Paris not flooded

In 1955 Paris was flooded, almost. The streets were filled with water, lamposts grew like flowers and all that remained of the cars was the horizontal space of their rooves. They peppered the watery streets like so many floating kitchen tables. None of these tables retained salt or pepper.

A woman goes to the butcher in her canoe. I am not sure what I would ride to work, an inverted desk? A bedroom drawer?