When I stepped off the plane into the airport at Vienna the smoky atmosphere really hit me. It's every bit as bad here in Paris. Forget any worry about passive smoking. You can't avoid it. Even in the non-smoking area if people want to smoke, they will.
Cigarettes dangle from people's hands in the streets or even when they're riding their motor bikes.
The habit is entrenched. Watch where you put your feet,' they said. So, I was delighted to find that the problem is nothing like as bad as I had expected. I saw a man the other day rush to pick up a fallen autumn leaf and with it scoop up his dog's doings. Obviously, people are now conscious of the problem and the pavements are relatively clean.