Oh wow that does sound very quick!
But yes I am rushing it in a way as I want the property. I have woken up in a different mood this morning telling myself just let it happen on its own time and not to rush the process and to expect delays.
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It’s just a different way of working. As Jane said, it’s part of the quality of life you were probably looking for.
Our baker is old-school: they close only on Thursday. Not Christmas Day, not New Year’s Day, … but our local café closes Sunday and Monday. Only the excellent taginerie is open Sunday evening.
You get used to it. It’s especially true anywhere they say, “Ce n’est pas Paris.”
I think that the French must have bigger bladders than Brits.
The lack of conveniences at get togethers is noticeable.
Also it is not just emails which take ages for a reply.
We are having petit aperos on the 29th of March and I have had to ask people if they are able to come despite an RSVP on their formal invitations.
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The men just go where they want regardless of who can see them in my experience. Us ladies have to find a decent bush (no tittering!) and hope we can manage. Along the road from me is a strange round building, not big but has a chimneypipe coming out of it and an aeration fan that turns plus solar panels on the domed roof. Asking what it is, the reply was that it is a WC for the bus drivers who can pull up in a nearby layby and for commune workers if they get taken short. Considering its very inoffensive in design, its a rather good idea and much more hygienic than doing it in any old place.
On our drive down to Cussy from Calais there’s a village with a small lake beside the road, picnic places and a proper set of toilets, all provided by the commune. It’s a good place to stop for lunch.
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Yes, we were impressed with that arrangement years ago, when we were first visiting France …
picnic areas are still found all across France. 
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Crikey, 2.5 litres of wine with lunch 
.
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Round here it isn’t that uncommon for women to squat at the side of the road and have a pee. Less common than it used to be though.
Last October I met up with some friends in the Lot for a weekend. On a trip to a local supermarket one of them recommended that I tried a bottle of Corsican beer, an ambre. I bought one along with other bits and pieces. At the end of the weekend it along with a lot of other bottles remained unopened and I was told to take the Corsican beer to try at home. On return I put it in the fridge and forgot about it. I rarely drink at home but on a Six Nations afternoon I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try the beer and was shocked to see that it was not a 0,5l bottle as I was expecting a 0,75. At one time I wouldn’t have thought twice about drinking it but managed one glass during the afternoon and another later in the evening. There was about O,2 left but I couldn’t manage that. The beer was lovely and I will buy it again but next time I will see if it comes in more manageable sized bottles.
Opposite problem here: had a very interested buyer email me and ring me twice last week about a property in the Lot. I wrote back within 2 hours and answered his call which consisted of the usual questions:
- what’s the price ? It’s written on the website
- where is it? It’s on the website
- When can I visit? Monday
- OK
Of course, the client WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN. Never confirmed the rdv, never answered my follow-up mail, never even acknowledged that a whole process had been put into motion: the vendor preparing for the visit, documents printed up, etc.
Obviously I can’t speak for the entire Estate Agent profession in France, but some of us try and offer a decent service.
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And some clients (in any business) deserve a slap with a wet fish. 
I often do long and detailed photography quotes in response to client enquiries, then never hear from them again.
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In all walks of life… we get gîte booking queries full of questions. Doe the garden have loungers (look at the details!), how long does it take to walk to the lake (look at the map!) etc etc. Take time to reply fully and then nothing.
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We used to get silly requests for information that we’d already given. Once we had an enquiry, think he was Dutch and in Januaryfor a July reservation. We replied immediately to confirm availability and cost, and asked him to confirm or not. Never heard anything until a week before his supposed holiday asking if we needed a deposit. Oh dear…
That one’s a favourite in the wedding photography business (though it hasn’t happened to me as I am a bit anal about checking in on wedding clients, and require their final payment a month before their wedding).
I know quite a few photographers who’ve had the dreaded Friday email - “Hi - looking forward to seeing you tomorrow - is there anything you need from us?”
(yes - a signed contract and some money!) 
I get the impression that they hardly drink anything apart from the occasional thimbleful of coffee, and wine with meals. That’s why they never seem to need to go.
Training from an early age to sit at the table until allowed to leave. Plus for women much more effort on post natal care for one’s pelvic floor. I think also eating while you drink helps absorb fluid away from bladder. At new year it’s quite remarkable how much can be consumed with no apparent effect on the bladder.
…or maybe ‘they’ just pee in situ or into bag thing attached to their legs??
My experiences have been emails regarding an insurance claim and a situation over a faulty hire car. In both cases emails to major companies were totally ignored.
I guess there is a different attitude to email in France to UK 
Oh…reminds me of when we lived in Brussels seeing rivers of steaming pee flowing down the road in between parked cars and hearing the giggles of grown women who, I guess had just stopped to admire the design of the front/back of these cars and use the opportunity to take a pee?..oh no, my post has no correlation to the original author’s post…
Soz
Must be a letter, “l’avis de réception d’une lettre recommandée” - then they will pay attention. I got a refund of 100 euros writing to the CEO of Orange France.
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