VINGT Paris

Zipping about in Paris

One of the sites I use every day is RATP (linked on my useful links section). It's invaluable to know the fastest route when sometimes I can have up to 10 seperate appointments in a day. You just type in the address you are leaving from and the place you are going. The site then brings up the quickest and most efficient route, using either bus, metro or RER. Or, you can ask for a route only by bus (air-conditioned) if it's hot weather and you don't want to take the Metro (definitely not air-conditioned).

My bike is back in action but it's not such a great first impression to arrive at a meeting looking as disshevelled as I usually do after pedalling for 30 minutes. The bike lanes are great and the drivers are surprisingly considerate though. I can't stretch to a driver yet and I'm too scared to go by moped, even if they look cool and appeal to my inner Mod.

Despite all this, I had to stop for a dip in the pool at Butte aux Cailles yesterday to cool off in the middle of the day. It must have been all of seven minutes I was in the water but it was enough to refresh me for the next part of the day. Here's a photo of the queue to get in!

D-Day for taxes

Yesterday was the day when the previous year’s tax declaration was due in France (for residents). You can get slapped with a great big tax a year later, unless you sign up for voluntary mensualisation, a monthly prepayment.

You're in charge of your own declaration, you tell them what you’ve earned, they do the calculation and come back to you with what you owe.

Good to know: if you have any questions about the process, just toddle down to your Hôtel des Impôts and the charming officals there will help explain the form and practicallly fill it out for you. I've found that Tax fonctionaires to be some of the most helpful people in French administrative life. How ironic.