Getting out of the fast lane

One of the biggest draws to France for us was the somewhat simpler way of life. We loved life in Hong Kong – the brunches, the junks, the weekends away, the staycations etc. Everything was so accessible, there was so much choice, there was always somewhere new to go, a new restaurant to try, a new hotel doing a ‘great deal’ (there’s a new perspective on these deals when you don’t have an income!). But on our holiday last summer we equally loved the simplicity of the French menu du jour, of a slice of quiche from the local bakery, of fresh peaches from the market (that didn’t cost the same as a michelin star meal as they tended to in Hong Kong). We were however aware that it’s one thing experiencing all this on holiday but a very different thing living it all the time. So, is the French lifestyle really what it’s cracked up to be? And is it actually that simple?

One of my favourite things about going out for lunch in France is the lack of choice. This may sound odd – but I’ve found great pleasure in arriving at a restaurant and not having to make too many decisions – those of you who know me will know that I struggle with menus and the fear of food envy. The Plat du Jour eliminates this and it’s wonderful. You choose if you are having a glass of red, white or rose (no need for wine lists – you just get what they are serving, usually a wine from the local vineyard and 99% of the time it’s delicious) – and then you can just relax. A foreign couple at our local restaurant asked the owner to see the wine list. “I am the wine list” he said with a smile.

It’s taken some getting used to the daily timetable – last Sunday I suggested going for lunch in Pezenas, a pretty town nearby, for some lunch and some shopping (time to buy a winter coat). Perfect if you’re in London and planning an afternoon on Northcote road, less perfect if you are in France and everything is closed on Sundays. When we got a puncture at 11.55am – there was nothing we could do until 2pm when the garage opened again (well, not nothing, we went for a Plat du Jour of course).

We are also having to change our expectations of what customer service looks like. The other day Ed went into a shop claiming ‘instant clothing repairs’ after spotting a hole in his jumper:-

Ed: Can you mend this for me?
Madame: (already looking a bit peeved to have been disturbed) Oui
Ed: Oh great, now?
Madame: Well you’ll need to take it off.
Ed: Yes, that’s fine. So shall I do that now?
Madame: Uff, well I’d need to get the sewing machine out, and ….
Ed: Well, if it’s not convenient I could come back tomorrow
Madame: Yes, yes – that would be better

As we left the shop we couldn’t help but wonder how business was working out for her.

In chatting to a few people in Saint Antonin, we shared that we were hoping to sign the compromis for our house purchase in a couple of weeks. They all smiled sympathetically and looked at each other as if to say ‘ah bless… we remember arriving with that level of optimism’. We carried on – no, the agent is very optimistic that things will move quite quickly as there’s no chain, etc etc…. that look again. Yes, we can call the notaire to hurry things along, but it’s unlikely to get us far. And so we wait.

When our new car broke down on us (a sore subject) we were very impressed by the Audi service and response time. Taxi to take us home, rental car arranged and an app to track progress. 3 days in we’d heard nothing, so Ed phoned to ask for an update. Ah, “Desolee monsieur, il y a eu un petit soucis avec la voiture”. I heard the word soucis, googled it and found ‘worry’. Immediately we panicked that the car had been scratched whilst driving out of the underground parking we were in when it broke down. Thankfully (albeit irritatingly) she went on to explain the hadn’t yet arrived at the Audi garage. Apparently it had just been sitting at the rescue place and no-one from there had thought it worth asking Audi where to take it. She seemed utterly unbothered by the situation – it was quickly resolved but Ed definitely got the impression he was keeping her from something much more important and interesting.

So – simple doesn’t necessarily mean fast… unless you’re a French driver that is and the pace can, without doubt, be frustrating at times. But on balance, and with a few reminders to each other that it’s not worth getting worked up about (luckily we generally get wound up about different things), it is a way of life that is bringing new perspective and a good lesson in not letting things stress you out too much. It’s really not worth it and makes very little difference to the outcome!

A bientot!