In Down and Out in Paris and London, George Orwell wrote, "The more one pays for food, the more sweat and spittle one is obliged to eat with it."
Though poking and prodding has reduced (somewhat) since 1933, 2020 still has many reconsidering their relationship with luxury (not to mention going out for food, and travelling).
Likewise, after a summer of relaxed lockdown laws, the Parisian authorities have reconsidered their constituents' after dark freedoms, bringing in a strict curfew as the virus rears up again like a Cobra.
Though Paris' current curfew is not quite 1984, it is – visually – a little eerie. Especially when contrasted with photos of the same locales, filled with life, just weeks ago, as done by Getty Images photographer Kiran Ridley.
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Closed bars and cafes are pictured on empty streets on the first night of the Coronavirus curfew on October 17, 2020 in Paris, France. The nightly curfew, announced by President Macron in a national address on Wednesday, will take effect in nine cities across France between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m in an attempt to curb the second wave of Covid-19 across France. (Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images).[/caption]
Ridley took to the streets of Paris on October the 17th – the night the curfew was introduced –contrasting creepy quiet images with bustling shots of the same spots back in September.
Graffiti, shutters, a lonely Eiffel tower, Paris truly is different without its nocturnal revellers.
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A packed bar on the Rue de Seine in Paris despite the recent rising in Covid-19 infections throughout France on September 13, 2020. (Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images).[/caption]
French citizens have endured a roller-coaster summer. In March, as the virus first began to explode, rules were strict. Then, in a bid to attract tourists, and as the cultural cornerstone that is "the grumpy waiter" was forced to smile, such was the economic devastation of lockdowns, regulations were lifted as case numbers dropped.
RELATED: Defiant Photo Suggests France’s ‘Flirty’ Culture Hasn’t Changed Since Lockdown
Since then, after a summer in the sun, Europe – France included – has paid the price for its holiday season, with confirmed cases of the virus once again spiking dramatically. Not only has this provided those across the globe – including Australia – with some crucial summer lessons to (hopefully) avoid the same fate, but it has also led to renewed lockdowns across much of Europe.
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A cafe bar near the Eiffel Tower on the last day before new Covid-19 restrictions force bars and cafes in the capital to close for a minimum of two weeks on October 05, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images).[/caption]
Nowhere represents this dramatic shift better than Paris. As CNN reports, "it was almost as if the French capital was back to its old self" just a month ago. Now, as seen in photographer Ridley's images, the place – at night – is a ghost town.
"Hospitality venues must close and citizens stay home between between 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. across Paris," CNN reports. "Other French cities, including Aix-en-Provence, Grenoble, Marseille, Montpellier, Toulouse, Saint Etienne, Lille, Rouen and Lyon are also affected."
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A cafe bar near the Eiffel Tower on the last day before new Covid-19 restrictions force bars and cafes in the capital to close for a minimum of two weeks on October 05, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images).[/caption]
According to CNN, breaking the rules carries a fine of €135 (roughly AU $225) for a first offense, and goes up to €1,500 (AU $2,502) if the offense is repeated."
Paris particularly has seen an uplift in Covid-19 cases (when compared to the whole country) and has been upgraded to a "scarlet zone," leading to further restrictions on the city, involving the closure of bars, gyms and swimming pools, as well as limiting the numbers of university students able to attend lectures.
"Nine p.m. has now become the new midnight," one French student told CNN of the changes. The 22-year-old also questioned whether crowds rushing home on the Metro when cinderella hour strikes is any better than if they all travelled home at midnight.
"We are starting to sense a general fatigue of having to make sacrifices," she told CNN, while also saying she hopes the new measures will help decrease Covid cases.
A 23-year-old Parisian bistro worker called Mathilde told CNN her family's bistro was losing turnover due to the changes, pointing out, "tourists do not want to come visit Paris because of the curfew."
Other Parisians spoke to CNN about the benefits, such as the reduction in noise pollution.
Though Australia, on the whole, is currently in a much more optimistic situation, if we're looking for a warning sign of what can happen after a summer of (relative) fun, this is it.
Read Next
- Crucial Pandemic Lessons Australia Can Learn From Europe's Summer
- 'Defiant' French Lesson Australia Can Learn From Coming Out Of COVID
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The post Eerie Paris Photos Reveal Situation Australia Needs To Avoid appeared first on DMARGE.
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