Allow me to explain: Tons of people go on vacation in France in August. Not just for a few days or a week, oh no. Many people go for almost all of August -- two weeks at the very least. This might be more common in Paris than in the rest of France, but I'm not 100% sure about that.
So, this touches my daily life in a couple of ways. First: It's hard to find lunch. Okay, if I'm being honest this is the only way this changes things for me. There are two bakeries near our office that have good sandwiches, salads, etc. They are both closed. For the whole month. There is also a Subway nearby that is still open where I can grab a sandwich but... ya know... I live in Paris. Subway doesn't even KNOW what "eat fresh" means. There is fresher. And more delicious. And I miss it. (Sigh).
If you don't believe me, please note that it took me all of about 10 minutes (mostly because I walk slowly) to accumulate these pictures. Please excuse the fact that my reflection is in almost all of these -- I need to be more mindful when taking pictures.
These two shops are on our street. They are the only shops on our side of the street. Both closed.
This is where you can get amazing quiches and pastries for dessert at lunch. I will go there just to celebrate when they reopen... and have a chocolate moelleux because theirs are delicious!
This place was in Tours, France. Just a little bit of proof that this doesn't just happen in Paris.
Again, you can't really read it, but this is a sign announcing that the bakery IS open in August. Because you need to say that, because it's not assumed. This was taken on a Sunday, though, which explains why the place was closed.
So there you go, just a fun little fact about what life is like in Paris in August. I hear that if you actually work in a regular business or office, it's impossible to get anything done because too many people are on vacation. Surely most things can wait until September.
What's that you ask? Why do people use up all their vacation in one month? Surely nobody has more than 4 weeks of vacation to spend!
Wellllll.... the minimum amount of vacation a person can have each year in France is five weeks. Five! Is there a minimum in the U.S.? Here in France you also have people like my husband who work 40 hours per week instead of the typical 35 (!) who get about nine weeks of vacation to compensate for all of those extra hours. Nine! Nine WEEKS! I think in my earliest jobs I got nine days per year! Can you imagine how nice it is to just take off for 3-4 weeks in the summertime and either totally decompress on the beach until you are so relaxed you look 5 years younger? Or you now have the time to drive across the U.S. or fly to Europe or Asia and just travel around. Or do all those little projects around your house that drive you crazy so that when you're back to work you feel completely relaxed and ready for whatever life brings. So many possibilities.
Just a thought about life and how nice it is that people here are allowed more time to actually live it. I miss the bakeries, but have to say I appreciate the vacation. We're storing up our vacation days to spend Christmas in the States, but we'll still manage two getaways in August, not to mention the two-week honeymoon we took in May. There really are some things I truly love about France and vacation is one of them.
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