Some general observations and things we’ve learned, on this holiday..

1. On all television advertisements featuring food, there is always a health warning on the bottom of the screen: ‘Pour votre santé, éviter de grignoter entre les repas’ or ‘Pour votre santé, manger au moins de cinq fruits et légumes par jour ‘ or ‘Pour votre santé, éviter de manger trop gras, trop sucré, trop salé ‘. Not bad advice, in my opinion and something we should have more of in Australia, I think..

2. Apparently, there are hedgehogs (les hérissons) in our garden! I’ve seen what I think may be evidence, but no confirmed sightings as yet. Since they are insomniacs, and scurry about under the cover of darkness, I think a pair of night vision goggles may need to be purchased before our next visit. Or not….

3. Today we found out that, as we hire a car from the local LeClerc, we are entitled to a free ‘blue card’, which allows us to park in any of the time limited blue zoned areas. The cost of car parking in France is negligible, if at all, but there are some areas which, while still free, allow parking for 2 or 3 hours only, but only for those who display the card on their dashboard. We’ll be taking a visit to our L’Office du Tourism when we are in town again, to get ours. We’ll really feel like a local, then!

4. Of no surprise to anyone, is my love of shoes. I’ve now been given a ‘carte de fidélité’ (loyalty card) by our local shoe shop, which offers a discount once 10 pairs have been bought. (now there’s a challenge 😃). The owner is delightful and stamps my card with gay abandon so, even though I’ve only bought 2 pairs, it looks like I’ll get the discount on the next purchase. I should really reward her for her kindness, by buying another pair, don’t you think? And just think of the savings I’d be making…

5. I’ve spoken before about Depot Vente stores and how they offer excellent prices for all things second hand. The majority is sold on consignment. I’ve since learned that, if the item has been in store for more than 3 months, you can ask for a discount of up to 50%. So my painting priced at €40 euros and a bargain, I thought, suddenly became €20.  I’ll be paying more attention to the date on the sticker, from now on…

6. Meal plans are required here in France. Most, if not all, shops are closed on Sunday afternoon and all day on Monday, so planning ahead is crucial. We were recently caught out and left with our only option, the local Naan Kebab which, after a somewhat less than inspiring experience, is not an option at all…

7. We’ve seen 2 red squirrels (deux écureuils), deer (les cerfs), many hares (les lièvres), falcons, kites and eagles (les faucons, milans et aigles), but no wild boar (le  sanglier) this time. Apart from being excited to see animals and birds that we either don’t have, or see little of, in Australia, it’s certainly helping to expand my vocabulary!

8. Who hasn’t dreamt of a mad love affair with a handsome French man, named Jean-Pierre or Didier? In fact, I’ve been having a red hot love affair myself while I’ve been here, just not with a handsome French man. In fact, not with a French man at all, handsome or otherwise. Non, pour moi, c’est les moustiques qui m’adorent!!  I don’t generally have any problems with insects that bite, but here I’ve found that French mosquitos love me and I’ve got multiple, big, red welts all over my body to prove it. So, not just the speedo sporting bronzed surfer types that I’m familiar with, I’ve now realised that life savers can come in quite different guises…