I think I have worked out why the French are so protective of their 35 hour working week.we have just bought a car that has been imported from Germany. We have to register it here in the area we live. And so we went to the 'prefecture' in Apt last friday morning at 8-30 am, the office we had been told dealt with such formalities. We were promptly told we were in the wrong place and instead should be at our local Marie which does not open until 1pm. So we went to one of the builders merchants to sort some floor tiles which took almost two hours by the time the chap repeated himself half a dozen times (at least it helps us understand!)and so an early lunch then off to the Marie. We arrive to be told we need an import exemption certificate! where do we get that? Apt at the Impot Office next to the Prefecture!So we head back, they of course are at lunch till 2-30 by which time there is a large queue. We sit and wait, as each new person arrives the entire queue nod and acknowledge each other with Bonjour. I wander off to explore the building only to find a desk with a sign above it 'import certificates'!no queue! so we gt our certificate and sneek out the building to avoid being seen by the 'queue'.And back to the Marie, by this time it is 5pm , and of course we have to wait a month for the documents to arrive. So that is a working day lost to administration - so French - yet we love it.
Meanwhile work slowly continues with the foundations for the terraces in front of the lower house under way with the pool being installed in just 4 weeks time!
In our house we were joined by Martin, who answered our advert for painting holidays in Provence! In exchange for food and wine he spent the entire week with us painting the hall stairs and landing as well as the second bedroom - much appreciated.
As often happens when Martin comes the El Perry effect clicked in with the weather, another dramatic storm deposting 60mm of rain in under two hours, just what we needed! this was Thursday morning
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