Sunday Shopping?

It's in the news today, if the Senat approves this new law, more shops will be allowed to open on Sunday in Paris as well as some other parts (not all, of course) of France.

The "no shopping on Sunday" law has been in effect since 1906.

It seems that many people are against this new law. I hear from French friends that Sunday is a day of rest, for family and church. But, it passed the Assembly Nationale last week and will surely pass in the Senat after three days of debate.

Some stores have been able to work around the law, or simply stay open and pay the fine for breaking the law. It is expected to encourage spending. I can honestly say I'll do my part.

Every Saturday that we're in Paris, I wake up with an electric feeling. It's the busiest shopping day of the week because people work Monday through Friday and the shops are closed on Sunday.

My strategy, to get out early and buy enough for Saturday through Monday has worked. If I'm ever caught at Monoprix at 5 PM (or, God forbid, later) on Saturday, I consider buying from the local alimentation for a couple of days. The lines extend down every aisle, people are jostling for position, cutting in line and it is general chaos.

There are some stores that are open on Sunday morning, but they are all far away. The stores on rue Cler are open on Sunday morning, normally an easy trip on the 82 bus except that the 82 bus doesn't stop in our neighborhood on Sundays, evidently a street nearby is designated as pedestrian only on Sunday. My other choice is Champion in our old neighborhood on rue de Seine. I could walk or take the 58 bus. The bus runs every 30 minutes on Sunday morning, so if it's not too cold or too hot I can wait. But the store is packed, it is confusing, a last resort.

Even though I don't have a really good market nearby, if they were open, I would go. Then, I could spend my Saturday as I please, perhaps a day of rest for me.