Something quite different today. Bruce decided to do a "Jean Valjean" and went to the sewerage museum. Now we realise that this opens the door for all kind of rude remarks and smart comments, but the reality is that it was quite fascinating; possibly the most interesting museum Bruce had been to. Interestingly, the description of the underground routes in Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" are very accurate since Hugo was a friend of one of the important sewage engineers. Nowadays, of course, it is all high tech, but some of the technology is truly fascinating. So, the next time you need your drains cleaned ...
Virginia, of course, has been coming to France for far more years than I have; her home town of Bristol is twinned to Bordeaux. So all through her childhood and school years she went backward and forward to Bordeaux via Paris and lots of other places. Therefore, when we come now, she likes to go to areas she has never been to before. Today she "sussed out" an up-and-coming area near the Place d'Italie which she says rivals Montmartre and costs seem to be about half what they are in our suburb.
Just one other thing we need to say and that's about supermarket shopping. Very much the same as everywhere else in the world until you get to the checkout. Now here patience is truly a virtue. The lines are long and it is not as if they don't have enough checkouts open, it's because of a whole different style of paying. In Australia (and we'd love to hear from people elsewhere) either the checkout person or the customer starts packing the goods as they are scanned through. Then, when the items have been added up, they are paid for. Here, on the other hand, there is a slight difference which holds everyone up. Each customer seems to carefully watch as the items are scanned. Customers seem to be far more careful in their scrutiny of every detail and will often query elements of the bill while it is being processed. When everything has been scanned to the customer's satisfaction, the customer packs the groceries and when the packing is complete, then, and only then, does payment take place. It is further slowed down by the need to ask for bags if you didn't bring your own containers.
There is also strict electronic security at each checkout and alarms go off if you try to get anything out without paying. Frankly, we both prefer shopping at the little locals and fruit and veg shops where we have come to know the people running them. And as for bread, it is much nicer from your neighbourhood boulangerie.
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