Europe’s vaccination campaign has gathered pace, though not everywhere

SPRING SHOWERS and outdoor dining are a clammy combination. But busy café terraces in Paris and beyond suggest that, after months of home cooking, many Europeans are ready to put up with a little discomfort to get out of the kitchen. For now only al fresco service is allowed across much of the EU, sometimes paired with curfews. The prospect of a return to normality in the months ahead must suffice to warm diners’ spirits during cloudbursts.

It may be a mild annoyance to those huddled under improvised awnings to think of Americans and Britons mostly feasting indoors these days. That mainland Europe is several weeks behind in reopening restaurants (and the economy more generally) is largely caused by the botched start of its vaccination drive. Now the jabbing has gained speed. Normality feels within sight. Tourist hotspots think they can avoid a rerun of the difficult summer of 2020; economists are busy upgrading growth forecasts. But not everywhere is feeling the benefits of vaccines yet.