snowing in Paris

So for the past two years that I have been here it barely snowed all winter. This year, now that it is February, it has snowed more than it did while I was back in Canada for the holidays. The difference is, in Paris they handle it a little differently. Firstly, the transportation system. A lot of the trains that go out of the city and are above ground are much slower, less frequent and much more crowded. The slowness and the frequency has to do with the snow on the ground and icy tracks. The crowdedness makes you realize just how many people either walk, drive a scooter or bike to get to work, or just don't like driving in the small amount of snow. So that makes the metros even more crowded and more stressful. Secondly, the sidewalks and roads aren't salted. There hasn't been a lot of snow sticking to the ground but enough, and some ice too. However, they don't have a street crew going around salting and no store owners or apartment building owners are outside salting either. Needless to say, the city is pretty slippery, which doesn't stop all the women from wearing their heels. Thirdly, you would think it had been raining as there are so many people walking around with opened umbrellas. Maybe it happens back home and i just never noticed it, but out here lots of people use umbrellas when it is snowing. It makes sense and all, I had just never seen so many people doing it. I guess it does keep your hair from being ruined from a hat but still, it is only snow! The snow made the past few weeks of cold, grey weather a little better though. It has been mostly grey and cold and with a few flurries. It is also funny that -5 degrees is seen as REALLY cold out here. I can only imagine how most people here would react if they lived somewhere else like Canada or Russia! lol