*When Tanner and I were going through the craziness of preparing to move to France in July 2017, every single moving-related-person told us that FRANCE – as in, the nation – goes on vacation for the month of August. We couldn’t comprehend that. It sounded like they had just said something in Chinese. What? Say that again? And we didn’t believe it. There’s no way that a NATION shuts down for 1/12 of a year. Is there?
Oh yes, my dear…it’s true. Completely true. It’s not a European universal, but VACANCE is a part of your RIGHTS in France. CLOSE UP. SHUT DOWN. FINI. THE END.
The Grande Vacance! It’s technically three – or four – weeks in August – but there’s the two weeks leading up to it, which some people take, too, and others who leave early because the school holidays begin in July… and everyone is busy getting READY for vacance, so not much work going on…a dear friend of mine even had a funeral in the family take 9 days to schedule, because it is the end of July. Of course!
So we are looking at a shutdown of all production from about July 10 until September…really. I mean it. Hard to wrap your American head around that, isn’t it?
Even The Local media comments on it – (Click on the link here, as you wish). “Workers in France are granted more paid holidays than anywhere else in the world, but they want more it seems. According to a new study by travel site Expedia, the French feel feel more “holiday-deprived” than any other nationality.”
The grocery stores are still open, and self-serve gas stations, and banks and large department stores, although the hours are reduced (from what we already call ‘reduced,’ a 32-hour work week. It took me four days just to schedule a phone call with the bank – no tellers, no walk in). After all, it’s VACANCE! Kind of like Christmas in July. The dry cleaner lady told me today to return for my pants at the beginning of September. And the four hour trip to the beaches in the south of France averages about 12 hours right now – so says my friend who lived it!
Cafes, daycares, bakeries. Closed. Doctors’ offices, restaurants, dry cleaners. Gone. I think the mail still gets delivered but I’m sure it takes an extra 10 days – on top of the three weeks it already takes…
The good news is no one is leaving a lot of work for you to catch up on – your emails aren’t piling up – you don’t have to worry about people in the office talking about you – and IF you are around, there’s plenty of parking!
As for us, next Tuesday, we’re hanging out our shingle.
Happy vacation!
Mindy
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