The French on Wednesday joyfully made their way back to cafes and prepared long-awaited visits to cinemas and museums as the country loosened restrictions in a return to semi-normality after over six months of COVID-19 curbs. Cafes and restaurants with terraces or rooftop gardens can now offer outdoor dining, under the second phase of a lockdown-lifting plan that should culminate in a full reopening of the economy on June 30. Museums, cinemas and theatres are also reopening after being closed for more than six months, during which they relied chiefly on state aid to remain afloat. Across Paris, cafes and restaurants had in the last days prepared for the return by setting out outdoor dining areas and the first customers were already sipping their morning expressos. The establishments have been closed since October 30, 2020, when France entered its second lockdown to beat the coronavirus. “I already had three customers come drink their coffees. It feels good,” said Pascal who manages the Saint Jean brasserie in the Montmartre district. “What a change from getting take-away coffee at the bakery!” enthused one of the customers, Cyril. In the western city of Rennes, Patricia...