BUYING A HOUSE IN FRANCE - BUY FRENCH PROPERTY - TALES FROM FRANCE 2

Above: Granville, north side, the port.

Above: Granville, south side, the beach.

THE SOFA

On our first summer visit to the house in France, having got hardly any furniture in the house at this stage, we had planned to buy a large sofa. Knowing what the experience was like in England - finally finding a sofa you like only to be told, "Delivery will be in four to six weeks time"- we were not holding out much hope of being able to arrange it in France in the time available to us. In fact, we had discussed it on the ferry going over and had come to the conclusion that - having the perception that France was a somewhat bureaucratic country - if it took six weeks in England then it would probably take six months in France.
Anyway, we sallied forth one glorious summer's day to the nearest large trading estate where we eventually found a suitable sofa, one of those jobs that latches together and goes round the corner to fit against two walls. When I asked the lady serving us how long we would have to wait for delivery she appeared surprised. "You will deliver it yourself so you can do it now." I explained that there was no way I could fit the sofa in my car. "Of course monsieur, we will give you a van," she replied. About twenty minutes later, having paid for the sofa and produced my driving license at a depot just round the corner from the store, I was bowling across Normandy in a french white van to deliver the sofa.
So to add to the advantages of the rural charm of the French countryside, the space, the individual small food shops still surviving in most small towns - despite the supermarkets, the climate, the food, and the cafés, the French can even outdo the Brits with simple practical solutions to everyday business problems.
Yet another preconception bites the dust!

BAGS OF SAND

I am old enough to remember when you could go to a builders merchant and get a bushel of sand in a bag, I seem to remember it was eight big shovelfuls. That has all changed now of course due to EEC health and safety rules, many of which originated from France.
Here in England, to prevent back injury, the largest bag of sand, cement or plaster, you can get now is 25 kilos. When I first went to buy some sand in France I took my ticket to the yard and the yard worker got out a huge plastic bag and proceeded to fill it. I should think it would have weighed about 90 kilos if I hadn't stopped him from putting the last couple of shovels in. "Are you sure monsieur?, you will not be getting what you have paid for". As it was we barely managed to lift the bag between us and get it into the car.

So in this case it's a preconception confirmed, the dastardly continentals in the EEC make up a load of rules and regulations which we, the Brits, - normally incurring huge costs - impliment in full, but the French just blithly ignore them!
Mind you, I bet they have an awful lot of bad backs in France.