Despite being retired, I do approve of workers, at least around here, having two hours for lunch; also everything being closed on Sundays, bar markets and vide-greniers.
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Affordable wine.
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F bureaucracy.
Just kidding
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The huge variety of good, affordable regional wines.
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That’s an interesting, intriguing.- and quite unusual - observation. Out of genuine curiosity, is it your view that there is significantly less hypocrisy in France than elsewhere? I don’t know if you have in mind the public sphere, the private sphere or both? I must admit that this isn’t something I’ve particularly noticed in France - either way.
I think it is culturally more acceptable to be straightforward in France than in England, it doesn’t close off discussion, polite English people are frequently not open and honest (Scotland is different again). It is much more acceptable to disagree with people in a French context, without it being cause for real resentment or anger or degenerating into a fight.
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Haha, a waiter or waitress can often get a completely different response depending upon whether they ask me or my French partner how our meal was.
For example, we recently went to a local restaurant. It was for my birthday so we each had a glass of Champagne. The food was excellent - each course was faultless. However the Champagne wasn’t great. It wasn’t bad, but not to the same standard as the food. I didn’t think anything of it other than I’d not order it again. My partner, however, told the waitress that the Champagne was disappointing, and why.
I used to dread those moments and hoped the ground would open up and swallow me. After seeing how such feedback is received I’m now more comfortable with her doing it, although I’m not yet French-ified enough to do it myself.
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You clearly don’t live in the Herault lol here in Lodeve there is a a 2 year waiting list to get a GP, our nearest hospital in Montpellier is 1.5 -3 hrs drive away depending on traffic and most people get their dental work done in Spain where it costs a third.
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Weird cos a lot of Spanish come here to Perp to get all medical stuff done. Back in January when I was in for my six monthly dental visit, there were two Spanish families waiting in the Salle and the same when had the kine on my feet in 2024, an influx to our local cabinet. Doctors appointments here are very quick, usually same day but as you live way out of the agglomeration, then the professionals are not keen to work there and prefer the towns and cities where they earn more. You can always go to your local hospital if you desperately need help or a me dipole clinic
Has the hospital in Lodeve closed?
One of the many things I love about rural France is that there is a much deeper sense of historical continuity in the population’s relationship with place than in England, Scotland and Ireland (know little about Wales).
Although the French Revolution changed many aspects of French society, rural life was changed far less, and far less dramatically than the combined effects of the C18th and 19th Enclosure Acts, the Highland Clearances and the Agrarian and Industrial Revolutions that emptied the countryside and were the main drivers of emigration for ordinary people.
Both countries experienced a rupture in their social fabric, but IMO the French retained a much stronger relationship with the land, the family home and their regional languages.
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No I don’t, I am under an hour away from Toulouse area where there are at least 8 main hospitals and dozens of specialists clinics although most of the time I don’t have to go that far.
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If we were coming to France these days (as opposed to nearly 20 years ago) availability of good health services in an area would be one of our key criteria for choosing a location.
We have been very fortunate over the years and have an excellent MT in a group practice, so always someone available and Agen (hour away) and Bordeaux (2 hours away) offer excellent specialists.
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Do the French love breaking rules. I’ve been here 5 years and never really noticed. I have noticed though that they can often be inflexible.. which goes against rule breaking!
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I think they just choose to break rules when it suits them and vice versa.
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Really? Where are you living? I heard that France was the country where people took the most anti depressants!
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How lucky are you? I have a young doc. who does not give two hoots about my health. I have to prod her to do check ups, blood tests etc.
I tell the restaurant staff all the time if anything was good or not every time.
That’s the official story.
Then there’s the real way things are done.
Mountains. Real ones.
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