What do the Parisians do in winter when the cafes close?
 

I assume that the outdoor cafes close during the winter months. What on earth do the locals do with the block of time they normally give to cafe-sitting when the weather is hospitable? Don't tell me they actually stay at work all day!

Well, the cafes do have indoor seating, too. ;)

And actually, a lot of cafes have outdoor heaters, so the outdoor tables are open more of the year than you might think.

Well, I can think of one other very popular mid day activity. It's the reason they invented the bidet.

besides NeoPatrick's cheeky response . . .

&quot;<i>I assume that the outdoor cafes close during the winter months</i>&quot; Nope

&quot;Cheeky&quot;????Janis, where is your sense of humor.

I can think of that same activity but I'll be more upfront about it: they call it a &quot;nooner.&quot;

You obviously don't know the meaning of &quot;cheeky&quot;

Meant to add - I guess using smileys is the only way to make sure some people understand . . . . . . .

They also drop plastic &quot;walls&quot; from their awnings to protect customers from the rain so along with the outdoor heaters, I don't think weather is much of a deterent to sitting in a cafe - at least it wasn't when we were there in a November/December.

With those butane umbrella heaters, it even sometimes gets too hot when you sit outdoors in the winter.

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;
With those butane umbrella heaters,
&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

what a waste of energy. when it's cold out, people should just be cold or go inside. no need to heat the outdoors.

i can't help notice the irony of this in relation to that airconditioning threads over the summer....how it was said that the french (and germans) don't like aircon because they want to experience the weather as it actually is....to be more natural. then they go and heat the outdoors so they can sit outside and pretend it's summer! brilliant.

btw, we also heat the outdoors here in england too and i don't like them here either.

When I sit under those heaters at a restaurant my hair feels like it is going to catch on fire and my feet are still freezing. It is really uncomfortable.

I would just go inside the cafe and eat.

After walking all around Paris on a frosty morning, nothing could be nicer than a cafe window table splashed with a puddle of bright sunshine.

Unlike summer months, the inside is lively and full of Parisians, warm and enjoying their vin.

Walkinaround, I have the feeling we will see more outdoor heating here in England when smoking is banned in all the pubs.

Thanks to all of you for educating me on the &quot;possible&quot; afternoon activities for our Parisian friends during the cold months. As some of you said, I can't figure out why someone would want to sit out in the cold near an oversized butane heater. Guess you really have to have an appreciation for the &quot;alluring powers of the cafe.&quot;
I do agree with Heimdall. As more and more establishments become non-smoking, we'll see the increase in outdoor heaters.

There were plenty of outdoor sitters when I was there in January. Drink some antifreeze -- cognac. But I preferred to do as JeanneB.

Maybe Parisians hit a museum or go shopping now and then..? And don't forget les cinemas..!

&quot;cheek·y (chk)
adj. cheek·i·er, cheek·i·est
Impertinently bold; impudent and saucy.&quot;

&quot;cheek‧y  /ˈtʃi
–adjective, cheek‧i‧er, cheek‧i‧est.
impudent; insolent:&quot;

Hmmm. I didn't think my post was cheeky either.


But speaking of those heaters, I've never figured it out either. In most cases people sit under those heaters that give out so much heat that in the summer they'd be complaining about the heat if it were that warm.

There are very very few cafes that only consist of outdoor areas, I can't think of a single one in Paris except for those holiday things in the parks. People sit in cafes all year, why would you think otherwise. They are places to eat and drink. I often sit indoors in a cafe even when it's not that cold out -- I prefer it sometimes if the outdoor area is really crowded, or in the sun, etc.

NP: I meant it as &quot;saucy&quot; - (that's a good thing BTW) - and I think you'll agree it was

People sit inside, when/if the patio section closes. Same as anywhere else.

NeoPatrick, vous avez raison, mon ami.
BTW, why don't we have bidets in the USA, I mean have them <i>everywhere</i>, like in most of Europe? My dh's theory is that Americans are too Puritanical to admit that they might avail themselves of such an amenity. (To put it delicately. ;;) )

How about outdoor bidets for the summer months?

ooooh, seaurchin! You are ever so much more uninhibited than I...;;-)

LucieV, excuse my ignorance but could you explain what you mean about being too puritanical to use the bidet.

We wipe ourselves when we're done. How is that any different from using the bidet to &quot;clean up&quot; after doing our business?

P/S&gt; I've seen a bidet in European hotels but never used one. Maybe someone should explain to me how one uses the bidet. ;-) Seriously!!!

my darling mingts, as much as I'd like to respond to your inquiry, I can only say this: reading between the lines is a valuable skill if one desires maximum benefit from participation in forums such as these. Else we all risk the best threads being bombed to smithereens.
:-$

With a bidet you use running water to clean yourself -- certainly more thorough than using dry toilet paper. Would you feel satisfied wiping your hands with a dry paper towel instead of running water? Obviously water does a better job.

janisj...'cheeky'.....'bidet'.....hmmmn, I got it..... ;)

Hmm, when I first went to Paris in Feb 1990, I was a little disappointed that there were no outdoor cafes because of the weather. It seems that the mushroom heaters, ubiquitous now, are a fairly recent development.

Christina: The cafes we visited served very little food. I don't think that I would be wanting to sit out in the cold (or under an intense heater) to eat a croissant. What other food offerings have you discovered in a cafe?

No food in Paris cafes?! Which ones did you visit?

We have a few favorite cafes where we usually lunch. They all have their specialties. One has a German sausage plate with hot mustard, salad, grilled potatoes...and a Coca Cola! All for 8 euros.

I just suppose your definition of cafe differs, cafe do serve sanches or croque monsieur or salads but not real meals, else they are 'cafe-restaurant' (what USAmericans seem to call 'bistro').
And you won't find those 'ubiquitous' heaters in non touristy places, when it's cold, locals stay inside

What norween says about no heaters in non touristy places is completely true. Since a lot of you are always looking for 'authentic' experiences but not being sure where to find them, you can be sure that if you see no butane heaters in a neighborhood, the places are catering to locals.

in my observation, many large cafes (i'm not going to argue about what is a cafe) use heaters whether touristy or not. i do agree that small places deep in residential neighbourhoods do not usually have significant outdoor space (if any) and usually do not use heaters. however many large cafes in non-touristy squares do heat the outdoors.

i totally disagree that tourists are the only reason for heating the outdoors.

well i love a crisp Parisnwinter morning drinking a cafe au lait under the heater.......

To the eternal bid&eacute;t question: Not all (or even most) of Europe uses those. There is a less space consuming solution, and has been for decades: a tiny shower (movable) that comes out of the wall next to the toilet seat. You don´t even stand up and walk to the bid&eacute;t. Just take the showerhead, and water goes into the toilet. Mere paper is a bit - uh...