Becoming more French-week 2

 

The weather continued to be with us for our second week in the Gironde area. And in some ways we had a more settled week with some travel/touring and a bit more relaxing at 'home'. From a lifestyle point of view I continue to get caught up in mixed messages on the French way of life. From the TV, the clearest emphasis is that holiday time is a lot about families spending time together but this also includes a lot of 'communal' action. And so we continue to see programs on camping/cabin life, mostly involving water based daytime activities and camp dining.

 

We also went to the coast for a day and together with most of France we enjoyed a few hold ups on the road system. Probably not much different to what happens around Christmas down under when it comes to any comparisons, but it seems years since our media covered holiday camping-or am I just out of those circles?

In the towns around here, business is quiet or non existent and we are never sure if the local boulangerie/boucher/restaurant etc is closed for the holiday season or the business is gone. No one is in a hurry to do anything, except perhaps places serving food when 2 pm is approaching and they prepare to close up until at least late in the afternoon. I do not think anyone not au fait with French life gets really comfortable with the succession of bar/boulangerie/cafe/lunch place/ice cream vendor/drinks and then back to dinner place as the day goes along. Even after many visits and holidays we feel the pressure to adapt over the day as the various places open and close. In the most touristy areas there are a few places who have moved with the times but most are still stuck and happily so with the old ways.

Remembering though that at least Italy also observes such a succession of times over each day.

And this week included Christian Assumption day which meant that even most supermarkets in this region at least were closed for a half day off.

 

And here in the vineyards, there is almost no work activity at all, not that we are experts on what needs to be done when, to get to harvest.

 

The current farmer worry seems to be egg producers. Each time we visit, there is a group get together in some time town or other to flood the streets with the produce of concern as part of demonstrations. This time it is mass destruction of eggs.

As we prepare to move to the South near Montpellier, the other factor that has emerged again is how to live. As we sat on the beach people watching, it seems that most of us are (externally at least) happy enough to get through each day with an established routine around family/friends, something to do, something to eat drink and somewhere to sleep. Perhaps a bit of leisure time around a TV or more often now a smart phone or a hobby or two.  And perhaps even some work.

 

As I walk through the back roads around St Andre and the seemingly endless hamlets and small farms, things are very quiet. And the towns are mostly quiet too.

Does anyone dream about changing a few things to make things better? Does anyone want to achieve more than they have to date? Where have the people with a bit of ambition or desire for more gone? Once installed in place over here, just how do I think I could live a useful life in a small rural community? There must be more to things than this?

 

Or can we all be itinerants like the man we came across the other day whilst having a picnic.  He asked for some water, which we did not have.  Made Yvonne just a bit guilty so as we were leaving town we dropped into the local supermarket and picked up a sandwich and a big bottle of water.   Drove back to where he was resting and as Yvonne went to give him our offering, he calmly nodded acknowledgment but was too tied up on his mobile phone to do anything else. 

 

I know. Let's move to another place to see if the grass is any greener.

Currently getting very restless or a bit bored as you can see.