bizarre!

      C'est Bizarre!

    "C'est bizarre" is the English equivalent of "That's weird".  It's quite a common phrase and I've found myself saying/thinking it a lot since my arrival in France.  For instance, c'est bizarre that no grocery store gives you bags, you either have to purchase them or bring your own.  By now it's a habit to bring my own and pack my own groceries, but it did take a while to get used to it.  I think it's a good idea for the environment.  Everyone here has their own bags or baskets that they take to the stores or market with them. 

    Pay toilets: you have to pay 50 centimes or up to one Euro to use the bathroom in most public places (parks, train stations, etc).  So always travel with change!  I did get to see a self-cleaning toilet in Switzerland, complete with a revolving seat.  Wow! 

    Pay roads: if you want to travel on the autoroutes you must pay the road tolls, which can get pretty expensive.  The tolls vary, but a short trip between 2 nearby cities could cost you about 20 Euro.  But the speed limit is 130 km/hour and the road is in better condition than the national routes.  The national routes are more scenic, but it will take you much longer to get anywhere because they pass through every small town and village along the way.  So for me it's a nice change from the Trans-Canada Highway running through Alberta and Saskatchewan (yawn!). 

    Meal times are quite different here, normally the French grab something light for breakfast before going to work or school--maybe a croissant and coffee.  The lunch hour is usually 11:30 to 1:30 and if you live close enough to your home, you can enjoy the 2 hour lunch break.  If not, people usually take just an hour and then take the extra hour in order to leave around 4:30 pm for the day.  So all the stores and banks are closed during 11:30 to 2:00 but they are open later, usually until 7:30 pm.  Which is about the time that the French start preparing supper, in order to eat together at 8 or 9:00 pm.  Lunch is usually the bigger meal and supper is something simpler and lighter. 

    The school week gives students Wednesdays off in exchange for half a day on Saturday.  It's a nice way to get a break during the week but I still don't appreciate missing my Saturday morning sleep in! 

    The French get 6 weeks of vacation time per year and only work 35 hours per week (full-time).  The country practically shuts down in August because everyone takes vacation then. 

   

    And in conclusion, c'est bizarre that I can't think of any other things I find bizarre...must mean that I'm getting used to this place!  C'est bizarre!