Every day it rains and the sky has a uniform grayness that could depress even the most optimistic tourist. As Bill Bryson would say, it's like living in a tupperware bowl. As far as I can tell, this weather is not atypical for the past few months. The breadbasket of Europe is in deep water. Whole fields are under water.
Pastures are ponds, and the rivers are taking over roads and homes.
Paris is hardly immune. The Seine is so high that the bateaux mouches have suspended their boat tours and the roads that once lined the Seine basin are now only distinguishable by the top of light posts sticking out of the water. Dreariness aside, the rainwater has kept the streets relatively free of dog droppings. Last weekend, when I got the opportunity to visit the French Riviera with my sister and a friend, I jumped at the chance. It was cheaper than a train and we would get the added flexibility to stop in quintessential French towns, meet quintessential French people, and eat quintessential French food.