That's the French in me.

[User269]

Things like: " he lives in a £1M mansion. He drives a £150 000 Ferrari" and so on as we see and hear constantly in the media. Who really cares? Do we really want to know those personal details? People are judged by their wealth nowadays, not by who they really are. Sadly, it is becoming the norm all over the world.

More importantly, did you do any cycling in the Ardeche? Any recommendations about routes or particular areas? We're staying near Les Vans in a couple of weeks time.

The organised anti-austerity industrial action in France is ongoing, and my flight to Mallorca was cancelled in March due to French air traffic controllers, ferries have been delayed or cancelled, but for now the fuel blockades have been lifted. There's a calender of upcoming strikes in France here. Next one's on June 14th if anyone's heading out there anytime soon.

 

[gavgav]

Problem is, you are not comparing apples to apples.

Take a trip to Cumbria or Scotland...or yorkshire (the UK equivalents of the ardeche region) and see how much you have to pay to park the car . Sure, in town or at a national place of interest you may...but mostly its as free as France.

Get out in the sticks, its as beautiful and free as France...without all those French types skulking about.

Ps, you were lucky the ardeche region wasn't closed due to industrial action and that you could also afford to go there, after the government taxed 75% of your income before you left home (I appreciate this one doesn't really apply to you...but you get my point)

Every third person I interview right now is French. There must be some appeal, what can it be?

Cumbria is one of the worst places for hiking up car park fees! The Lake District especially.

 

[Moodyman]

or would that not give you the experience of being on the course having fun . which you want for free

The French social model seems to encourage this way of thinking. The sense of entitlement.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

OT I know but sort of relevant. I love the way that sub-topics in forum threads conform to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation

 

[jonny jeez]

Lucky he went to the Ardeche in-between strikes.

Tmn to me!

 

[jonny jeez]

Cumbria is one of the worst places for hiking up car park fees! The Lake District especially.

So is the Ardèche...i think we both just got lucky on the day.

 

[stephec]

Don't start me on toll roads. Only yesterday I paid good money to use the M6 Toll and it immediately started raining so heavily that it was impossible to see more than a few yards, forcing everyone to drive really slowly. I really feel that, having paid the money, I shouldn't have to put up with this sort of thing.

Has @Markymark hijacked your account?

 

[doog]

Mod edit removing reference to deleted post.

BTW I love France, the OP does have a point. If you were to compare your average small town in the UK with one in France you'd find the latter more often than not isnt infested with parking regulations / charges and general council imposed money making bollox..

 

[User482]

Every day I see people driving very short distances in fuel thirsty cars containing no passengers. I conclude that motoring is far too cheap.

 

[Oldbloke]

On the rare occasions I have to pay to park, 12-2pm is usually free, to allow me ample time to eat a leisurely meal whilst watching the TV roundup of strike action and English football hooligans.

 

[s7ephanie]

Living in France, i would say the french are far more money mad ! And dont get me started on red tape

 

[SpokeyDokey]

On the rare occasions I have to pay to park, 12-2pm is usually free, to allow me ample time to eat a leisurely meal whilst watching the TV roundup of strike action and English football hooligans.

Life and parking - full of contradictions.

 

[subaqua]

Oh look another i'm so clever and you're so thick put down. I might not be a master of bullshitting like some on here but i've seen life...unlike some!

but from your posts it seems you don't quite have a handle on it. and start the denigrating comments to others. poke the hornets nest by all means but don't moan when they sting you

 

[Dec66]

They don't like people mangling their language either.

I was in Paris a number of years back, and bearing in mind the legendary French disdain for anybody speaking English and not attempting to speak in French, I asked the chap in the booth at a Metro station for "deux billets a Saint George, s'il vous plait".

To be answered with a brusque, "Wot?", that any angry Cockney would have been proud of.

Not only did he dislike me for mangling his language, he went out of his way to be rude to me in mine.

I actually laughed, I thought it was dead funny

 

[Hill Wimp]

There is good and bad on both sides of Le Manche. I will take the good with the bad as nowhere is perfect. Just hope the ease of travelling between each country continues as it's only 22 miles away for me.