tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post6502034866197247536..comments2024-01-12T00:35:16.941+01:00Comments on French Leave: No Chateaux... no Culture...no Croissants - My Francethe fly in the webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-83818184920940218082012-01-21T18:35:45.184+01:002012-01-21T18:35:45.184+01:00Kaz, yes, they make it really problematical, don&#...Kaz, yes, they make it really problematical, don't they!<br />I like the idea of the bubble...but in my case there was always some goon with a pin at the ready to burst it...the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-79235769542248511982012-01-21T17:26:06.611+01:002012-01-21T17:26:06.611+01:00Nice piece. I've decided after 10 years of bat...Nice piece. I've decided after 10 years of battling with the bureaucrats to just live as much as I can in my own happy bubble, take the good things France has to offer and try to avoid the others. A great country to retire to, but don't ever try to be an entrepreneur here!! Love the blog, really trikes a chord!Kaz O'Reillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02503331616277132302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-41749365015378731032012-01-20T03:50:49.497+01:002012-01-20T03:50:49.497+01:00e, your comment made me so sad, as, if only at sec...e, your comment made me so sad, as, if only at second hand, I know something of what it is to have physical limitations on freedom of access.<br />Though with a leg in plaster I can remember having to argue my way into the parcel lift to get to the court in Poitiers! <br />You're right in what you say about Costa Rica...there are laws...and there is some progress in San Jose...but you'd need the shoulder muscles of an African elephant to propel a wheelchair up and down the ramps at road crossings.<br />As always...no one asks the people who know.<br /><br />Without the building up that winters in Costa Rica gave him...we'd still be stuck in France...shivering and cutting wood. But it was no joke for him doing the journey and he could not have traveled on his own.<br /><br />Isn't there a branch of the Alliance Francaise anywhere near you? They might have some ideas to offer.the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-9264659037940262172012-01-20T02:23:00.161+01:002012-01-20T02:23:00.161+01:00Dear Fly,
I'm sorry to hear the cricket did n...Dear Fly,<br /><br />I'm sorry to hear the cricket did not go as you desired. I too loved this post and would like to re-visit France on a holiday. What stops me is that I don't feel comfortable going alone and no-one in my present group of friends has the time or the money for foreign travel. From the bits and bobs of research I've done, it is possible to see parts of Paris, for example, but many of the metro stops would be inaccessible due to stairs, and I don't believe wheelchair taxis are available. Similarly, getting around Costa Rica or Panama presents the same obstacles. England is marginally better due to laws, but there are currently threats to those and many of the supports and services available for persons with disabilities, according to several bloggers who live there. Life here is no picnic either. The one good thing Bush senior did was get the ADA written and passed. As a former expat, I would love to live someplace else but as with your Mr. Fly, issues are complicated. Thanks for the glimpse of your world.ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11376645220662546020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-61539728026352140432012-01-19T21:49:27.241+01:002012-01-19T21:49:27.241+01:00Perpetua, the bureaucracy became much worse in the...Perpetua, the bureaucracy became much worse in the latter half of my time there...by which time Mr. Fly was too ill to allow us to move easily.<br /><br />But how right you are about the friends and the little places which have you smiling while you think of them.the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-39455174522483019432012-01-19T21:11:44.733+01:002012-01-19T21:11:44.733+01:00What a wonderful post, Fly, funny and affectionate...What a wonderful post, Fly, funny and affectionate and giving such a good insight into why you stayed in France so long despite the awful downsides of bureaucracy and politics.<br /><br />Your memories of France chime with what keeps us going back to spend our summers in a very quiet, rural corner of Normandy - the people and the little places that get under one's skin.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-16692717800664163032012-01-19T16:40:00.133+01:002012-01-19T16:40:00.133+01:00Niall and Antoinette, yes, I'll be wearing bla...Niall and Antoinette, yes, I'll be wearing black ribbons....the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-80089599823957308012012-01-19T16:30:07.366+01:002012-01-19T16:30:07.366+01:00aah the cricket -- N's face [born & bred ...aah the cricket -- N's face [born & bred Scot and cricket fan] earlier today showed that it has not gone well .... a 10 wicket loss.Niall & Antoinettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-6430774158703814582012-01-19T14:37:38.574+01:002012-01-19T14:37:38.574+01:00Sharyn, do hope the trip comes off!
You're so ...Sharyn, do hope the trip comes off!<br />You're so right...it's the people, the people, the people....the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-48813718379354672012012-01-19T14:32:32.287+01:002012-01-19T14:32:32.287+01:00My favorite memories of France all involve people ...My favorite memories of France all involve people and doing things with people. We're lucky to have French friends and that makes a difference, though we spent a week with friends from Texas and that was fantastic also. There might be a trip this year, if we can afford it, with the texans, who rent the house and hand out invites. And sometimes they do a canal cruise. We would not have much fun on our own traveling, it 's the people who make it memorable.Sharyn Ekberghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11987304898246173619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-60240129876856781352012-01-19T12:52:05.827+01:002012-01-19T12:52:05.827+01:00Mark in Mayenne, glad you enjoyed it.
Sarah, yup!...Mark in Mayenne, glad you enjoyed it.<br /><br />Sarah, yup! In spades.<br /><br />Trish @ Mum's Gone To, I suppose this could be called a BOGOF post....except they're both free!<br /><br />SP, take him to a sailfest...he won't need medication after that!<br /><br />Niall and Antoinette, I like the 'little' places....<br /><br />Ken, as a member of a prideful and obdurate race I maintain my right to listen to cricket....we moved south when I was young....but Scotland has my alliegance for rugby, thus shortening my life expectancy.the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-43890253847135423282012-01-19T12:26:14.111+01:002012-01-19T12:26:14.111+01:00Picked up a link to your blog from an old school f...Picked up a link to your blog from an old school friend "fourmentarian" who commented earlier.<br /><br />I will admit to being slightly confused at first until I read your "About Me" insert - then all became apparent.<br /><br />Thoroughly enjoyed your easy writing style and content and will be most definitely linking in for your updates. <br /><br />We've travelled regularly to rural France on holiday over the years...the past couple of times in the Cognac...good to hear a different take on life there.<br /><br />Only one thing...from the start of the post I took it you were a Scot. As a Scot myself there was one somewhat puzzling part of the story...you listen to...cricket!?<br /><br />Ken<br /><br />from wherethefatdogwalks.comfatdogwalkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04894891956037110152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-32267038027268582012-01-19T11:41:49.053+01:002012-01-19T11:41:49.053+01:00super post--it is the 'small jewels' which...super post--it is the 'small jewels' which light things up and together with friends make for the perfect mix.<br />Do SO know what you mean when someone says " Oh English!" Long given up on that one...far too complicated.Niall & Antoinettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-70664137090070286232012-01-19T10:48:37.365+01:002012-01-19T10:48:37.365+01:00Splendid!
I'm forcing Laughing Boy to read th...Splendid!<br /><br />I'm forcing Laughing Boy to read this, it might just concentrate his mind.<br /><br />SPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-15505520991940542662012-01-19T09:44:45.815+01:002012-01-19T09:44:45.815+01:00What a beautiful, evocative post. I feel as if I&#...What a beautiful, evocative post. I feel as if I've been transported to both countires in the space of a few moments while I sup my cup of tea this morning.Trishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00119443727504215312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-24128746966499039552012-01-19T09:36:39.844+01:002012-01-19T09:36:39.844+01:00While there are lots of fab aspects to living in F...While there are lots of fab aspects to living in France, the less one has to do with getting involved in either politics or the law, the happier and more serene one can be.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195684182481935384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-1297328485620574002012-01-19T08:33:29.383+01:002012-01-19T08:33:29.383+01:00Thank you so much!Thank you so much!Mark In Mayennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-22734780098669370602012-01-19T04:19:39.095+01:002012-01-19T04:19:39.095+01:00dinahmow, substitute fouasse, Fleur d'Aunis an...dinahmow, substitute fouasse, Fleur d'Aunis and a Grolleau Gris and you can choose the field!<br /><br />Super old boy, wasn't he? He felt the same about both of them....the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-74578982671087340692012-01-19T04:14:47.496+01:002012-01-19T04:14:47.496+01:00Yes, it's taken me hours to get back to this! ...Yes, it's taken me hours to get back to this! <br />I feel much the same about the beaurocracy.But I have fond images in my head of a baguette, a ripe Brie and a bottle of Chablis in a field somewhere.And Honfleur and Barfleur.<br /><br />I followed the link to the cardigan man.Not much of a step from Petain to Sarkozy, is it?dinahmowhttp://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-88710314642161566412012-01-19T01:37:20.852+01:002012-01-19T01:37:20.852+01:00fourmenterian, it's a great place!
It's o...fourmenterian, it's a great place!<br />It's on the river frontage facing the island, alongside the cinema....and the owner is a lovely man.<br /><br />Sorry about the confusion...so glad you blamed Google....the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-60168923480817232862012-01-19T01:00:27.142+01:002012-01-19T01:00:27.142+01:00I started reading this via Google Reader then got ...I started reading this via Google Reader then got slightly annoyed at Google for not telling me where Grifo Alto was in France - thinking what's all this Costa Rica stuff - so I'd read on thinking that Grifo Alto was a pet name you'd given to a modest colline somewhere in the Grand-Ouest after travelling the seven seas. Thanks for a great post and for pointing me in the direction of Le Trianon next time I am in Saumur. Looking forward to giving it a try very much.fourmenterianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328955523749137072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-40664302090950198772012-01-18T23:51:48.755+01:002012-01-18T23:51:48.755+01:00Pueblo girl, I have lots of super memories of livi...Pueblo girl, I have lots of super memories of living in France....the bits not connected in any way with commerce or government!<br /><br />Mark, it's French official hypocrisy which gets my goat....but I'd have to have been blind not to enjoy the things around me.<br /><br />Why did the boys groan? I can't imagine that you drag them round things they don't want to see...could you build part of the holiday around activities they enjoy?the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-73203654219011170952012-01-18T23:34:08.567+01:002012-01-18T23:34:08.567+01:00I liked this post because for all your wry digs at...I liked this post because for all your wry digs at French pomposity and process, it is good to be reminded of the better aspects. For all its faults I like France too - mid you, my boys groaned this week when I suggested going there again this year for a holiday. But then they are young, and in time they'll come to love it too.The bike shedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05195882998271591934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-87816951077683781352012-01-18T23:20:05.598+01:002012-01-18T23:20:05.598+01:00That's a lovely tribute.That's a lovely tribute.Pueblo girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04904318623281033442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650718999668529.post-54753053491709547482012-01-18T23:06:49.864+01:002012-01-18T23:06:49.864+01:00cheshire wife, I so agree!
Jane and Lance Hattatt...cheshire wife, I so agree!<br /><br />Jane and Lance Hattatt...it is friendship that I think of when asked about my time in France...but it is the first thing I think of when asked about life in Costa Rica too.<br /><br />Hidden gems...you're right. So well hidden that you'd be hard put to find out about any of them from the tourist bumf.the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.com