Baker Shop Blues

 

I am aware that I have one French reader.  You might want to go and do something else for a couple of weeks Pierre.

 

What keeps the French economy going?  It is virtually impossible to buy anything.

 

Firstly, the French don't seem to have shops in any town smaller than, say, Lyon.   If you are lucky enough to stumble on a shop then statistical probability says it will be closed. Shops routinely close on Sunday, one other day in lieu of Saturday, every public holiday and  often a day adjacent to a public holiday.  Then, to add insult to injury, on the remaining handful of days when they actually open they close for at least 2 hours in the afternoon........generally just before the time when a hungry cyclist would like some lunch.

 

Restaurants aren't much better.  Their response to the recent economic downturn appears to be to just close on Mondays and Tuesdays then jack up the menu prices by 20% on the other 5 days to compensate. 

 

In virtually every other line of work nothing gets done because the workers are permanently on strike.  I suppose this doesn't matter to the French because it would never be possible to purchase any of the goods or services they provide anyway.

 

Yes, you have guessed it, I am off to France.  Or at least I am if the French ferry workers allow me in.  I'm running a Bike Adventures trip from the Channel to the Med;  it is a 9-day 100+ miles per day dash so a nice long delay at Dover will be just the job :-(