The rest of my time here has been equally rewarding. I have driven almost a thousand kilometers around the area, utilizing just about every little road to its full advantage and making a point of stopping for at least a few minutes in most of the charming little towns. The scenery is lovely and I also make a point of stopping at most viewpoints to take it all in. I really like this area and would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about visiting. So far, my experience of France and the French is vastly different from what I had been told by many to expect -- Yet another powerful reminder that you have to go find out for yourself. My days this past week have had a kind of “routine” to them, so I’m not going to do a day-by-day recap. Instead, I want to share just a few experiences and aspects that are noteworthy.
One, of course, is that it is election time in France. I have been unable to figure out much about how the system works around here, but the contest is clearly pretty heated. It seems that on one hand is a guy who is hailed as “conservative” but who many people are afraid is more of a fascist. On the other hand is a woman. I have been unable to ascertain much about her except that some people think she is great. My own opinion is that she is pretty hot and ought to be elected on that basis alone. I can’t understand much -- if any -- of the debates that seem to be on TV 24/7, but I can read the viewing audiences I see well enough to know that the election is going to be significant. I guess my point is that I’m here in the middle of an election I don’t understand -- and don’t really care about besides the “hot chick” factor -- yet it is still informative about the people.
A second experience is that Tuesday, May 1st was a holiday here. Some kind of “Labor Day” as far as I could tell. Everything, and I mean everything, was closed. I probably should have gotten a clue from the daily closing of businesses for at least two hours in the middle of the day for lunch that “commerce” is not “king” around here. Food, wine and time off are king. So, it doesn’t surprise me upon reflection that every store, restaurant and cafe was closed on the holiday. It was, however, kind of eerie. I come from a land where “holiday” equals “sale day” -- France is a land where “holiday” means “no sale day.” Keep that in mind if you’re ever here on a holiday.
Anyway, I hope I have given you a sense of what my week has been like. As I wrote at the top of this entry, it has been a very good week and I am in really good shape because of it. This weekend I will check out of my lovely little gite and say au revoir to Les Plantiers and my many friends here. I will be heading off on a ten-day road trip, driving west then north with the D-Day beaches or Normandy as my next significant way point. I’ve got my maps, I’ve got my trusty little car and I’ve got my French. As always, I’ve also got my Mac and my pack! All is well on The Voyage of Macgellan!
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