AP PHOTOS: A return to the 'joie de vivre' in France

PARIS -- Nibbling a butter croissant on a sunlit cafe terrace became the norm again in Paris this week as France reopened its outdoor dining economy. After seven months of closures, residents could once more be seen reading “Le Monde” accompanied by nothing but a short “noisette” coffee, or sharing a kiss by the dappled light of a bistro. Streets were bustling with revelers swilling beers outside bar terraces for the first time this year. In movie theaters, large teddy bears were placed around seats to encourage social distancing as Parisians flocked back to the cinema in droves.