A Paris

The events in and around Paris leading to the rise of #JeSuisCharlie preceded my short business trip to the city by only a few short days. Just hours before my arrival, around 1.6 million people lead by 40 of the world's leaders paraded through Paris in an unprecedented demonstration of solidarity, the like of which has not been seen before by our French hosts.

I was nevertheless reassured to find business as usual in Paris, people went about their lives as normal, at least that's how it seemed. As we headed around the Periferique, gantries announced Nous Sommes Charlie a visible beacon of support for free speech and free expression.

A short while before arriving at the station, I snapped L'Arc de Triomphe through the taxi windscreen. No time to stop, but I hope it is a mark of quieter times for France to come.