Sunday 19th August

Is it me, or is everyone so much friendlier out here.  The shopkeepers actually seem to want to serve you, and will take their time explaining things or simply chatting.  Our neighbours always say ‘Bonjour’, and even people you do not know will respond with a cheery wave.  Yesterday we heard quite a lot of banging a couple of doors down, and two quite old French workmen were tipping bits of rock and stone into a skip outside yet another old house being ‘done up’ prior to be sold to ‘Zee Ingleesh’.  I walked over and said ‘Bonjour’ and was immediately waved in (no hard hat requirement in France) where they regaled me in quick-fire French, showing me the house and garden, as I trod gingerly over planks and exposed culverts.  They were so happy just to show me around, and although I only understood about a third of what they were saying, with my few questions we understood each other in no time.  An old French lady who lives down the street wandered in and they repeated all they had told me and then Julia came to find me and she was given the grand tour too.  I explained that we had bought our house ‘juste en une semaine’, and we all, workmen and old lady walked over and admired our house too.

I simply cannot imagine this happening in England. ‘Fuck Off’ being the usual reply to asking a workman anything.  And although sometimes if you are in a hurry and in a queue at the till it can be a bit exasperating, I could really get used to this way of life.