are practicing some austerity measures.  If the government doesn't have as much money as they used to, they will have to cut spending.  While we don't like it, I don't think people have to demonstrate for days on end about this.  When they are demonstrating, they aren't working, they aren't taking care of their children, they're not looking for a job.  It's not a very productive way to deal with the situation, in my opinion.

I say this as I get out my Navigo card and hike it out to the metro.