Follow the Yellow and Red Striped Road

If you've ever noticed these bands of yellow and red tape on poles holding up Parisian street lights and street signs,and wondered what they might signify, I have the answer.  The stripes indicate that you, the pedestrian, are on the path of the Grande Randonnée du Pays (GRduP),  part of a larger system of hiking trails that pretty much covers France and connects with similar systems in Germany, Spain, and the Benelux countries.  The system is maintained by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre which in total is responsible for some 115,000 kilometers of trails throughout the country.  The organization's Paris chapter has three suggested itineraries for those wishing to cross the city in one fell swoop. At approximately 20 kilometers each, these represent a full day of walking without a lot of time for coffee or wine sipping, museum going, or window shopping.

So lace up those walking shoes, make sure you have plenty of water and snacks, and perhaps a Metro ticket in case your aspirations exceed your abilities, and get out there.  And if you see these markings on the back of a stop sign, do not worry.  The black helicopters are not coming.

You can order the maps at http://www.rando-paris.org/Commander-nos-TopoGuides-r.html