My sit-spot is called the Pavillon Vendôme, an historic aristocratic residence surrounded by a classic formal French garden. It was built by the architect Pierre Pavillon between 1665 and 1667 for the Duke of Vendôme to use as his country house. Since the early 1900s, it has been owned by the city of Aix-en-Provence. The building has been turned into a museum that features temporary exhibitions, and the gardens are now public parks.

Given the extremely aristocratic history of France, specifically pertaining to the French Revolution and its motivations, it is touching to see a formerly private property meant to display the wealth and overt power of the ruling class turned into a public, accessible space.

While France has reckoned with its absolutist and monarchist past, it has yet to fully acknowledge many current social justice problems. The government tries to implement environmentally friendly policies, but they often fail to accomodate people of lower socioeconomic status. For example, many working class French people living in the countryside need cars in order to work – commutes are often long and public transport is sparse outside of metropolitan areas. So, when the government implemented high taxes on gas to try to curb consumption and reliance on automobiles, it was working class citizens who felt the brunt of the policy. So, while the French government tries to move towards a climate conscious future, they need to take into account the fact that to be écolo depends a lot on one’s socioeconomic status.