Unemployment in France

The newspapers claim that France has around a 10% unemployment rate.

Where it lingers, I haven't a clue.

My wonderful caretaker/housekeeper found a full-time job -- at 40 hours a week, not 35.
She left, and we miss her.

If you drive the 200+km from our place to the big city, there's development all along the last 90km of the freeway. Huge warehouses and corporate offices being built. Housing developments -- for the French.

The robust economy in my part of France is frightening because, as I've lamented in this space many a time, it's encroaching on my romantic dream of living in pastoral France.

Workers are so busy that you can't get anyone to install a fireplace insert, tile your floor, or put on a new roof, unless they have at least a nine month lead time.

Spent the day in the big city yesterday, Wednesday, and the streets were jammed . . . with pedestrians. The shops were busy. The restaurants were hopping. I've never seen a U.S. city so vibrant . . .and we come from San Francisco!

Alas, sadly I must report on another passing of a quaint French tradition. The shops in the big city now stay open during lunch . . . they don't close during the day. Au revoir la belle France, bonjour type-A America.

I was very proud of my nineteen-year old son. We were hungry and on the outskirts of town, and I suggested we go to McDonald's . . . please don't tell anyone. But he was willing to hold out until I was done shopping at a box store -- again, I admit that while being deeply embarassed -- and we could make our way to centre ville to have a real French lunch.

We ate at a charming old cafe, under the watchful stare of Bacchus and a horned ram carved in the woodwork above our table. We ordered from the menu formule, the daily specials. My son had a salad of duck gizards, figs, tomatoes and lettuce. His main dish was roasted duck in a cherry sauce, a potato galette, and pureed carrots. I ate a trout, carrot, turnip medley. We sipped coffee and tea together afterwards. It was amazingly civilized and we greatly enjoyed each other's company . . . my son even admitted it.